Ganite


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Generic Name: gallium nitrate
(GAL ee um NYE trate)

What is Ganite?

Ganite is a form of nitrate salt.

Ganite is used to lower blood levels of calcium when they have become dangerously high in cancer patients.

Ganite may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Ganite?

Before receiving Ganite, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, if you have heart disease, or if you take diuretics (water pills). If you have any of these conditions, you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

Many other drugs can damage the kidneys and should not be used together with Ganite. Tell your doctor if you are receiving chemotherapy, taking an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pain medicine, or using medicines used to treat a bowel disorder, medications to prevent organ transplant rejection, antiviral medications, or any injected antibiotics.

Ganite must be given as an IV infusion around the clock for up to 5 days, or until blood calcium levels are lowered to a safe level.

During your treatment with Ganite, you may also need to be put on IV fluids to keep you from getting dehydrated.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood and urine will need to be tested often. This will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with Ganite.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving Ganite?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to Ganite, or if you have severe kidney disease.

Before receiving Ganite, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, if you have heart disease, or if you take diuretics (water pills). If you have any of these conditions, you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before you receive Ganite.

It is not known whether Ganite passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not receive this medication before telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is Ganite given?

Ganite is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein. You will receive this injection in a hospital or emergency setting.

Ganite must be given as an IV infusion around the clock for up to 5 days, or until blood calcium levels are lowered to a safe level.

During your treatment with Ganite, you may also need to be put on IV fluids to keep you from getting dehydrated.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood and urine will need to be tested often. This will help your doctor determine how long to treat you with Ganite.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since Ganite is given by a healthcare provider, it is not likely that you will miss a dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Tell your caregivers right away if you think you have received too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, or urinating less than usual.

What should I avoid while receiving Ganite?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity after you receive Ganite.

What are the possible side effects of Ganite?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregivers right away if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • increased thirst, swelling in your lower legs
  • urinating less than usual or not at all
  • pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding
  • blurred vision, headache or pain behind your eyes
  • confusion, hallucinations
  • noisy breathing, feeling short of breath;

Less serious side effects may include:

  • nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
  • tired feeling
  • feeling hot or cold
  • numbness or tingling; or
  • fast heart rate.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Ganite?

Before receiving Ganite, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

  • cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
  • a steroid such as prednisone
  • lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
  • methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexal)
  • pain or arthritis medicines such as aspirin (Anacin, Excedrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others
  • medicines used to treat a ulcerative colitis, such as mesalamine (Pentasa) or sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
  • medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such as tacrolimus (Prograf)
  • IV antibiotics such as amphotericin B (Fungizone, AmBisome, Amphotec, Abelcet), amikacin (Amikin), bacitracin (Baci-IM), capreomycin (Capastat), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), streptomycin, or vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled)
  • antiviral medicines such as adefovir (Hepsera), cidofovir (Vistide), or foscarnet (Foscavir); or
  • cancer medicine such as aldesleukin (Proleukin), carmustine (BiCNU, Gliadel), cisplatin (Platinol), ifosfamide (Ifex), oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), plicamycin (Mithracin), streptozocin (Zanosar), or tretinoin (Vesanoid).

Many of these other drugs can damage the kidneys If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to receive Ganite, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Ganite. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about Ganite.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2009 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.03. Revision Date: 4/12/2009.