Virafosc

Virafosc is an antiviral medicine that stops viruses from making more copies of themselves.

Form
infuusioneste, liuos
Strength
24 mg/ml
Active Ingredient
Foscarnet sodium hexahydrate
Manufacturer
Campus Pharma AB

How to Use

Dosage

The amount you get depends on your infection and weight, typically 40-120 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Method

A doctor or nurse will give you this medicine as a drip into a vein.

Important

The maximum dose can be up to 270 mg per kilogram of body weight per day during the first phase of treatment.

Possible Side Effects

COMMON
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Feeling sick (nausea) or throwing up (vomiting)
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Fever or chills
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Tingling feeling on the skin
  • Skin rash
  • Changes in how your kidneys work (kidney problems, seen in blood tests)
  • Low number of white blood cells (can lead to infections and fever)
  • Low number of red blood cells (anemia, seen in blood tests, making you feel tired and look pale)
  • Imbalance of salts and minerals in your blood (can cause weakness, muscle cramps, thirst, tingling or itching skin, and muscle twitching)
  • Stomach pain, constipation, upset stomach, or bleeding in your stomach or intestines
  • Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), causing severe stomach pain or changes in pancreas function seen in blood tests
  • Feeling anxious, nervous, sad, restless, aggressive, or confused
  • Trouble with coordination
  • Seizures
  • Reduced feeling in the skin
  • Itchy skin
  • General feeling of being unwell
  • Swelling in your feet and legs
  • Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats
  • High blood pressure
  • Low blood pressure, which can make you dizzy
  • Changes in heart tests (ECG)
  • Muscle problems, like pain, tenderness, weakness, or twitching, seen in blood tests
  • Shaking (tremor)
  • Nerve damage, causing changes in sensation or muscle weakness (neuropathy)
  • Swelling, pain, or redness along a vein or at the injection site
  • Sores on your genitals
  • Changes in how your liver works (seen in blood tests)
  • Low number of platelets in your blood (can make you bruise more easily)
  • Blood infection (sepsis)
  • Kidney problems, including sudden kidney failure, which may show up in blood or urine tests
  • Pain when you pee
  • Peeing more often than usual, sometimes with strong thirst or not enough fluid in your body
  • Chest pain
RARE
  • Itchy rash (hives)
  • Too much acid in your blood, which can make you breathe faster
  • Kidney damage (glomerulonephritis), which may show as swelling in the face or ankles, blood in your urine, brown urine, or peeing less often than normal
  • Other kidney problems that might show up in blood or urine tests, such as nephrotic syndrome or kidney tubule disorders

Important Warnings

  • Do not use Virafosc if you are allergic to foscarnet or any other ingredient in it.
  • Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or need a special blood cleaning treatment called dialysis.
  • Tell your doctor if you have heart problems.
  • Do not get pregnant or cause a pregnancy during treatment and for 6 months after. Use reliable birth control.
  • Do not breastfeed your baby while using this medicine.
Show 1 more warnings
  • This medicine might make you dizzy or cause seizures, so be careful when driving or using machines.