Mannitol is an intravenous solution with a diuretic effect.
It increases the amount of urine that is decreased due to a group of diseases or provides the formation of urine that does not exist at all.
It is also used to reduce increased intracranial and intraocular pressure or to promote excretion of these substances from the kidneys in cases of poisoning with substances excreted by the kidneys.
The drug is administered only intravenously and through a plastic tube (set) suitable for this purpose.
What Will We Learn?
Considerations Before Using Mannitol
If you have had an allergic reaction when you have taken drugs containing Mannitol or excipients before, that is, if you have symptoms such as sudden shortness of breath, wheezing, skin rashes, itching or swelling in your body, do not use this drug.
If you are not sure whether you have allergies, consult your doctor.
The solution should not be used in the following cases:
- Conditions where the density of the liquid portion of your blood is already higher than normal (hyperosmolarity).
- If your body is severely dehydrated (severe dehydration).
- If you have not had any urine for a long time.
- If you have a severe heart failure.
- If you have a large accumulation of fluid in your lungs, arms, legs or whole body (if you have severe edema).
- If you have intracranial bleeding.
- If your blood-brain barrier is broken.
Use Mannitol with caution in the conditions listed below:
- Renal dysfunction, kidney disease or kidney failure;
- Heart disease or heart failure;
- Lung disease;
- Shock condition;
- if you are taking a drug that can damage your kidneys
In the cases listed above, your doctor will give you special attention when using Mannitol.
If this medicine is to be administered to you via an electronic pump, it should be noted that the pump has stopped working before the bottle is completely empty.
This medicine will only be given to you if the bottle is intact and the solution inside is clear.
It is recommended that the tubing (sets) used while administering this medicine to you should be changed every 24 hours.
Also, if you need to have a simultaneous blood transfusion, it will not be administered from the same set used for Mannitol.
Mannitol is an intravenous drug.
There is no interaction with food and beverages in terms of application form.
Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using the medicine.
Do not use Mannitol during pregnancy unless it is considered especially suitable by your doctor.
If you realize that you are pregnant during your treatment, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using the medicine.
Do not use Mannitol during breastfeeding, unless it is considered particularly appropriate by your doctor.
Other Drugs And Mannitol
Please tell your doctor if you are planning, taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including over-the-counter medicines, vaccines and herbal medicines.
Mannitol is incompatible with some drugs.
These drugs, which are known to be incompatible, should not be added to the solution.
Other solutions should be preferred for dilution of these drugs.
The effect of this drug may be increased if it is used together with other diuretics.
Therefore, dose adjustment may be required in case of concomitant use.
Mannitol may increase the rate of excretion of some drugs that are excreted in the urine (eg, lithium and methotrexate).
For this reason, adequate response to these drugs may not be obtained in case of concomitant use.
Co-administration of certain drugs that may cause damage to the kidneys may increase the harmful effect of the drug being used due to the changes that Mannitol may cause in fluid balance.
For this reason, patients using an immunosuppressive drug called cyclosporine should be closely monitored for these harmful effects.
In addition, although there is limited information about its occurrence in humans, the effects of these drugs should be taken into account when co-administering Mannitol with the following drugs:
- Possible interactions with antibiotics from the aminoglycoside group: When these drugs are used together with Mannitol, their harmful effects on hearing may increase.
- Possible interactions with some muscle relaxants (depolarizing neuromuscular blockers): When these drugs are used together with Mannitol, their effects may be increased.
- Possible interactions with orally used blood thinners (oral anticoagulants): Depending on the water-reducing effect of Mannitol in the body, the concentrations of clotting factors in the blood may increase and the effects of these drugs may decrease.
- Interactions with digoxin, a cardiac drug: If blood potassium levels decrease (hypokalaemia) after treatment with mannitol, there is a risk of poisoning due to this drug.
If you are currently using or have recently used any prescription or non-prescription drugs, please inform your doctor or pharmacist about them.
How To Use Mannitol?
Your doctor will decide in what amounts you need this medicine and when it will be administered to you.
This will be determined by your age, body weight and the reason why this medicine has been given to you.
Follow these instructions unless your doctor gives you a separate recommendation.
Do not forget to take your medicine on time.
Your doctor will let you know how long your treatment with Mannitol will last.
Do not stop the treatment early because you will not get the desired result.
It is used through a plastic tube (set) suitable for your veins.
For children, the dose and size of the administration set are decided by the doctor who recommends the administration.
This should be taken into account before determining the dose, as renal function may begin to deteriorate in the elderly.
If you have severe kidney failure, you will first be given a test dose.
If you have enough urination after this dose, the drug will be started.
If you have the impression that the effect of Mannitol is too strong or too weak, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have used more Mannitol than you should, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
If you forget to use mannitol, do not take a double dose to make up for missed doses.
Side Effects Of Mannitol
Like all medicines, side effects may occur in people who are sensitive to the ingredients of Mannitol.
If you notice any of the following, tell your doctor immediately or go to the nearest hospital emergency department:
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 to 1,000 people):
- Disorders in your body’s water and ion balance
- low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Stiffness, redness or swelling, bruising (thrombophlebitis) spreading throughout your veins, starting from the place of application
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 people):
- A kind of shock condition (anaphylactic shock) with symptoms such as swelling of the hands, feet, lips, face or whole body, respiratory distress, wheezing, pain in the chest, dizziness, fainting sensation, sudden drop in blood pressure.
- Increase in intracranial pressure
- Disruption of the rhythm of your heartbeat, your heart working faster or slower than normal
- Accumulation of water in your lungs (pulmonary edema)
- Accumulation of water in your arms or legs or in your whole body (edema)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Dehydration of the body
- Excessive urination, related kidney disease (osmotic nephrosis)
- allergic reactions
- Rashes on your skin (hives)
- Headache
- Dizziness/drowsiness
- Blurred vision
- Cramps in your muscles
- Dry mouth, thirst, nausea, vomiting
- Chest pain
- Chills, fever, flu
- Loss of vitality of the skin in the area where the drug was applied (skin necrosis)
Very rare (may affect less than 1 in 10,000 people):
- Difficulty in breathing, difficulty in breathing when lying down or climbing stairs (signs of congestive heart failure)
- Accumulation of urine in your body, a sudden onset of kidney failure.
All these are serious side effects. Emergency medical attention may be required.
If you experience any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, inform your doctor or pharmacist.
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