Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B works by stopping fungi from growing in your body. It is only given to you when your healthcare provider prescribes it.

You can use Amphotericin B:

• When you have a fungal infection because of your body’s inability to fight disease (immune disorder), this may occur in patients living with HIV, lupus and those undergoing chemotherapy.
• When your infection is caused by a fungus known as Candida.
• To treat Leishmaniasis, an infection that is caused by a parasite carried by sand flies and transmitted when they bite a person.
• Serious, widespread infection of fungi in the body.

Amphotericin B is a drug used to treat serious, life-threatening infections caused by fungi, like yeast. This medicine is useful in treating fungal infections and a tropical disease called Leishmaniasis that is transmitted through the bite of the sand fly.

Amphotericin B is a prescription-only medicine. This medicine is typically injected over 2 to 6 hours into your vein, once a day when prescribed for you.

Amphotericin B is mixed from powder into a liquid that can be injected. Most people will require taking this medicine as injections, daily or every other day.

• Your healthcare provider will usually inject you with this medicine. If you have been trained to inject yourself, do it slowly over 2 to 6 hours.
• You may require adjustment to your doses if you have kidney disease.
• Follow all instructions that your healthcare provider gives you if you will be using Amphotericin B at home. Do not share this medicine with others.
• If you inject more of this medicine than your healthcare provider asked you to take, you should visit the nearest healthcare provider immediately (with the remaining medicine) to report the overdose.

You may experience some side effects of this medicine that may make you uncomfortable. They will usually go away within 2 to 3 days, do ensure you mention any unpleasant effects you notice to your healthcare provider, especially if it stays longer than a week. Here are some of the common side effects:

• You may experience pain in your stomach, bone, chest area, muscle or joint.
• You may pass several watery stools and notice that you are losing weight.
• You may feel tired easily, and your skin may look dull.
• You may experience redness or swelling on the area of the skin where you were injected.
• You may feel like you want to faint.
• You may have a headache.
• Your hands and feet may feel cold instead of feeling warm.

If you experience severe side effects, you must go to the nearest healthcare provider immediately. These severe side effects may include:

• Itching, skin rash and swollen skin.
• Not passing out as much urine as usual.
• Breathing noisily or not breathing well.
• Yellowing or redness of the skin or eyes.
  Amphotericin B injection may cause serious side effects. You must speak to your healthcare provider to know possible risks before using this medicine.

It is important that you inform your healthcare provider if you have any disease condition. This will help them check your risk for any possible serious effects.

• Do not take this medicine if you have had a drug reaction to it or to another medicine that was injected into your vein before.
• If you are taking any other drugs, inform your health provider so that your doses can be changed if there is a need.
• Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a disease that affected your kidney (the internal part of your body that helps remove waste).