Pramlintide Injection

Conditions Treated

Pramlintide is used with mealtime insulin to control blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes. Pramlintide is only used to treat patients whose blood sugar could not be controlled by insulin or insulin and an oral medication for diabetes. Pramlintide is in a class of medications called antihyperglycemics. It works by slowing the movement of food through the stomach. This prevents blood sugar from rising too high after a meal, and may decrease appetite and cause weight loss.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Pramlintide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• redness, swelling, bruising, or itching in the place where you injected pramlintide
• loss of appetite
• stomach pain
• indigestion
• upset stomach
• excessive tiredness
• dizziness
• coughing
• sore throat
• joint pain

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the symptoms listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately.Pramlintide may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Pramlintide comes as a solution (liquid) to inject subcutaneously (just under the skin). It is usually injected several times a day, before each meal that includes at least 250 calories or 30 grams of carbohydrate. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use pramlintide exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Pramlintide controls diabetes but does not cure it. Continue to use pramlintide even if you feel well. Do not stop using pramlintide without talking to your doctor. If you do stop using pramlintide for any reason, do not start using it again without talking to your doctor. Use a U-100 insulin syringe to inject pramlintide. It is best to use the 0.3-mL size. Use the table in the medication guide to find the number of insulin syringe units that matches your prescribed dose (in micrograms [mcg]) of pramlintide. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how many syringe units of medication you will need to inject. Use a new syringe and needle for each injection. Do not mix pramlintide and insulin in the same syringe, and do not use the same syringe or needle to inject pramlintide and insulin one after another. Throw away your needle and syringe in a puncture-resistant container that is out of the reach of children. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how to throw away the puncture-resistant container. You can inject pramlintide anywhere on your stomach or thigh. Do not inject pramlintide into your arm. Choose a different spot to inject pramlintide every day. Be sure that the spot you choose is more than 2 inches away from the spot where you will inject insulin. You should inject pramlintide under the skin the same way that you inject insulin. Allow the vial of pramlintide to warm to room temperature before you inject the medication. Look at the liquid in the vial before you inject it, and do not use it if it is cloudy. If you have questions about injecting pramlintide, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

What Dietary Instructions Should I Follow

Your doctor, dietitian, or diabetes educator will help you create a meal plan that works for you. Follow the meal plan carefully.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before using pramlintide, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to pramlintide, any other medications, or metacresol. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: antihistamines; certain antidepressants ('mood elevators') called tricyclic antidepressants; certain medications to treat asthma, diarrhea, lung disease, mental illness, motion sickness, overactive bladder, pain, Parkinson's disease, stomach or intestinal cramps, ulcers, and upset stomach; cisapride (Propulsid); laxatives; metoclopramide (Reglan); and stool softeners. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. if you are taking a medication for pain such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), take it at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you use pramlintide. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had gastroparesis (slowed movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine) and if you are being treated with dialysis (treatment to clean the blood outside the body when the kidneys are not working well). if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using pramlintide.