Tiopronin

Tiopronin is a prescription medication used to prevent kidney stones.

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

Tiopronin may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Thiola

Tiopronin is used to prevent kidney stones, which may develop due to too much cystine in the urine (cystinuria). tiopronin works by removing the extra cystine from the body.

In addition to the helpful effects of tiopronin, it has side effects that can be very serious. Before you take tiopronin, be sure that you have discussed its use with your doctor.

Tiopronin is available only with your doctor's prescription.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For tiopronin, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to tiopronin or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Although there is no specific information comparing use of tiopronin in children with use in other age groups, tiopronin is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. Although there is no specific information comparing the use of tiopronin in the elderly with use in other age groups, tiopronin is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of tiopronin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blood problems (or a history of) or
• Kidney disease (or a history of) or
• Liver disease—Tiopronin may make these conditions worse

Use this medicine as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• To gain the most benefit, do not miss doses.
• Take on an empty stomach. Take 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.
• Follow the diet plan that your doctor told you about.
• Drink at least ten 10-ounce (300 mL) glasses of water each day, unless told otherwise by your doctor. Drink 2 glasses with each meal and at bedtime. You may wake up at night to urinate; if you do, drink 2 more glasses before returning to bed.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as you think about it.
• If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time.
• Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Upset stomach or throwing up.
• Loose stools (diarrhea).
• Change in taste.
• Not hungry.
• Stomach pain.
• Bloating.
• Gas.
• Itching.
• Throat irritation.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

• Store at room temperature.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.