Gadobenate dimeglumine (Injection)

Introduction:

Gadobenate Dimeglumine (gad-oh-BEN-ate di-ME-gloo-meen)

Used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Helps your doctor to see images of your brain, spine, and other parts of your body.

Brand Name(s):

Multihance

When This Medicine Should Not Be Used:

How to Use This Medicine:

Injectable

• A doctor or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins just before you have an MRI scan.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

• Make sure your doctor knows if you are using medicines such as anthracyclines (doxorubicin or daunorubicin), cisplatin, etoposide, methotrexate, tamoxifen, paclitaxel (Taxol®), or vinca alkaloids (vincristine).

Warnings While Using This Medicine:

• Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breast feeding, or if you have anemia, any other blood disorder, kidney disease, or liver disease.
• Tell your doctor if you have severe kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you had a liver transplant recently or if you are going to have a transplant. The risk of having a very serious disease called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is increased in patients with severe kidney disease. Even if you have severe kidney problems, your doctor may decide that it is still important to use this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have burning or itching of the skin; red or dark patches on the skin; skin swelling, hardening, or tightening; joint stiffness; limited range of motion in the arms and legs; pain that is deep in the hip bone or ribs; or muscle weakness after you get the injection. These may be symptoms of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.
• Make sure your doctor knows if you have any allergic respiratory diseases, asthma, heart disease, or seizures, or if you have disorders like Dubin-Johnson syndrome, von Willebrand disease, or Wilson disease.

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine:

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

• Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing.
• Cold feeling, convulsion, tremors, or increased salivation.
• Change in how much or how often you urinate, or blood in your urine.
• Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Fast or slow heartbeat.
• Lightheadedness or fainting.
• Muscle stiffness or weakness, stiff joints or trouble moving, or deep bone pain.
• Numbness, tingling, or burning pain in your hands, arms, legs, or feet.
• Pale lips or tongue.
• Ringing in ears or blurred vision.
• Severe headache or body pains.
• Severe rash or redness on your skin.
• Skin rash, swelling, hardness, tightness, burning, itching, or red or dark patches.
• Trouble breathing, cough or dizziness.

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

• Bad taste in your mouth.
• Constipation.
• Increased cough, difficulty in swallowing.
• Increased sweating.
• Mild skin rash or itching.
• Mild abdominal pain.
• Pain, itching, burning, swelling, or a lump under your skin where the needle is placed.
• Weakness and muscle pain.

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor: