Last Updated on March 16, 2024
Cyclophosphamide is a well-known chemotherapy drug that is used to treat a variety of cancer types. It works by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in the body. While it is most commonly used in hospitals and clinics, some people may wish to purchase cyclophosphamide over the counter in the UK. Unfortunately, it is not possible to do so legally.
In the UK, all prescription drugs, including cyclophosphamide, are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This means that they can only be obtained with a valid prescription from a registered healthcare professional. It is illegal to sell or distribute prescription drugs without a license. Therefore, any seller offering cyclophosphamide without a prescription is breaking the law and should be avoided.
If you require cyclophosphamide for medical purposes, you will need to speak to your doctor or specialist to obtain a prescription. They will be able to advise you on the appropriate dosage and frequency for your specific condition. It is important to follow these instructions carefully and not to attempt to self-medicate with cyclophosphamide or any other prescription drug. Doing so can be dangerous and may lead to serious side effects.
Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medicine, especially if it is new to you. BuyOvertheCounterUK.net offers you the chance to buy cyclophosphamide online and learn more about cyclophosphamide side effects, dosage information and drug interactions.
What is cyclophosphamide?
Cyclophosphamide is a cytostatic drug used to treat cancer and severe autoimmune diseases. It helps to bring this serious disease under control quickly, but is often replaced by other drugs in the course of treatment because of its extreme toxicity. Cyclophosphamide is related to the chemical warfare agent mustard gas. Read more about the effects, use, side effects and interactions of cyclophosphamide!
How does cyclophosphamide work?
Cyclophosphamide is a prodrug – it is only converted into the active form in the body, mainly in the liver. This active form is then transported around the body in the bloodstream to reach different tissues. Depending on the type of tissue and its enzyme equipment, cyclophosphamide is more or less toxic to cells: in soft tissues, nerve tissue and blood precursor cells, it is less well detoxified and thus acts against the uninhibited growth that occurs in cancer. It penetrates the cells and breaks down into two very toxic breakdown products that attack the cell’s enzymes and, above all, its genetic material, damaging it. The modified genetic material cannot be properly read and copied, which makes it difficult or impossible for the cell to divide. This is particularly true of rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells.
Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of cyclophosphamide
After ingestion, cyclophosphamide is completely absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream and reaches the liver. There it is activated and released back into the blood, which takes it to where it is needed. The drug is mainly excreted through the kidneys in the urine. Over a period of seven hours in adults and four hours in children, about half of the drug is excreted.
When is cyclophosphamide used?
Preparations containing cyclophosphamide may be used:
- to treat cancers of the bone marrow (leukaemia, “blood cancer”), lymphatic system, breast, ovaries, lungs, bones and central nervous system
- for the treatment of autoimmune diseases (Wegener’s granulomatosis, and lupus nephritis)
- to prepare for a bone marrow transplant
Because of the serious side effects, treatment is kept as short as possible.
How cyclophosphamide is taken?
The chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide is usually given directly by infusion or injection. The infusion takes about half an hour to two hours. In some treatment regimens, the drug can also be given in tablet form. These are taken in the morning with plenty of fluids.
With any type of chemotherapy, it is important that the patient follows the doctor’s treatment plan very closely. Most treatments include the administration of other chemotherapeutic agents or radiation – the combination increases the chances of cure and usually results in a huge improvement in the quality of life.
What are the side effects of cyclophosphamide?
Like all cytostatic drugs, cyclophosphamide has a number of side effects that are usually dose-dependent and more or less severe.
In more than ten per cent of patients treated with cyclophosphamide, blood formation in the bone marrow is suppressed, which reduces the number of blood cells and suppresses the immune system. Bladder infections, blood in the urine and fever are also common.
Common side effects of cyclophosphamide are infections, liver dysfunction, reduced sperm production in the testes, chills, weakness, tiredness and discomfort.
Some side effects, such as nausea, may be reduced by taking other medicines.
What should I watch for while taking cyclophosphamide?
The chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide has numerous interactions with other drugs, especially those that are broken down or converted in the liver and thus affect the activation of cyclophosphamide.
Certain drugs can inhibit the activation of cyclophosphamide and reduce its effectiveness. These include antifungals (fluconazole, itraconazole), some antibiotics (chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole) and other cytotoxic agents (busulfan, thiotepa).
Conversely, there are also drugs that increase the activation of cyclophosphamide, thereby increasing the risk of side effects. Examples of such drugs are anti-seizure drugs (phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin), HIV drugs (protease inhibitors such as ritonavir), the gout drug allopurinol, cimetidine (for heartburn) and the sedative chloral hydrate.
The combination of cyclophosphamide with antihypertensives (ACE inhibitors such as ramipril, enalapril) and diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, HCT) can severely damage the blood-forming and immune systems.
The suppression of the immune system leads to frequent infections, some of which require treatment with antibiotics. It is essential to choose an antibiotic that does not interfere with cyclophosphamide.
Healing is limited during treatment.
As cyclophosphamide can also damage healthy cells in the body, a small percentage of patients may develop a secondary malignancy – a tumour caused by treatment with cyclophosphamide.
Cyclophosphamide also causes severe damage to the cells of the germ line (eggs and sperm). It should therefore be considered that gametes have been depleted for possible future fertility.
Safe contraception must be used during treatment and for up to six months afterwards, as cyclophosphamide causes DNA damage to the germ cells. This can lead to miscarriages and birth defects. For the same reason, pregnant or breastfeeding women should not be treated with cyclophosphamide.
Children, adolescents, patients with kidney or liver impairment and elderly patients may be treated with cyclophosphamide in a reduced dose after a thorough risk-benefit assessment by the doctor.
How to get cyclophosphamide?
The injections and infusions are given directly by a doctor in hospital. Cyclophosphamide tablets are available by prescription from a pharmacy.
How long has cyclophosphamide been on the market?
The chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide was developed in the 1950s by scientists at the pharmaceutical company Asta Medica (now Baxter Oncology) who were looking for a descendant of mustard gas. The patent granted in 1962 has now expired, but the active ingredient cyclophosphamide is still manufactured by only one pharmaceutical company.
