Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Megestrol as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, for the duration prescribed, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication.
- This medication can induce some nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset, when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Megestrol use can induce some dizziness and make one drowsy. Do not take megestrol with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can add to the dizziness and confusion caused by megestrol. A number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, antiseizure medications, muscle relaxants, antidepressant and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the confusion caused by megestrol, thus resulting in many cross reactions and side-effects and so, must be avoided taking along with megestrol.
- Megestrol can also interact with many other medications. Discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with megestrol, if you are newly being prescribed megestrol. Discuss with your physician regarding your safety with regards to continuing on megestrol, if you are newly diagnosed with any other health condition and being started on any new medications.
- Take the megestrol tablet as a whole. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole tablet, you may cut the tablet and swallow it in pieces with a glass of water. You may also crush the tablet and sprinkle the powder on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce along with the medication.
- When taking megestrol as an oral liquid/suspension, use a dose measuring spoon/cup to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing. Do not forgot to shake the suspension bottle well before you use it.
- Do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
- Megestrol has some glucocorticoid activity associated with it and consequently, can result in retention of fluid, elevated blood pressure, headache, dizziness, and swelling of hands and feet. This can be a serious issue, especially in individuals with history of hypertension. Observe compliance with everyday blood pressure recordings and log maintenance of the readings.
- The glucocorticoid activity associated with megestrol can also result in poor blood sugar control and episodes of hyperglycemia. This can be a serious issue, especially in individuals with history of diabetes. Keep a close watch on blood sugar numbers and observe compliance with log maintenance of everyday blood sugar readings.
- Megestrol use carries the risk for clot formation. Watch out closely for any signs of clot formation and deep venous thrombosis, such as pain and swelling of extremities – especially swelling of the lower extremities with pain in the calf muscle, episode of sudden cough and shortness of breath, episode of chest pain, and any sudden vision changes.
- While using megestrol, periodical evaluation of your liver and renal functions could be performed, as the drug is majorly metabolized by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. These tests help to avoid any serious toxic effects developing from compromised liver and renal functions with megestrol intake. Observe compliance with any labs ordered.
- Your physician could change the dose of megestrol, based on the relief obtained or side-effects developed. Stress, developing any infection, and deterioration of overall health can mandate dose changes on megestrol. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to update on the relief from symptoms and obtain an overall status on health. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Continue taking megestrol as ordered, even if your symptoms are under control. Abrupt discontinuation on megestrol intake can result in progression of tumor growth, if megestrol is being taken to inhibit the tumor growth in endometrial and breast tissues. Abrupt discontinuation on megestrol intake can also result in continued weight loss in cancer patients. Discontinuing the medication should only be on your physician’s recommendation.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose, as it can lead to toxicity with the drug. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
