Levoleucovorin
Generic name: levoleucovorin [ LEE-voe-LOO-koe-voe-rin ]
Brand names: Fusilev, Khapzory
Drug class:Antidotes
What is levoleucovorin?
Levoleucovorin is used to treat or prevent toxic effects of methotrexate in people who have received methotrexate to treat bone cancer.
Levoleucovorin is also used to treat or prevent toxic effects of methotrexate in people whose bodies do not eliminate methotrexate properly after the drug is metabolized. It may also be used to treat toxic effects of an overdose of methotrexate or certain other medications.
Levoleucovorin is also used in combination chemotherapy with fluorouracil to treat colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Levoleucovorin treats only the symptoms of colorectal cancer but does not treat the cancer itself.
Levoleucovorin should not be used to treat anemia that is caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
Warnings
You should not be treated with this medication if you are allergic to levoleucovorin or to folic acid or folinic acid.
Tell your doctor if you are taking sulfa drugs, seizure medication, a cancer medication called fluorouracil (5FU), or a multivitamin or mineral supplement than contains folic acid.
In an emergency situation, it may not be possible before you are treated to tell your caregivers about all of your medical conditions or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. However, make sure any doctor caring for you afterward knows that you have received levoleucovorin.
Tell your doctor or caregivers at once if you have fever, chills, white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips, severe or ongoing diarrhea, confusion, urination problems, or if you feel very thirsty or hot, if you are unable to urinate, and you have heavy sweating or hot and dry skin.
Before taking this medicine
You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to levoleucovorin, folic acid, or folinic acid.
If possible, before you receive levoleucovorin, tell your doctor or caregivers if you have:
kidney disease; or
if you are dehydrated.
It is not known whether levoleucovorin will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
It may not be safe to breastfeed while using levoleucovorin. Ask your doctor about any risk.
In an emergency, you may not be able to tell caregivers if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Make sure any doctor caring for your pregnancy or your baby knows you received this medicine.
How is levoleucovorin given?
Levoleucovorin is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.
For use with methotrexate, levoleucovorin is usually given every 3 to 6 hours.
For colorectal cancer, levoleucovorin is usually given daily as a 5-day treatment, repeated every 4 to 5 weeks.
After treatment with this medicine, you will be watched to make sure this medicine has been effective.
You will need frequent medical tests to help your doctor ...
