$Unique_ID{BRK02166}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{TRIAMCINOLONE (SYSTEMIC)}
$Subject{Aristocort (Lederle)
Kenacort (Squibb)
triamcinolone (various manufacturers)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


TRIAMCINOLONE (SYSTEMIC)
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Aristocort (Lederle)
     Kenacort (Squibb)
     triamcinolone (various manufacturers)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Adrenocorticosteroid hormone
INGREDIENT:
     triamcinolone
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (1 mg, 2 mg, 4 mg, and 8 mg)
     Oral syrup (2 mg and 4 mg per 5-ml spoonful)
STORAGE:
     Triamcinolone tablets and oral syrup should be stored at room temperature
in tightly closed containers.  Discard any outdated medication or any
medication that is no longer needed.

USES

     Your adrenal glands naturally produce certain cortisone-like chemicals.
These chemicals are involved in various processes in the body (such as
maintenance of fluid balance, regulation of temperature, and reaction to
inflammation).  Triamcinolone belongs to a group of drugs known as
adrenocorticosteroids (or cortisone-like medications).  It is used to treat a
variety of disorders, including endocrine and rheumatic disorders; asthma;
blood diseases; certain cancers; eye disorders; gastrointestinal disturbances,
such as ulcerative colitis; respiratory diseases; and inflammations such as
arthritis, dermatitis, and poison ivy.  How this drug acts to relieve these
disorders is not completely understood.

TREATMENT

     In order to prevent stomach irritation, you can take triamcinolone with
food or milk (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
     To help avoid potassium loss while using this drug, take your dose with a
glass of fresh or frozen orange juice, or eat a banana each day.  The use of a
salt substitute also helps prevent potassium loss.  Check with your doctor.
     If you are taking only one dose of this medication each day, try to take
it before 9:00 A.M.  This will mimic the body's normal production of this type
of chemical.
     The oral syrup form of this medication should be measured carefully with
a specially designed 5-ml measuring spoon.  An ordinary kitchen teaspoon is
not accurate enough.
     It is important to try not to miss any doses of triamcinolone.  If you do
miss a dose of this medication, follow these guidelines:
     1. If you are taking it more than once a day, take the missed dose as
soon as possible, and then return to your regular dosing schedule.  If it is
already time for the next dose, double the dose.
     2. If you are taking this medication once a day, take the dose you missed
as soon as possible, unless you do not remember until the next day.  In that
case, do not take the missed dose at all; just follow your regular dosing
schedule.  Do not double the next dose.
     3. If you are taking this drug every other day, take it as soon as you
remember.  If you missed the scheduled dose by a whole day, take it when you
remember, and then skip a day before you take the next dose.  Do not double
the dose.
     If you miss more than one dose of triamcinolone, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Dizziness, false sense of well-being, increased appetite, increased
sweating, indigestion, nausea, reddening of the skin on the face,
restlessness, sleep disorders, or weight gain.  These side effects should
disappear as your body adjusts to the medication.

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
abdominal enlargement; abdominal pain; acne or other skin problems; back or
rib pain; bloody or black, tarry stools; blurred vision; convulsions;
difficulty in breathing; eye pain; fatigue; fever and sore throat; filling out
of the face; growth impairment (in children); headaches; impaired healing of
wounds; increased thirst and urination; menstrual irregularities; mental
depression; mood changes; muscle wasting or weakness; nightmares; rapid weight
gain (three to five pounds within a week); rash; thinning of the skin; unusual
bleeding or bruising; or unusual weakness.

INTERACTIONS

     Triamcinolone interacts with several other types of medications:
     1. Alcohol, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory medications (such as
diflunisal, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, meclofenamate, mefenamic
acid, naproxen, piroxicam, sulindac, and tolmetin) aggravate the stomach
problems that are common with use of this medication.
     2. There may be a change in the dosage requirements of oral
anticoagulants, oral antidiabetic drugs, or insulin when this medication is
started or stopped.
     3. The loss of potassium caused by triamcinolone can lead to serious side
effects in individuals taking digoxin.
     4. Thiazide diuretics (water pills) can increase the potassium loss
caused by triamcinolone.
     5. Phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, and ephedrine can increase the
elimination of triamcinolone from the body, thereby decreasing its
effectiveness.
     6. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and estrogen-containing
drugs may decrease the elimination of this drug from the body, which can lead
to an increase in side effects.
     7. Triamcinolone can increase the elimination of aspirin and isoniazid
from the body, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of these two medications.
     8. Cholestyramine and colestipol can chemically bind this medication in
the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, preventing its absorption.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
taking, especially any of those listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any medications, especially to triamcinolone or other adrenocorticosteroids
(such as betamethasone, cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone,
methylprednisolone, paramethasone, prednisolone, and prednisone).
     * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had bone disease,
diabetes mellitus, emotional instability, glaucoma, fungal infections, heart
disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, myasthenia gravis,
peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, tuberculosis, ulcerative
colitis, kidney disease, or liver disease.
     * If you are using this medication for longer than a week, you may need
to receive higher doses if you are subjected to stress, such as serious
infections, injury, or surgery.  Discuss this with your doctor.
     * If you have been taking this drug for more than a week, do not stop
taking it suddenly.  If it is stopped abruptly, you may experience abdominal
or back pain, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, fainting, fever, muscle or
joint pain, nausea, vomiting, or extreme weakness.  Your doctor may,
therefore, want to reduce the dosage gradually.  Never increase the dosage or
take the drug for longer than the prescribed time, unless you first consult
your doctor.
     * While you are taking this drug, you should not be vaccinated or
immunized.  This medication decreases the effectiveness of vaccines and can
lead to overwhelming infection if a live-virus vaccine is administered.
     * Before having surgery or any other medical or dental treatment, be sure
to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication.
     * Because this drug can cause glaucoma and cataracts with long-term use,
your doctor may want you to have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist
periodically during treatment.
     * If you are taking this medication for prolonged periods, you should
wear or carry an identification card or notice stating that you are taking an
adrenocorticosteroid.
     * This medication can raise blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
Blood sugar levels should, therefore, be monitored carefully with blood or
urine tests when this medication is being taken.
     * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5
(tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (wheezing, rash,
fainting, difficulty in breathing) in certain susceptible individuals.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  This drug crosses the
placenta, and its safety in human pregnancy is not established.  Birth defects
have been observed in the offspring of animals given large doses of this type
of drug during pregnancy.  Also, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.
Small amounts of this drug pass into breast milk and may cause growth
suppression or a decrease in natural adrenocorticosteroid production in the
nursing infant.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
