Hydrea tablets – your best guide

Hydrea tablets’ description – 

HYDREA tablets (hydroxyurea capsules, USP) is an antimetabolite available for oral use as 500 mg hydroxyurea capsules. Inactive additives include citric acid, dyes (D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Red No. 40, and D&C Red No. 28), gelatin, lactose, magnesium stearate, sodium phosphate, and titanium dioxide.

Hydroxyurea is a white or off-white crystal powder. It is hygroscopic and freely soluble in water but is essentially insoluble in alcohol. The empiric formula is CH4N2O2 and has a molecular weight of 76.05. Its structural formula is as follows:

Usage

Patients with sickle cell anemia use this drug to decrease the number of debilitating emergencies caused by the condition and minimize blood transfusions. Some brands are also used to cure certain cancer forms (e.g., chronic myelogenous leukemia, squamous cell carcinomas).

How to use Hydrea tablets.

Read the Drug Guide, if available from your pharmacist, before you start taking hydroxyurea and any time you get a refill. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Taking this drug by mouth with or without food as instructed by your doctor, usually once a day. The dose is dependent on your weight, medical status, laboratory findings, and reaction to your medication. Your medication may be halted for a brief period if your blood count is too poor. Hold all medical and laboratory appointments in place.

Do not raise your dosage or take this medication more frequently or longer than necessary. Your health will not change sooner, and your chance of adverse side effects will increase.

Whether you’re using the pills, swallow them whole. Do not smash or chew or open the capsules.

When you are using a tablet, swallow your dosage with a bottle of water. Just break the tablet if it has a scoreline, and the doctor has advised you to do so. If you have trouble swallowing, you should dissolve the entire or broken tablet in a tiny amount of water in a teaspoon and swallow it quickly.

Clean the hands before and after touching Hydrea tablets or the bottle. When handling this drug or its bottle, you and/or your caregiver should wear plastic gloves. If the powder spills from the tablet or capsule, wipe it quickly with a wet paper towel and put it away in a closed jar such as a plastic bag. Clean the spill area with soap and water right away. Be sure you don’t breathe the powder out of the pills or capsules.

Because the skin and lungs may ingest this medicine, pregnant women or those who may become pregnant should not take this medicine or breathe the dust from the tablets or capsules.

Tell the doctor if the condition isn’t going to get better or it’s getting worse.

Some precautions you must consider.

Hydroxyurea is the cause of extreme myelosuppression. Treatment with hydroxyurea can’t be initiated if the activity of the bone marrow is greatly depressed. Bone marrow suppression may occur, and leukopenia is usually the most prevalent form of the disease. Thrombocytopenia and anemia are less frequent and rarely seen without prior leukopenia. Bone marrow depression is more common in patients who have recently undergone radiotherapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy for cancer, use hydroxyurea with caution in those patients.

Test the hematological condition before and after treatment with HYDREA. Provide compassionate treatment and change the dosage or discontinue HYDREA if needed. Recovery from myelosuppression is typically swift after treatment is stopped.

Can I give Hydrea tablets to my pet ( cat or dog)?

There are also advantages of electrolytes for dogs and cats. Unfortunately, we’ve only made Hydralyte exclusively for humans, but while we can’t encourage you to send Hydralyte to your best (pet) pal, we recommend you contact your veterinarian.