Immune System Medications

What is the indication for antibiotics?

Bacterial infection

What are the adverse drug reactions for antibiotics?

• upset stomach

• diarrhea

*take with food to alleviate symptoms

What are some common antibiotics?

• amoxicillin (Amoxil)

• Amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin)

• Azithromycin (Zithromax, Z-pak)

• Sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (Bactrim)

• Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)

• Levofloxacin (Levaquin)

• Metronidazole (Flagyl)

• Vancomycin (Vancocin)

What is the indication for antifungal agents?

fungal infections

What are some adverse drug reactions to antifungal agents?

• acid reflux

• nausea

• vomiting

• skin burning/irritation from topical antifungal

What are some commonly used antifungal medications?

• Ketoconazole (Nizoral)

• Terbinafine (Lamisil)

• Micafungin (Mycamine)

• Griseofulvin (Gris-PEG)

What is the indication for antineoplastics (chemotherapy)?

cancer

What are the adverse drug reactions to antineoplastics?

• nausea

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• alopecia

• fatigue

• increased risk of infections

What are some common antineoplastic medications?

Alkylating agents

• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)

• Temozolomide (Temodar)

Platinum-based chemotherapy

• Carboplatin (Paraplatin)

• Cisplatin (Platinol)

• Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)

Taxanes (-taxel suffix)

• Doctaxel (Taxotere)

• Paclitaxel (Taxol)

Pyrimidine antimetabolites

• 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (Adrucil, Carac, Efudex)

• Capecitabine (Xeloda)

• Gemcitabine (Gemzar)

What are the indications for antiviral agents?

viral infections

What are the adverse drug reactions to antivirals?

• headache

• nausea

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• constipation

What are some common antiviral medications?

• acyclovir (Zovirax)

• amantadine ER (Gocovir)

• Famciclovir (Famvir)

• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)

• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)

What are the indications for antiretroviral therapy? (ART)

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

What are the adverse drug reactions for ARTs?

• diarrhea

• skin rash

• nausea

• vomiting

• depression

• liver

What are some common ARTs?

• Abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine (Triumeq)

• Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir (Atripla)

• Etravirine (Intelence)

• Emtricitabine/tenofovir (Truvada)

• Lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra)

What are the indications for imminosuppressants?

• autoimmune disorders

• immune system conditions

• certain cancers

What is the adverse drug reaction for immunosuppressants?

increased risk of infection

What are common immunosuppressant medications?

• Colchicine (Colcrys, Mitigare) for gout arthritis flares

• Methotrexate (Trexall) for RA and certain cancers

• hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) for lupus and RA

• tacrolimus (Prograf) to prevent rejection of transplanted organ

What are the indications for biologics?

• to treat inflammation by working with the immune system

• treat autoimmune diseases affecting GI tract, skin, and joints

What are some common biologic medicines?

• Adalimumab (Humira)

• Etanercept (Enbrel)

• Infliximab (Remicade)

• Tofacitinib (Xeljanx)

What are the indications for steroids?

• autoimmune disorders

• asthma

• urticaria

What are the adverse drug reactions for steroids?

• short term use: insomnia, irritability, increased appetite

• long term: hypertension, hyperglycemia, edema, osteoporosis, cataracts, infections

What are some commonly used steroids?

• dexamethasone (Decadron)

• hydrocortisone (Cortef)

• Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol, Medrol)

• Prednisolone (Orapred, Prelone)

• Prednisone (Deltasone, Sterapred)