Sodium chloride (Injection)

Sodium chloride 23.4% injection is used to replace lost water and salt in your body because of certain conditions (for example, hyponatremia or low salt syndrome). It is also used as an additive for total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and IV fluids that contain carbohydrates.

This medicine should only be given by your doctor or under their supervision.

It is very important that your doctor monitors your progress closely while you are using this medicine to ensure it is working correctly and to check for any side effects.

This medicine may cause serious issues (for example, hypokalemia, acidosis, heart failure, pulmonary edema, or fluid retention) and these are more likely to happen if sodium chloride is used for a long time or in high doses. Discuss any concerns with your doctor.

In deciding to use a medicine, you need to consider the risks of the medicine compared to the benefits it may provide. This is a decision you will make with your doctor. For this medicine, keep the following points in mind:

Allergies

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

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been done to explore how sodium chloride 23.4% injection affects children. Safety and effectiveness have not been established in this age group.

Geriatric

There is no information available on how sodium chloride 23.4% injection affects older adults.

Breast Feeding

Research in women suggests that this medication is likely to pose minimal risk to the baby when used during breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Some medicines should not be used together at all, while others can be taken together even if there may be an interaction. In these cases, your doctor may adjust the dose or take other precautions. Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines.

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Some medicines should not be taken near mealtime or with certain foods due to potential interactions. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines can 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 you can use this medicine. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding problems or
• Congestive heart failure or
• Epilepsy (seizures) or
• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Severe kidney disease or
• Liver disease (e.g., cirrhosis)—Use with caution. This may worsen these conditions or increase the risk of side effects.

• Fluid retention (swelling) or
• Hypernatremia (high sodium in the blood)—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.

• Kidney disease—Use with caution. Sodium chloride 23.4% contains aluminum, which could be harmful. The effects may be stronger due to slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common

• Excessive blood loss
• fever

Rare

• Anxiety
• burning pain in lower abdomen
• chest pain, severe
• chills
• confusion
• cough
• dizziness
• feeling of heat
• feeling of warmth in the lips and tongue
• headache (severe or dull)
• loss of consciousness
• nervousness
• numbness of the fingertips
• pain in lower back, pelvis, or stomach
• ringing in the ears
• seizures
• sweating
• thirst (sudden) or salty taste
• vision problems
• weakness

Incidence not known

• Bad smelling discharge from the vagina
• bleeding or redness at the injection site
• decrease in the amount of urine
• decreased urine output
• dilated neck veins
• extreme tiredness or weakness
• full or bloated feeling
• increase in bleeding from the uterus
• irregular breathing or heartbeat
• pain in the lower abdomen
• passing of pieces of tissue from the uterus
• pressure in the stomach
• stomach cramping
• swelling of the abdominal or stomach area
• swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
• tightness in the chest
• troubled breathing
• weight gain

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

Symptoms of overdose

• Drowsiness
• nausea
• usual tiredness or weakness
• vomiting

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways 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:

Incidence not known

• Loss of appetite
• weight loss

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.

In the U.S.

• Sterile Saline Diluent Tip-Lok Syringe
• Syrex

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Therapeutic Class: Parenteral Electrolyte, Sodium

Find detailed information on biosimilars for this medication.

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins after it has been diluted.

During the procedure, you will be awake and be asked questions about how you are doing by the health care team. This helps them to react quickly to any problems you might have and to keep side effects to a minimum.

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