General Information on Sandostatin
Sandostatin or Sandostatin LAR Depot are used to treat acromegaly. This is also used for the treatment of watery diarrhea or flushing episodes that are caused by tumors called vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors or cancerous tumors. The generic name of this drug is Octreotide.
Sandostatin injection is available as sterile 1-ml ampoules in three strengths- 50mcg/ml Octreotide, 100mcg/ml Octreotide and 500mcg/ml Octreotide, and sterile 5-ml multi-dose vials in 2 strengths, containing 200 mcg/ml Octreotide or 1000 mcg/ml Octreotide. In all the mentioned ampoules and multi-dose vials Octreotide is present as Octreotide acetate.
You can only buy Sandostatin as per a doctor’s prescription.
Side effects of Sandostatin
You should not buy Sandostatin online if you have:
- Diabetes
- Hypersensitivity to Sandostatin or have any other allergies
Before you buy Sandostatin, inform your doctor if you have any of the following:
- Heart disease
- Thyroid problems
- Pancreatitis
- Kidney disease
- Liver diseases such as cirrhosis
- Gallbladder disease such as gallstones
- Nutrition problems such as decreased fat absorption or vitamin B12 deficiency
Some of the common, and mild, side effects of this drug are:
- Vomiting or nausea
- Diarrhea
- Gas, mild stomach pain
- Constipation
- Pain or irritation where injection is given
You should consult your doctor immediately if your experience any of the following side effects:
- Slow or uneven heartbeats
- Stomach pain or gallbladder problems
- Pancreatitis(pain in the back or upper stomach, nausea, vomiting, bloating, fever, yellowish of skin or eyes)
- Thyroid problems
- Low blood sugar (confusion, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, sweating, tremor, nausea, headache)
- High blood sugar (increased thirst and urination, dry skin, drowsiness)
Pregnant women should take Sandostatin only with prescription of a doctor. Nursing mothers should take this drug only with a doctor’s prescription since it may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby.
Dosage of Sandostatin
Sandostatin can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously to a patient. The initial dosage is usually 50mcg/ml Sandostatin, which is administered twice or thrice a day. However, in acromegaly, dosage may be started at as low as 50mcg/ml Sandostatin. The most effective dose is 100mcg/ml Sandostatin, but some patients may require up to 500mcg/ml Sandostatin.
The dose range in patients with carcinoid tumors starts from 100mcg/ml Sandostatin to 600mcg/ml Sandostatin, divided in 2 to 4 doses a day. The clinical median maintenance dose is approximately 450mcg/ml Sandostatin a day. Some patients get biochemical benefits with 50mcg/ml Sandostatin and some require higher doses of up to 1500mcg/ml Sandostatin.
Recommended dose for VIP adenomas patients ranges from 200mcg/ml Sandostatin to 300mcg/ml Sandostatin, in 2-4 divided doses a day for initial 15 days of therapy. Dosage of Sandostatin is further adjusted as per individual basis. In case of a miss dose or an overdose, a patient has to seek medical help.
Interactions
A total of 184 drugs interact with Sandostatin out of which 173 have moderate and 11 minor drug interactions. The other drugs that have adverse reactions with Sandostatin include medicine for heart disease or high blood pressure, a diuretic, cyclosporine such as neural, sandimmune and gengraf, bromocriptine and diabetes medication such as insulin, glipzide, glyburide, tolbutamide, metformin, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone.
