Probucol (Oral)

Probucol is used to lower cholesterol levels (a fat-like substance) in the blood. This may help prevent health issues caused by cholesterol blocking the blood vessels.

Probucol was available only with a doctor's prescription.

Probucol was voluntarily taken off the market in the United States in 1995. The removal was due to safety concerns.

It is very important for your doctor to check your progress during regular visits. This will help your doctor see if the medicine is effectively lowering your cholesterol levels and decide if you should keep taking it.

Do not stop taking this medicine without talking to your doctor first. Stopping this medicine may cause your blood fat levels to rise again. Your doctor may suggest a special diet to help prevent this.

In deciding to use a medicine, you need to think about the risks and benefits. This is a choice you will make with your doctor. For this medicine, consider the following:

Allergies

Inform your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also, let your healthcare professional know about any other allergies you have, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

There is no specific information about the use of probucol in children. However, it is not recommended for children under 2 years old because cholesterol is important for normal development.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older adults. Therefore, it may not be known if they work the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or issues in older adults. There is no specific information comparing the use of probucol in older adults with other age groups.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women to determine the risk to infants when using this medication while breastfeeding. Weigh the possible benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Certain medicines should not be used together at all, while in other cases, two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction could happen. In these situations, your doctor may want to adjust the dose, or other precautions might be necessary. When taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional knows if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected based on their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Bepridil
• Cisapride
• Dronedarone
• Foscarnet
• Levoketoconazole
• Levomethadyl
• Mesoridazine
• Pimozide
• Piperaquine
• Sparfloxacin
• Terfenadine
• Thioridazine
• Ziprasidone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be necessary in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may adjust the dose or frequency of one or both of the medicines.

• Acecainide
• Adagrasib
• Ajmaline
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpride
• Anagrelide
• Apomorphine
• Aprindine
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Astemizole
• Atazanavir
• Azimilide
• Bretylium
• Buprenorphine
• Buserelin
• Ceritinib
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chloroquine
• Chlorpromazine
• Citalopram
• Clarithromycin
• Clofazimine
• Clothiapine
• Clozapine
• Crizotinib
• Dabrafenib
• Dasatinib
• Degarelix
• Delamanid
• Deslorelin
• Deutetrabenazine
• Dexmedetomidine
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dolasetron
• Domperidone
• Donepezil
• Droperidol
• Efavirenz
• Encorafenib
• Enflurane
• Entrectinib
• Erythromycin
• Escitalopram
• Etrasimod
• Fexinidazole
• Fingolimod
• Flecainide
• Fluconazole
• Fluoxetine
• Formoterol
• Fostemsavir
• Gemifloxacin
• Gepirone
• Glasdegib
• Gonadorelin
• Goserelin
• Halofantrine
• Haloperidol
• Halothane
• Histrelin
• Hydroquinidine
• Hydroxychloroquine
• Hydroxyzine
• Ibutilide
• Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
• Isoflurane
• Isradipine
• Ivabradine
• Ivosidenib
• Ketoconazole
• Lefamulin
• Lenvatinib
• Leuprolide
• Levofloxacin
• Lidoflazine
• Lofexidine
• Lorcainide
• Macimorelin
• Mefloquine
• Methadone
• Metronidazole
• Mirtazapine
• Mobocertinib
• Moxifloxacin
• Nafarelin
• Nilotinib
• Octreotide
• Olanzapine
• Ondansetron
• Osilodrostat
• Osimertinib
• Oxaliplatin
• Ozanimod
• Pacritinib
• Panobinostat
• Paroxetine
• Pasireotide
• Pazopanib
• Pentamidine
• Phenobarbital
• Pimavanserin
• Pirmenol
• Pitolisant
• Ponesimod
• Posaconazole
• Prajmaline
• Primidone
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Propafenone
• Quetiapine
• Quinidine
• Quizartinib
• Relugolix
• Ribociclib
• Risperidone
• Selpercatinib
• Sematilide
• Sertindole
• Sertraline
• Sevoflurane
• Siponimod
• Solifenacin
• Sotalol
• Spiramycin
• Sulfamethoxazole
• Sulpiride
• Sultopride
• Sunitinib
• Tacrolimus
• Tedisamil
• Telithromycin
• Trazodone
• Triclabendazole
• Trifluoperazine
• Trimethoprim
• Triptorelin
• Vandetanib
• Vardenafil
• Vemurafenib
• Vilanterol
• Vinflunine
• Voclosporin
• Zolmitriptan
• Zotepine
• Zuclopenthixol

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may increase the risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be necessary for your treatment. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may adjust the dose or frequency of one or both of the medicines.

• Cyclosporine

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Some medicines should not be taken at or around meal times or with certain types of food due to potential interactions. Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines might also lead to interactions. Talk to your healthcare professional about using your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

Having other medical issues may affect how this medicine works for you. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, especially:

• Gallbladder disease or gallstones or
• Heart disease—Probucol may worsen these conditions.

• Liver disease—Higher blood levels of probucol may occur, which could increase the risk of side effects.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Not all of these side effects may happen, but if they do, they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

• Dizziness or fainting
• fast or irregular heartbeat

Rare

• Swellings on face, hands, or feet, or in mouth
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Some side effects may happen that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Your health care professional may also be able to tell you how to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome, or if you have any questions about them:

More common

• Bloating
• diarrhea
• nausea and vomiting
• stomach pain

Less common

• Headache
• numbness or tingling of fingers, toes, or face

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Many patients who have high cholesterol levels will not notice any signs of the problem. In fact, many may feel normal. Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor, even though you may feel well. Try not to miss any doses and do not take more medicine than your doctor ordered.

Remember that this medicine will not cure your condition but it does help control it. Therefore, you must continue to take it as directed if you expect to keep your cholesterol levels down.

Follow carefully the special diet your doctor gave you. This is the most important part of controlling your condition, and is necessary if the medicine is to work properly.

This medicine works better when taken with meals.

Before prescribing medicine for your condition, your doctor will probably try to control your condition by prescribing a personal diet for you. Such a diet may be low in fats, sugars, and/or cholesterol. Many people are able to control their condition by carefully following their doctor's orders for proper diet and exercise. Medicine is prescribed only when additional help is needed and is effective only when a schedule of diet and exercise is properly followed.

Also, this medicine is less effective if you are greatly overweight. It may be very important for you to go on a reducing diet. However, check with your doctor before going on any diet.

Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on a low-sodium, low-sugar, or any other special diet.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.
• For oral dosage form (tablets): Adults: 500 milligrams two times a day taken with the morning and evening meals. Children: Up to 2 years of age—Use is not recommended. 2 years of age and over—Dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.