Your bone marrow’s capacity to produce white blood cells may decline as a result of deferiprone. White blood cells aid in the body’s ability to fight infection, therefore having less of them increases your risk of developing a serious or life-threatening illness. In order to reduce the possibility that your white blood cell count will fall while taking deferiprone, be sure to let your doctor know about all the medications you are taking. You should stop taking deferiprone and call your doctor right away if you have any of the following signs of infection. You should also seek emergency medical attention. Flu-like symptoms, a fever, sore throat, mouth sores, chills, or a lot of trembling.

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 material and contact your doctor or pharmacist. 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.

In adults and children 3 years of age and older with thalassemia (an inherited disorder that results in a reduced number of red blood cells), deferiprone is used to eliminate excess iron from the body. In adults and children 3 years of age and older with sickle cell disease (an inherited blood condition) or other types of anemia (a low level of red blood cells), it is also used to remove excess iron. Deferiprone belongs to a group of drugs known as iron chelators. It functions by clinging to iron in the body so that it can be excreted (expelled from the body).

The oral solution (liquid) and tablet forms of deferiprone are both intended for oral administration. Two or three times a day is the typical dosage. You can take Deferiprone with or without food, however taking it with food may help to reduce the possibility of the drug causing you to feel sick. At around the same time(s) each day, take deferiprone. If there is anything you do not understand about the instructions on your prescription label, contact your doctor or pharmacist to clarify it. Exactly as prescribed, take deferiprone. Take it only as directed by your doctor, neither more nor less than that amount or more frequently.

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. Next, 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 pharmacist 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.
• Take antacids, multivitamins, iron, or zinc supplements 4 hours before or 4 hours after taking deferiprone if you also take any of those things.
• 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 fetus may suffer from deferiprone.
• If you are breastfeeding, let your doctor know. During treatment and for two weeks following your last dose, your doctor might advise against breastfeeding.
• While taking deferiprone, stay away from alcoholic beverages. Deferiprone negative effects can get worse after drinking 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
• Diarrhea
• Greater or lesser appetite
• Gaining weight
• Back, joints, arms, or legs hurt
• Headache
• Urine that is stained either red or brown

Some 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 WARNING 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

Other 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 program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and away from light, excessive heat, and moisture. After initially removing the cap from the oral solution bottle, throw away both items after 35 days.

As 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

To make sure that pets, kids, and other people cannot take leftover pharmaceuticals, they should be disposed of in a specific manner. You shouldn’t flush this medication down the toilet, though. The best option to get rid of your medication is instead through a medication take-back program. To find out about take-back initiatives in your neighborhood, speak with your pharmacist or get in touch with your city’s waste/recycling department. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information at the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, 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

Do not miss any of your doctor’s or lab appointments. In order to monitor how your body is responding to deferiprone, your doctor will request lab testing.

It’s typical and not harmful for your urine to turn crimson or brown.

Make sure only you take your medication. Regarding prescription refills, ask your pharmacist any questions you may have.

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. Additionally, it is crucial to have this knowledge on hand in case of emergencies.