Patients should be advised that
any change of cyclosporine formulation should be made cautiously and only under physician supervision because it
may result in the need for a change in dosage.
Patients should be informed of the necessity of repeated
laboratory tests while they are receiving cyclosporine. Patients should be advised of the potential risks during pregnancy
and informed of the increased risk of neoplasia. Patients should also be informed of the risk of hypertension and renal
dysfunction.
Patients should be advised that during treatment with
cyclosporine, vaccination may be less effective and the use of live attenuated vaccines should be avoided.
Patients should be given careful dosage instructions.
Gengraf® (cyclosporine oral solution, USP [MODIFIED]) should be diluted, preferably with orange or apple juice that is at
room temperature. The combination of Gengraf® with milk can be unpalatable.
Patients should be advised to take Gengraf® on a consistent
schedule with regard to time of day and relation to meals. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice affect metabolism,
increasing blood concentration of cyclosporine, thus should be avoided.
Last reviewed on RxList: 5/7/2009
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.