An injection of cidofovir may harm renal function. If you have renal illness now or ever have, let your doctor know. Amikacin, amphotericin B (Abelcet, Ambisome), foscarnet (Foscavir), gentamicin, pentamidine (Pentam 300), tobramycin, vancomycin (Vancocin), as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen, and vancomycin, are some of the medications that may harm your kidneys (Naprosyn, Aleve). If you are using or taking any of these drugs, your doctor probably won’t let you use cidofovir injection.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. Before, during, and after your treatment, your doctor will order certain lab tests to see how you are responding to the cidofovir injection.

Injections of cidofovir have been linked to sperm production issues and birth abnormalities in animals. The potential for this medicine to result in birth abnormalities in offspring of mothers who got cidofovir injection during pregnancy has not been investigated in people. Unless your doctor determines that using cidofovir injection is the best treatment for your disease, you shouldn’t use it while you are pregnant or want to get pregnant.

Injections of cidofovir have given lab animals cancer.

Discuss the potential hazards of using cidofovir injection with your doctor.

For the treatment of cytomegaloviral retinitis (CMV retinitis) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, cidofovir injection is combined with the drug probenecid (AIDS). Cidofovir belongs to the group of drugs known as antivirals. It functions by reducing CMV’s rate of growth.

In a medical setting, a doctor or nurse will administer cidofovir injection intravenously (into a vein) using a solution (liquid). Usually, it’s administered once every two weeks. Your body’s reaction to the medication determines how long the treatment will last.

Each dose of cidofovir requires the oral administration of probenecid tablets. Probenecid should be taken 3 hours before getting a cidofovir injection, as well as again 2 and 8 hours after your infusion is finished. To lessen nausea and upset stomach, take probenecid with food. If you have any doubts about how these medications should be taken together, see your doctor or pharmacist.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using cidofovir injection,

• If you have an allergy to cidofovir, probenecid (Probalan, in Col-Probenecid), sulfa-containing drugs, any other drugs, or any of the chemicals in cidofovir injection, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Mention the drugs in the IMPORTANT CAUTION section as well as any of the following: Acetaminophen, barbiturates like phenobarbital, benzodiazepines like lorazepam (Ativan), bumetanide (Bumex), famotidine (Pepcid), furosemide (Lasix), methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Trexall), theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24), zidovudine, and acyclo (Retrovir, in Combivir). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Use efficient birth control while receiving cidofovir injection and for a month following your last dosage if you are a female. Discuss birth control options with your doctor so that you can use them both during and after your treatment. When using cidofovir injection and for three months after your last dose, male users should use a barrier device (condom or diaphragm with spermicide) if their partner has the potential to become pregnant. Call your doctor right away if you or your partner becomes pregnant while taking cidofovir.
• If you are breastfeeding, let your doctor know. If you have AIDS, the HIV/AIDS virus, or are taking cidofovir, you should not breastfeed.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

Side effects from cilofovir injection are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Appetite loss
• Headache
• Hair fall
• Lesions in the mouth, throat, or lips

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these signs:

• Rash
• Eye discomfort or redness
• Alterations in vision like light sensitivity or blurry vision
• Chills, a cough, or a fever
• Breathing difficulty
• Light skin

Further negative effects of cidofovir injection are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your scheduled visits to the eye doctor. Throughout your cidofovir injectable therapy, you should have planned eye exams on a regular basis.

Inquire about cidofovir injection with your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every drug you take, including prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medications, vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements. Every time you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital, you should carry this list with you. Also, it is crucial to have this knowledge on hand in case of emergency.