Before taking procarbazine

Before taking procarbazine make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• If you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
• If you are trying for a baby or intend to have children in the future regardless of your sex.
• If you have liver or kidney problems.
• If you have heart or blood vessel disease, or high blood pressure.
• If you have had a stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or thickening of blood vessels to the brain.
• If you have phaeochromocytoma (a growth affecting the adrenal glands).
• If you have epilepsy.
• If you are taking other medicines, including those available to buy without a prescription, herbal and complimentary medicines.
• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to this or to any other medicine.

How to take procarbazine

• Before starting this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack.
• You must follow the printed instructions you have been given with your medication.
• Procarbazine may occasionally cause you to feel sick or be sick. However, it is important to keep taking this medicine at regular dosage times even if you begin to feel unwell.
• If you are sick shortly after taking a dose, or you forget a dose, check with your doctor. You will be told whether to take the dose again, or to wait until the next dose is due.

Getting the most from your treatment

• You must avoid getting pregnant while taking procarbazine. If you are male, you must not get a woman pregnant. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about suitable contraception.
• Keep your regular appointments with the doctor or hospital so your progress can be checked.
• While you are taking procarbazine, and for a while after you stop treatment, do not have any immunisations (vaccinations) without talking to your doctor first. Procarbazine lowers the body's resistance and there is a chance that you may get an infection from some vaccines.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking procarbazine and for 48 hours after finishing the course. This is because the combination of procarbazine together with alcohol may make you feel unwell. Note: some cough and cold preparations contain alcohol.
• Avoid certain foods like cheese, yeast or meat extracts (such as Marmite®, Oxo® and Bovril®), broad bean pods, pickled herring, salami sausage, bologna sausage, overripe fruit, non-alcoholic beers, lagers and wines and other foods which are not fresh, particularly if they have been fermented, pickled, smoked, 'hung' or matured. If you want to eat or drink anything on the list you could try a little at a time, until you are sure that it doesn't upset you.
• Procarbazine can lower the number of white cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. You should take certain precautions to reduce the chance of infection. Try to avoid people with infections and check with your doctor if you have the symptoms of an infection, such as fever (high temperature) and a sore throat.

Can procarbazine cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. These usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side-effects continue or become troublesome.

How to store procarbazine

• Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.
• Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.

Important information about all medicines

References

• Manufacturer's PIL, Procarbazine Capsules 50 mg, Alliance Pharmaceuticals, electronic Medicines Compendium. Dated March 2011.
• British National Formulary; 62nd Edition (Sep 2011) British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London (link to current BNF)