Octreotide Acetate, Depot Injection

Type of medicine: growth hormone inhibitor; antidiarrheal

Generic and brand names: octreotide acetate, depot injection; Sandostatin LAR Depot

This medicine is given by injection (shots) to treat acromegaly. This condition occurs when the body produces too much growth hormone, causing the head, face, hands, or feet to grow too large.

This medicine may also be given to treat certain tumors that cause severe, watery diarrhea. It may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

Before taking this medicine, tell your health care provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• diabetes
• gall bladder problems
• heart problems such as heart failure
• kidney or liver disease.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval.

Carefully read and follow the directions that come in the package of medicine for preparing the shots. Wash your hands before using this medicine. Ask your health care provider about anything you do not understand. Follow these steps to give yourself the shots:

Sandostatin LAR depot (intramuscular) are given once every 4 weeks:

If your health care provider is giving you these shots, make sure you keep all appointments. You may be able to give yourself these shots or have someone at home give them to you. Be sure you know how and when to have them and how much medicine to use. Use sterile, disposable syringes and needles. Use them only once and dispose of them safely, following your health care provider's instructions.

These shots are normally given in the thigh muscle, the upper arms or the buttocks. Your health care provider will determine which muscle sites you can use and the exact dosage of the medicine.

Carefully read and follow the directions that come in the package of medicine for preparing the shots. Wash your hands before using this medicine. Follow these steps to give yourself the shots:

1. Select an injection site. To lessen irritation, choose a different spot and alternate the side used to give the shot each day.
2. Use an alcohol swab to clean the skin where you will give yourself the shot. Let the skin dry and avoid touching the area after you clean it.
3. Hold the syringe at a 90° angle to the muscle (straight up and down with the needle pointed toward the muscle).
4. With the other hand, hold the muscle firmly.
5. Insert the needle straight into the skin with a quick, firm motion. After you insert the needle completely, release your grasp of the skin.
6. Gently pull back on the plunger of the syringe. If no blood appears, inject all of the solution by gently and steadily pushing down the plunger until the syringe is empty. If blood appears when you pull back on the plunger, withdraw the needle and syringe and gently press the alcohol swab on the injection site. Start over with a fresh needle.
7. After you have given yourself the medicine, withdraw the needle quickly, at the same angle it was inserted, and press the alcohol swab on the spot where the shot was given.
8. Discard the syringe, needle, and drug vial. Use the syringes and needles ONLY ONCE. Throw them away after use. Put used needles in rigid puncture-resistant containers with lids or caps, such as heavy plastic bleach bottles with screw caps. DO NOT throw needles directly into garbage cans or dumpsters.

If you are not sure of how to give yourself the shots, not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your health care provider or pharmacist.

You may need regular lab tests to show how you are responding to the medicine and to check for side effects such as a decrease in thyroid function. Keep all appointments for these tests.

This medicine may affect the way your body absorbs dietary fat and vitamin B12. Talk with your health care provider about this.

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your health care provider about this.

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your health care provider right away. If you cannot reach your health care provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your health care provider): Severe diarrhea that continues, irregular or slow heart beat, high blood pressure, swelling in arms or legs, blurred vision or eye pain, high or low blood sugar.

Other: Constipation, stomach discomfort, nausea, bloating, headache, dizziness, tiredness, weakness, pain at the spot of the injection.

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), carvedilol (Coreg), and bisoprolol (Zebeta)
• calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Calan), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), nifedipine (Procardia), and felodipine (Plendil)
• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf)
• diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), hydrochlorothiazide, and spironolactone (Aldactone)
• insulin and oral diabetes medicines such as metformin (Glucophage), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase), rosiglitazone (Avandia), pioglitazone (Actos), repaglinide (Prandin), acarbose (Precose), and glipizide (Glucotrol)
• potassium supplements such as K-Dur, Kaochlor, Kaon, Kaon-Cl, Kay Ciel, Klor-Con, Klorvess, K-Lyte, K-Lor, and Micro-K, and Slow-K

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicines in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.