AUBAGIO Conversation Starter

Transcription

1 AUBAGIO Conversation Starter When you are choosing a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment for the first time or are considering switching your MS therapy, there can be a lot to think about for both you and your health care provider (HCP). Remember, you know your personal experiences best. It s important to communicate openly with your HCP about your habits, plans, goals, work and priorities, as they can help inform your treatment discussion. The information here can help you have a meaningful conversation with your HCP about AUBAGIO. Before your next visit: Review some potential questions about AUBAGIO to ask your HCP. Consider some helpful tips to have a more open and honest conversation with your HCP. Please see page 2. 1

2 If you re considering starting AUBAGIO, here are some questions you may want to ask: n What is AUBAGIO? n What do I need to know before I start? n How often do I take it? n Will AUBAGIO work for me? n What are the side effects? n Can I travel with AUBAGIO? Try these tips when talking with your HCP: Write down your questions before you go We ve all had that moment where we remember something we meant to ask our HCP after we re in the parking lot. Writing down your questions before you go can help you avoid those moments and help structure your conversation. List your symptoms Sharing your MS symptoms with your HCP gives him or her valuable insight and information about how you re doing. Jot down symptoms in a journal and bring it to your next appointment. Give details If you re experiencing any new challenges at home, work, or out and about, don t be shy about letting your HCP know. Real world examples of how MS or its symptoms affect your day can help you and your HCP understand their severity. Take notes. Better yet, take a friend Bring a pen and paper to your appointment so you can record detailed information and refer back to it later. If you can t take notes, ask your HCP if you can record the conversation. You may also want to consider bringing a spouse or friend along to listen and take notes for you. 2

3 Questions and Notes 3

4 AUBAGIO (teriflunomide) is a prescription medicine used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not take AUBAGIO if you have severe liver problems. AUBAGIO may cause serious liver problems, which can be life-threatening. Your risk may be higher if you take other medicines that affect your liver. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver within 6 months before you start taking AUBAGIO and once a month for 6 months after you start taking AUBAGIO. Tell your doctor right away if you develop any of these symptoms of liver problems: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, tiredness, yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, or dark urine. Do not take AUBAGIO if you take a medicine called leflunomide. AUBAGIO may harm your unborn baby. Do not take AUBAGIO if you are pregnant or are of childbearing age and not using effective birth control. You should have a pregnancy test before you start taking AUBAGIO. After stopping AUBAGIO, continue using effective birth control until you have tests to make sure your blood levels of AUBAGIO are low enough. If you become pregnant while taking AUBAGIO or within 2 years after you stop taking it, tell your doctor right away and enroll in the AUBAGIO Pregnancy Registry at , option 2, which collects health information about you and your baby. If you are a man taking AUBAGIO whose partner plans to become pregnant, you should stop taking AUBAGIO and talk with your doctor about reducing the levels of AUBAGIO in your blood quickly. If your partner does not plan to become pregnant, use effective birth control while taking AUBAGIO. AUBAGIO may stay in your blood for up to 2 years after you stop taking it. Your doctor can prescribe a medicine that can help remove AUBAGIO from your body quickly. Before taking AUBAGIO, talk with your doctor if you have n Liver or kidney problems n A fever or infection, or if you are unable to fight infections n Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet that is different from your MS symptoms n Diabetes n Serious skin problems when taking other medicines n Breathing problems n High blood pressure It is not known if AUBAGIO passes into breast milk. Talk with your doctor to decide if you should take AUBAGIO or should breastfeed you should not do both at the same time. Also talk with your doctor if you take or are planning to take other medicines (especially medicines for treating cancer or controlling your immune system) or if you take or are planning to take vitamins or herbal supplements. 4 Please see full Prescribing Information, including boxed WARNING and Medication Guide.

5 Before starting AUBAGIO, your doctor should check your white blood cell count and perform a tuberculosis skin test. You should not receive certain vaccinations during and for 6 months after treatment with AUBAGIO. AUBAGIO may cause serious side effects, including n Reduced white blood cell count. This may cause you to have more infections n Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet that is different from your MS symptoms n Kidney problems n High potassium levels in your blood n Serious skin problems n Breathing problems (new or worsening) n High blood pressure The most common side effects of AUBAGIO include n Abnormal liver test results n Hair thinning or loss n Diarrhea n Flu n Upset stomach n Burning or prickling feeling in your skin These are not all the side effects of AUBAGIO. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit or call FDA