Lovenox

What you should know before using

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

Very young babies may be especially sensitive to the effects of anticoagulants. This may increase the chance of bleeding during treatment.

Geriatric

Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of anticoagulants. This may increase the chance of bleeding during treatment.

Anticoagulants may cause birth defects. They may also cause other problems affecting the physical or mental growth of the fetus or newborn baby. In addition, use of this medicine during the last 6 months of pregnancy may increase the chance of severe, possibly fatal, bleeding in the fetus. If taken during the last few weeks of pregnancy, anticoagulants may cause severe bleeding in both the fetus and the mother before or during delivery and in the newborn infant.

Do not begin taking this medicine during pregnancy, and do not become pregnant while taking it, unless you have first discussed the possible effects of this medicine with your doctor. Also, if you suspect that you may be pregnant and you are already taking an anticoagulant, check with your doctor at once. Your doctor may suggest that you take a different anticoagulant that is less likely to harm the fetus or the newborn infant during all or part of your pregnancy. Anticoagulants may also cause severe bleeding in the mother if taken soon after the baby is born.

Breast Feeding

Warfarin is not likely to cause problems in nursing babies. Other anticoagulants may pass into the breast milk. A blood test can be done to see if unwanted effects are occurring in the nursing baby. If necessary, another medicine that will overcome any unwanted effects of the anticoagulant can be given to the baby.

Drug Interactions

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Abciximab
• Acenocoumarol
• Alteplase, Recombinant
• Amobarbital
• Anisindione
• Anistreplase
• Aprobarbital
• Ardeparin
• Argatroban
• Aspirin
• Bicalutamide
• Bivalirudin
• Butabarbital
• Butalbital
• Certoparin
• Cilostazol
• Clopidogrel
• Dalteparin
• Danaparoid
• Danazol
• Defibrotide
• Dermatan Sulfate
• Desirudin
• Dicumarol
• Enoxaparin
• Eptifibatide
• Eterobarb
• Fenofibrate
• Fluconazole
• Fluoxymesterone
• Fondaparinux
• Garlic
• Ginkgo
• Heparin
• Heptabarbital
• Lamifiban
• Lepirudin
• Levocarnitine
• Mephobarbital
• Methyltestosterone
• Nadroparin
• Nandrolone
• Oxandrolone
• Oxymetholone
• Oxyphenbutazone
• Papaya
• Parnaparin
• Pentobarbital
• Phenindione
• Phenobarbital
• Phenprocoumon
• Phenylbutazone
• Piroxicam
• Primidone
• Reteplase, Recombinant
• Reviparin
• Secobarbital
• Sibrafiban
• Stanozolol
• St John's Wort
• Streptokinase
• Sulfamethoxazole
• Sulfinpyrazone
• Tamoxifen
• Tan-Shen
• Tenecteplase
• Testosterone
• Tinzaparin
• Tirofiban
• Urokinase
• Vitamin E
• Voriconazole
• Warfarin
• Xemilofiban

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Aneurysm (swelling in a blood vessel) especially in the head or chest or
• Bleeding in the brain or
• Blood disorders or diseases, especially thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), polycythemia (high red blood cell count), or leukemia or
• Bruising, excessive or
• Cancer of the internal organs, especially of the abdomen or
• Childbirth, recent or
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus or
• Diverticulitis or
• Falls or blows to the body or head or
• Heart infection or
• Hemophilia or other bleeding problems or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Inflammation of blood vessels or
• Intestinal problems, especially conditions that may affect the absorption of food or vitamins or
• Liver disease or
• Pregnancy, terminated or
• Spinal anesthetics or spinal puncture or
• Surgery, major, especially of the head or eye, or dental surgery or
• Toxemia of pregnancy or
• Ulcers, active, of the stomach, lung, or urinary tract or
• Vitamin K deficiency or
• Wounds, open, surgical or from an ulcer—These conditions may increase the chance of bleeding.

In addition, it is important that you tell your doctor if you are now being treated by any other medical doctor or dentist.