Luporal Capsule 10’S

INTRODUCTION

LUPORAL CAPSULE is a combination of Tegafur and Uracil which belongs to the group of medicines called Thymidylate synthase inhibitors. It is used with calcium folinate to treat metastatic colorectal cancer which is a type of cancer that begins in the colon or rectum and spreads to other parts of the body and characterized by symptoms such as rectal bleeding, narrow stools, persistent abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss. Along with this treatment, your doctor might advise you for a liver function test to assess the function of your liver. LUPORAL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment, bone marrow suppression from previous radiotherapy or dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency disease (a severe neurological disease marked by seizures). Before taking LUPORAL CAPSULE, inform your doctor if you have heart, kidney or liver disease. LUPORAL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in pregnant and breastfeeding women and it is also not recommended for use in children and adolescents (aged below 18 years). This medicine should be used with caution in elderly patients (aged 75 years or above) with age-related impaired kidney, liver or heart function and other concomitant medications or diseases. The most common side effects of taking LUPORAL CAPSULE are nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, headache, dizziness and dry skin. Consult your doctor if any of the side effects get worse.

USES OF LUPORAL CAPSULE

• Treats metastatic colorectal cancer (in combination with calcium folinate)

HOW LUPORAL CAPSULE WORKS

LUPORAL CAPSULE helps in preventing the spread of colorectal cancer cells, where tegafur works by converting into fluorouracil or 5-FU in the liver which causes destruction of cancer cells and uracil works by preventing the degradation of 5-FU which results in the prolongation of its stay in the cancer cells thus resulting in the destruction of colorectal cancer cells and preventing its spread to other parts of the body.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Always take this medicine as directed by your physician. Swallow the medicine as a whole and do not crush or chew the medicine. Your doctor will decide the correct dose for you depending upon your age and disease condition.

SIDE EFFECTS OF LUPORAL CAPSULE

HOW TO MANAGE SIDE EFFECTS

Diarrhea: Drink lot of fluids such as water to keep yourself hydrated. Try to avoid taking any medicine on your own to treat diarrhea and consult your doctor if the symptom gets worse. Constipation: Try to eat more high-fiber foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals and drink plenty of water. Try doing exercise regularly (going for a daily walk or run). If this does not help, inform your doctor for receiving alternate treatments for constipation. Nausea and vomiting : Try to take LUPORAL CAPSULE with or just after a meal or a snack. Stick to simple meals. Avoid eating oil rich, fried or spicy food. Consult your doctor if the symptom gets worse. Abdominal pain: Rest and relax. Eat and drink slowly or try to have smaller and frequent meals. Keep a heat pad on your stomach. Do not self-treat on your own and consult your doctor if the symptom did not improve on its own. Dry mouth: Sip water regularly and other sugar free liquids. Do not use mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they can make your mouth dry, use mouthwash that is used only for dry mouth. Limit your caffeine intake. Avoid smoking or using tobacco products. Consult your doctor if the symptom does not improve.

WARNING & PRECAUTIONS

INTERACTIONS

A. Drug-Drug Interactions: Before taking LUPORAL CAPSULE, inform your doctor, if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Medicines that inhibit dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (an enzyme responsible for breaking down thymine and uracil which forms a structure of gene) Ex. brivudine
• Cytotoxic agents such as cyclophosphamide, busulfan and bleomycin (used to treat cancer)
• Warfarin (used to prevent blood clotting)
• Phenytoin (used to control certain type of seizures during or after surgery)
• Coumarin (used in the treatment of prostate cancer, kidney cancer)
• Methoxypsoralen (medicine used to treat psoriasis and vitiligo)
• Medicines used to treat fungal infections Ex. clotrimazole, ketoconazole and miconazole

Overdosage:

If you or anyone else accidentally takes too much of LUPORAL CAPSULE, consult your doctor immediately or visit the nearby hospital. Overdose symptoms of LUPORAL CAPSULE are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, bleeding and bone marrow suppression (a condition of low blood cells).