How is it used?

Before taking

While taking

Warnings

Your doctor has ordered ganciclovir, an antiviral medication, to help treat or prevent an infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV). This medication will be added to an IV ( intravenous) fluid that will drip through a needle (catheter) placed in your vein, and will be given to you two times a day for 2-3 weeks, and then once a day, 5-7 days of each week.Your dose of ganciclovir will be given at a constant rate over at least 60 minutes. Giving ganciclovir too quickly may increase the side effects of this medication. The manufacturer states that this medication should not be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Ganciclovir works by preventing the spread of CMV disease or slowing the growth of CMV. Ganciclovir injection is used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (eye infection) that can cause blindness in people whose immune system is not working normally, including people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Ganciclovir is also used to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in people who have received an organ transplant and who are at risk of getting CMV disease.

Ganciclovir does not cure CMV retinitis. Your doctor may increase your dose if your condition gets worse, or decrease your dose if you develop side effects.

Ganciclovir injection is for intravenous (into a vein) use only. Giving ganciclovir through intramuscular (into a muscle) or subcutaneous (just under the skin) injection may cause severe skin and tissue irritation.

Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations, including eye exams. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor, the laboratory, and the ophthalmologist (eye exams). The length of treatment depends on how your infection and symptoms respond to the medication.

This information being provided is copyrighted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., ASHP, Bethesda, Maryland.
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