Pentamidine

Pentamidine is a prescription medication used for the treatment of Pneumocystis Jiroveciii Pneumonia.

• Pentamidine is available under various brand names: NebuPent, Pentam

Common side effects of Pentamidine include:

• loss of appetite, and
• unusual or unpleasant taste in the mouth

Serious side effects of Pentamidine include:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing,
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• wheezing,
• choking,
• other breathing problems after using the medication,
• lightheadedness,
• fast or uneven heart rate,
• painful or difficult urination,
• confusion,
• hallucination,
• pain, burning, irritation, or skin changes at the injection site,
• worsening symptoms,
• signs of a new infection,
• fever,
• cough,
• night sweats,
• pale skin,
• shortness of breath,
• easy bruising,
• unusual bleeding,
• purple or pinpoint spots under your skin,
• severe pain in the upper stomach spreading to the back,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• headache,
• hunger,
• weakness,
• sweating,
• confusion,
• irritability,
• dizziness,
• feeling jittery,
• sore throat,
• burning in the eyes, and
• skin pain followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling

Rare side effects of Pentamidine include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out.

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult and pediatric dosage

Powder for injection

• 300 mg

Powder for nebulizer solution

• 300 mg

Pneumocystis Jiroveciii Pneumonia

Adult dosage

• Treatment: 4 mg/kg IV/IM every day for 14-21 days  
• Prophylaxis: 4 mg/kg IV/IM every 2-3 weeks OR
• Nebulized 300 mg every 4 weeks

Pediatric dosage

• Aged below 4 months
  • Safety and efficacy not established
• Aged above 4 months
  • Treatment: 4 mg/kg IV/IM every day for 14-21 days
  • Prophylaxis: 4 mg/kg IV/IM every 2-3 weeks OR
  • Nebulized 300 mg every 4 weeks

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.

• Pentamidine has severe interactions with at least 49 other drugs.
• Pentamidine has serious interactions with at least 85 other drugs.
• Pentamidine has moderate interactions with at least 95 other drugs.
• Pentamidine has minor interactions with at least 23 other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Pentamidine?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Pentamidine?”

Cautions

• Hypotension, QT prolongation, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome were reported with the use
• Use caution in patients with a history of pancreatitis, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, hepatic/renal dysfunction
• Risk of nephrotoxicity with parenteral administration
• Risk of sudden, severe hypotension with parentera administration-keep patient supine

Pregnancy & Lactation

• Use with caution if benefits outweigh risks during pregnancy
• There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of aerosolized pentamidine in pregnant women; a literature report indicated that pentamidine 4 mg/kg/day IV administered to pregnant rats was embryo lethal; teratogenicity was not observed in this study. It is unknown whether aerosolized pentamidine crosses the placenta at clinically significant concentrations
• Lactation
  • Not known if distributed in breast milk, discontinue the drug or do not nurse