Atosiban
Description
Atosiban is a medicine used to delay the premature birth of a baby in pregnancies between 24-33 weeks of gestation. However, this medicine can only be used in certain specific clinical conditions.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Atosiban
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Headache
- Hot flushes
- Fast heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Injection site redness, bruising, or sores
- Increased blood sugar levels
- Fever
- Difficulty in falling asleep
- Itching and skin rash
- Vaginal bleeding post birth
- Shortness of breath
Uses of Atosiban
What is it prescribed for?
- Delay of imminent pre-term birth
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of this medicine can be observed within 10 minutes of administration of the dose.
- Duration of effectSince this medicine is administered until the uterine contractions stop, the duration of action of this medicine cannot be clinically determined.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendencies were reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is recommended for use in pregnant women only when the specified conditions are met. Your doctor will determine the course of treatment with this medicine after assessing the clinical condition.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Your doctor will determine the course of treatment with this medicine after assessing your clinical condition. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment with this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to atosiban or any other inactive ingredients present in the formulation.
Gestational age
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women with a gestational age lesser than 24 weeks or greater than 33 weeks due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient’s condition.
Premature rupture of membranes
This medicine is not recommended for use if there is a premature rupture of the membranes or breakage of the amniotic sac and the pregnancy is more than 30 weeks old.
Antepartum uterine hemorrhage
This medicine is not recommended for use in case of serious vaginal bleeding requiring immediate delivery during pregnancy due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient’s condition.
Eclampsia
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women suffering from eclampsia, a potentially dangerous complication characterized by high blood pressure, swelling of the hands and feet, and the presence of protein in the urine, since it may worsen the patient's condition.
Intrauterine fetal death
This medicine is not recommended for use in case of a stillbirth or intrauterine fetal death due to any pregnancy-related complications.
Intrauterine infection
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnancies where infection of the uterus is suspected or confirmed due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient’s condition.
Placenta previa
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnancies complicated by placenta previa, a condition where the placenta covers the opening of the cervix, since it may worsen the patient's condition.
Placental abruption
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnancies complicated by placental abruption, a serious condition where the placenta detaches from the uterus, since it may worsen the patient's condition.
Other serious pregnancy related complications
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients suffering from pregnancy-related complications where continuation of pregnancy is considered hazardous.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is recommended for use in pregnant women only when the specified conditions are met. Your doctor will determine the course of treatment with this medicine after assessing the clinical condition.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Your doctor will determine the course of treatment with this medicine after assessing your clinical condition. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment with this medicine.
General warnings
Other medicines
Atosiban may interact with many other medicines and may cause severe adverse effects. Certain medicines taken for treating high blood pressure levels may cause unwanted complications when used along with Atosiban. Hence, it is advised that you inform the doctor about all your current medicines including any herbs and supplements before beginning treatment with this medicine.
Use in children
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women aged less than 18 years of age since the safety and efficacy of use are not clinically established in such patients.
Premature rupture of membrane
This medicine should be used with extreme caution if rupture of the membranes is suspected. The benefits of delaying delivery should be balanced against the risk of chorioamnionitis before beginning treatment with this medicine.
Re-treatment with this medicine
This medicine can be used for 3 treatment cycles in certain special circumstances. However, in cases of fetal growth retardation, the decision to continue or re-initiate treatment with this medicine depends on the fetal maturity levels.
Monitoring of uterine contractions
It is recommended to frequently monitor the uterine contractions while administering this medicine.
Monitoring of fetal heart rate
It is recommended to frequently monitor the fetal heart rate while administering this medicine.
Gestational age of 24-27 weeks
This medicine should be used with caution in pregnancies that are less than 27 weeks old and more than 24 weeks old. Close monitoring of the clinical condition is necessary for these patients.
Blood loss after delivery
Use of this medicine may cause vaginal bleeding after delivery and hence close clinical monitoring is advised during and post administration of this medicine.
Multiple pregnancy
This medicine should be used with extreme caution if the patient has more than one baby in the womb (twins, triplets, or more).
Missed Dose
Since this medicine is usually administered by a qualified healthcare professional in the clinical/hospital setting for a continuous period of not more than 48 hours, the likelihood of a missed dose is very low.
Overdose
Since this medicine is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of an overdose is very low. However, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by the doctor if an overdose is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Salmeterol
Salbutamol
Disease interactions
Liver Disease
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with liver diseases due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Regular monitoring of the liver function tests is necessary while receiving this medicine. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Treatment with this medicine should be initiated and maintained by a doctor who is experienced in dealing with pre-term labor, preferably in a healthcare facility. Monitoring of uterine contractions and fetal heart rate may be needed while this medicine is administered. Inform the doctor if you have a known allergy to this medicine. Report all your current medicines and your medical history to the doctor before receiving treatment with this medicine.
Miscelleneous
How it works
This medicine works by blocking the effect of a certain hormone, thereby making the contractions of the womb weaker and less frequent.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Tocolytic agents
Schedule
Schedule G
[Internet]. Apps.who.int. 2018 [cited 28 August 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Ema.europa.eu. 2018 [cited 28 August 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Medicines.org.uk. 2018 [cited 28 August 2018]. Available from:
Atosiban - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2018 [cited 28 August 2018]. Available from:
Reinheimer TM e. Barusiban, a new highly potent and long-acting oxytocin antagonist: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison with atosiban in a cynomolgus mo... - PubMed - NCBI [Internet]. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 28 August 2018]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 2 Jan 2019
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.