Advate is one of the drugs that help treat hemophilia A. It contains the antihemophilic factor that is missing in patients with hemophilia A, which is factor VIII. A lack of factor VIII means that patients’ blood does not clot properly, which may cause them to bleed out. Advate hemophilia A treatment temporarily increases the levels of factor VIII in the blood. Hence helping the blood to clot and the bleeding to stop. Children and adults can both use this drug.
Side Effects of Advate Hemophilia A Treatment
The most common side effects of Advate include (but are not limited to):
- joint pain
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- pain, swelling, itching, or irritation of the injection site
- rash
- fever
- headaches, dizziness
- weakness, exhaustion
- sore throat, cough, stuffy nose
The use of Advate should be stopped immediately if a patient experiences any of the following:
- bleeding from a wound or from where the drug has been injected
- chest pain
- easy bruising or increased bleeding episodes
If any of the above occur, patients should consult with their doctor right away.
Advate Hemophilia A Treatment Usage
Advate is in the form of an injection. Patients may learn how to do this themselves at home, or with the help of a family member. However, this is only possible after the completion of proper training.
When taking Advate, patients must follow their prescription instructions very carefully to ensure they receive the correct dosage. This is very important to making sure Advate works properly.
According to doctors, patients should not use Advate if they have any sort of allergic reaction to the antihemophilic factor in the past.
In some cases, a patient’s immune system may begin to develop antibodies to the antihemophilic factor in Advate, which could make the drug less effective. If you believe that Advate has become less effective in controlling or preventing your bleeding episodes, you should speak to your doctor right away.
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