Your bone marrow may produce fewer white blood cells as a result of deferiprone. White blood cells aid in the body’s ability to fight infection, therefore having less of them increases the likelihood that you will experience a serious or perhaps fatal infection. Inform your doctor about all the drugs you are taking, as taking deferiprone with some other drugs may raise the chance that your white blood cell count will fall. Deferiprone should be stopped immediately, and you should call your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if you see any of the following infection symptoms: chills, a high temperature, mouth sores, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or violent shaking.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. Before starting therapy and at least once per week while it is being administered, your doctor will order a number of laboratory tests, including those to assess your white blood cell count.

The patient information sheet (Medication Guide) from the manufacturer will be provided to you by your doctor or pharmacist when you start taking deferiprone and at each time your prescription is renewed. If you have any questions, carefully read the information and ask your doctor or chemist. The Medication Guide is also available on the manufacturer’s website or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm).

Discuss the potential risks of taking deferiprone with your doctor.

Deferiprone is used to treat thalassemia in adults and children aged 3 and older by removing extra iron from the body (an inherited condition that causes a low number of red blood cells). It is additionally used to get rid of extra iron in adults and kids aged 3 and older with sickle cell disease or other types of anaemia (a lower than normal number of red blood cells). Deferiprone belongs to the group of drugs known as iron chelators. It functions by clinging to bodily iron so that it may be expelled (removed from the body).

Deferiprone is available as a tablet and an oral solution (liquid) that should be taken orally. Often, it is taken twice or three times a day. Deferiprone can be taken with or without food, however taking it with food may assist to lessen the possibility of the medication causing nausea and vomiting. Use deferiprone daily at around the same time(s). Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the deferiprone directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

If your dose calls for half a tablet, carefully split it on the score mark.

To measure your dose, use the measuring cup that came with the solution. Drink the medication after adding it to the measuring cup supplied. Then, add 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 mL) of water to the measuring cup, gently stir to combine the water and any medication that may still be inside, and then sip the concoction. After usage, wash the measuring cup by hand in water.

Depending on the outcomes of your laboratory tests, your doctor may adjust your deferiprone dosage every two to three months.

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

Before taking deferiprone,

• If you have any allergies, including to deferiprone, any other medications, or any of the substances in deferiprone tablets or oral solution, notify your doctor right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the Medication Guide or speak with your pharmacist.
  Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and dietary supplements you are currently taking or intend to take. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
  If you are taking iron or zinc supplements, multivitamins, or antacids, take them 4 hours before or 4 hours after taking deferiprone.
• Inform your physician of all herbal medications you are taking, especially milk thistle.
  If you have liver illness now or previously, let your doctor know.
• Inform your physician if you are expecting, intend to become pregnant, or intend to father a child. Pregnancy should not occur while you are using deferiprone, either for you or your spouse. You must perform a pregnancy test before commencing treatment if you are a woman who is able to get pregnant, and you must use reliable birth control both during therapy and for six months after your last dose. If you’re a man, you should use birth control while receiving therapy and for three months following your last dose, together with your female partner. Call your doctor right away if you get pregnant while taking deferiprone. The foetus may suffer from deferiprone.
• If you are breastfeeding, let your doctor know. During therapy and for two weeks following your last dose, your doctor might advise against breastfeeding.
• While taking deferiprone, avoid drinking alcohol. Deferiprone side effects can be made worse by alcohol.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

There can be negative effects from deferiprone. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Greater or lesser appetite
• Gaining weight
• Back, joints, arms, or legs hurt
• Headache
• Urine that is stained either red or brown

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you develop any of these signs or any of the ones detailed in the IMPORTANT CAUTION section:

• Inflamed and painful joints; reddish-purple blotches or rash, especially on the lower half of the body; stomach pain; or blood in the urine
• Hives
• Inflammation near the eyes
• Hammering or rapid heartbeat

Further negative effects of deferiprone could exist. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right once.

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).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from light, excessive heat, and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). After initially removing the cap from the oral solution bottle, throw away both items after 35 days.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

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.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• Dual perception
• Irregular eye motions
• Any area of the body exhibiting strange, delayed, or unpredictable movements

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how well your body is responding to deferiprone, your doctor will request lab tests.

It’s possible for your urine to turn red or brown; this effect is normal and not hazardous.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding prescription refills should be directed to your chemist.

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.