Mecasermin
Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.
What is the most important information I should know about mecasermin?
| Pronunciation: | ME ka SER min |
| Brand: | Increlex |
 | Your doctor child should not use this medication if he or she is allergic to mecasermin, or if the child has cancer or has finished growing and his or her bone growth plates are closed. Mecasermin is not for use in children who have growth hormone deficiency, malnutrition, underactive thyroid, or those who are taking long-term steroid medications. |
Before your child receives mecasermin, tell the doctor if your child has diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, a curved spine (scoliosis), or if the child has ever had an allergic reaction to a preservative called benzyl alcohol.
Mecasermin is given as an injection under the skin. You and your child will be shown how to inject the medicine at home. Make sure you fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of used needles and syringes.
 | Do not give this medication as an IV injection directly into a vein. Use a different place on your child's upper arm, thigh, stomach, or buttocks each time you give your child a mecasermin injection. |
 | Give the mecasermin injection 20 minutes before or after the child eats a meal or snack. Skip the dose if the child's meal or snack will be missed. Mecasermin can cause low blood sugar, which may be worse if the child does not eat before or after the injection. |
| Call your doctor at once if your child has a serious side effect such as blurred vision, headache or pain behind the eyes (sometimes with vomiting), pain in the hip or knee, walking with a limp, seizures, or swollen tonsils (snoring, breathing problems during sleep, ear pain, feeling of fullness in the ears, muffled hearing). |
 | Mecasermin can cause side effects that may impair thinking, reactions, or physical abilities. The child should avoid driving or doing anything else that requires alertness or coordination for the first 2 or 3 hours after a mecasermin injection. |
Take care not to let your child's blood sugar get too low while using mecasermin. Know the signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and how to recognize them
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| Last updated: | September 05, 2008 |
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© 2007, Cerner Multum, INC. Version: 5.02.
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