Dalteparin Injection

If you have an epidural or spinal anesthesia or a spinal puncture while using a ‘blood thinner’ such as dalteparin injection, you are at risk for having a blood clot form in or around your spine that could cause you to become paralyzed. Tell your doctor if you have an epidural catheter that is left in your body, if you recently had spinal anesthesia (administration of pain medication in the area around the spine), or have or have ever had repeated epidural or spinal punctures or problems with these procedures, spinal deformity, or spinal surgery. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of the following: anagrelide (Agrylin); apixaban (Eliquis); aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), indomethacin (Indocin, Tivorbex), ketoprofen, and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, others); cilostazol; clopidogrel (Plavix); dabigatran (Pradaxa); dipyridamole (Persantine, in Aggrenox); edoxaban (Savaysa); heparin; prasugrel (Effient); rivaroxaban (Xarelto); ticagrelor (Brilinta); ticlopidine; and warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: muscle weakness (especially in your legs and feet), numbness or tingling (especially in your legs), back pain, or loss of control of your bowels or bladder.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests to check your body’s response to dalteparin injection.

Talk to your doctor about the risk of using dalteparin injection.

🔔 Why is this medication prescribed?

Dalteparin is used in combination with aspirin to prevent serious or life-threatening complications from angina (chest pain) and heart attacks. Dalteparin is also used to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT; a blood clot, usually in the leg), which can lead to pulmonary embolism (PE; a blood clot in the lung), in people who are on bedrest or who are having hip replacement or abdominal surgery. It is also used treat DVT or PE and prevent it from happening again in children one month of age and older, and in adults with DVT or PE who have cancer. Dalteparin is in a class of medications called anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’). It works by decreasing the clotting ability of the blood.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Dalteparin comes as a solution (liquid) in vials and prefilled syringes to inject subcutaneously (under the skin). When used for adults, it is usually given once a day, but may be given twice a day for certain conditions. When used for children, it is usually given twice a day. The length of your treatment depends on the condition that you have and how well your body responds to the medication. If you are using dalteparin to prevent complications from angina and heart attacks it is usually given for 5 to 8 days. If you are using dalteparin to prevent DVT after surgery, it is usually given on the day of surgery, and for 5 to 10 days after surgery. . If you are using dalteparin to prevent DVT in people who are on bedrest, it is usually given for 12 to 14 days. If you have cancer and dalteparin is used to treat and prevent DVT, you may need to use the medication for up to 6 months.

Dalteparin may be given to you by a nurse or other healthcare provider, or you may be told to inject the medication at home. If you will be using dalteparin at home, a healthcare provider will show you how to inject the medication, Be sure that you understand these directions. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about where on your body you should inject dalteparin, how to give the injection, what type of syringe to use, or how to dispose of used needles and syringes after you inject the medication. Inject the medication at about the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use dalteparin exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Part of the reason for these long wait times and short appointments is due to a nationwide shortage of physicians that is only getting worse. A report by the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that, due to population growth and specifically growth of the elderly population, the physician shortfall in the U.S. could reach 121,300 by the year 2030.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.

🔔 Other uses for this medicine

Dalteparin is also sometimes used to help prevent strokes or blood clots in people who have atrial fibrillation or flutter (a condition in which the heart beats irregularly, increasing the chance of clots forming in the body, and possibly causing strokes) who are undergoing cardioversion (a procedure to normalize the heart rhythm). It is also sometimes used to prevent clots in people with prosthetic (surgically inserted) heart valves, or other conditions, when their warfarin (Coumadin) therapy has just been started or has been interrupted. It is also sometimes used to prevent blood clots in certain pregnant women and in people who are having total knee replacement, hip fracture surgery, or other surgeries. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

🔔 What special precautions should I follow?

Before using dalteparin injection,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to dalteparin, heparin, pork products, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in dalteparin injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have heavy bleeding anywhere in your body that cannot be stopped or if you have or have ever had a reaction to heparin that caused low level of platelets (type of blood cells needed for normal clotting) in your blood. Your doctor may tell you not to use dalteparin.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia (condition in which the blood does not clot normally), ulcers or delicate, swollen blood vessels in your stomach or intestines, high blood pressure, endocarditis (an infection in the heart), a stroke or ministroke (TIA), eye disease due to high blood pressure or diabetes, or liver or kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you have recently had brain, spine, or eye surgery, or if you recently had bleeding from your stomach or intestines.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while using dalteparin injection, call your doctor.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using dalteparin injection.