INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

Please read this leaflet carefully before you are given this medicine. It gives an outline of the more important things you should know. If you want to know more about this medicine, or you are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You should keep this leaflet throughout your course of treatment.

THE NAME OF YOUR MEDICINE IS CALCIUM FOLINATE INJECTION BP

Calcium Folinate Injection BP is a solution for injection that contains calcium folinate as the active ingredient. Each ml contains 12.71mg of calcium folinate.5H2O equivalent to 10mg of folinic acid.

Your injection also contains water for injections and sodium chloride.

WHAT IS CALCIUM FOLINATE AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Calcium folinate is a vitamin and is used as an antidote to the harmful effects of methotrexate (a cancer medicine) given in high doses. It is also used in the treatment of colorectal cancer together with 5-fluorouracil.

Calcium folinate injection is a colourless liquid.

The injection comes in one strength (10mg/ml) and is available in packs of five ampoules containing 3ml, 5ml or 10ml of solution and in packs of single vials containing 10ml, 20ml, 30ml, 35ml or 80ml of solution.

BEFORE BEING GIVEN THIS MEDICINE

You will not be given this medicine if you are allergic to calcium folinate or if you suffer from the sort of anaemia where you lack vitamin B12.

Before being given this medicine, you should let your doctor know if you are pregnant or breast-feeding or wish to become pregnant or start breast-feeding.

You will be given this medicine under the supervision of a physician experienced in cancer chemotherapy. He will ensure that you are given the medicine in the right dose and under the right conditions.

Taking another medicine while you are being given calcium folinate can affect how it or the other medicine works. Make sure that your doctor knows what other medicines you are taking. This includes medicines you may have bought yourself.

Examples of medicines that can affect calcium folinate are;

• Co-trimoxazole – an antibiotic
• 5-fluorouracil – an anticancer drug
• Phenobarbital, phenytoin or primidone – medicines used in the treatment of epilepsy

If you have any doubts about whether you should be given this medicine then talk to your doctor.

TAKING THIS MEDICINE

The dose of calcium folinate you will be given depends on the condition you are suffering from and your response to the other drugs you are being given. Your physician will calculate the right dose, how to give it to you, how often the therapy cycles are to be repeated and how to prepare the calcium folinate solution.

Calcium folinate is usually administered intramuscularly (injected into a muscle) or intravenously (directly into a vein by a single injection or by a drip).

If you are accidentally given too much calcium folinate it is unlikely that you will suffer any ill-effects, but it may affect the way the other drug you are being given affects you.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE-EFFECTS?

Like many medicines, calcium folinate may cause side-effects in some patients, particularly when you are first given it. The side-effects that some other patients have had with calcium folinate include allergic reactions or fever, although these are very rare. After high doses you may suffer from stomach upsets, sleeplessness, agitation or depression – but again this is rare.

If you experience any other-side effects not mentioned above or feel that the medicine is affecting you badly, tell your doctor or nurse.

 

SAFE KEEPING FOR THIS MEDICINE

Calcium folinate injection must be stored in a refrigerator (at 2°C to 8°C) in its original container in order to protect it from light. If it has been diluted, it will not be stored for more than 24 hours in a refrigerator before being discarded. Your doctor or nurse will make sure the product has not passed its expiry date and that only freshly prepared infusions and clear solutions are used. The expiry date is printed on the outer box and on the label.

The medicine will be kept in a secure place where children cannot get at it.