Product Description

Mercaptopurine (Purinethol) is used in the treatment of acute lymphatic leukemia (lymphoblastic and lymphocytic). It is also used in the treatment of several other conditions such as polycythemia vera, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the pediatric population, inflammatory bowel diseases (such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease etc.) and psoriatic arthritis. The drug acts by inhibiting the synthesis as well as metabolism of purine nucleotide. This in turn affects the synthesis as well as the function of DNA and RNA. The brand or generic Purinethol usually in combination with other agents interferes with the glycoprotein synthesis and the inter-conversion of nucleotides. This helps in the maintenance of program/therapy for leukemia.

Precautions / Side Effects For Purinethol
Common side effects of Purinethol include darkening of the skin, skin rashes, itching, headache, diarrhea, tiredness, weakness and skin or eyes becoming yellowish. Less common side effects of the drug include joint pain, swelling in the lower legs or feet, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. You may experience side effects other than the ones mentioned above, which are rare to occur. However, if you experience any of the above mentioned side effects then contact your health care provider. Rare side effects of Mercaptopurine may include sores on the lips or in the mouth.

You may experience other side effects of the drug which appear after the treatment with Purinethol drug is stopped. These side effects include tarry or black stools, blood in stools or urine, difficulty in urination, painful urination, yellowing of the eyes or skin, unusual bruising or bleeding, pin-point red color spots on the skin, lower-back pain or side pain, fever, chills, hoarseness and cough. Report these effects of Mercaptopurine to your physician.

Purinethol Dosage
Purinethol is recommended for the maintenance dose following a hematologic remission is achieved. The daily dose of the drug is recommended to be 1.5 mg/kg/day to 2.5 mg/kg/day as a maintenance dose. In pediatric population the when the drug is administered in combination with other agents (such as methotrexate) then better results are obtained in the treatment and remission of acute lymphatic leukemia. In patients with hepatic or renal impairment the treatment with brand or generic Purinethol should begin with lower doses. This is because the drug has great cumulative effect and it gets metabolized in the body and eliminated from the body slowly.