Allergy warning

Enoxaparin can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:

• trouble breathing

• swelling of your throat or tongue

• hives

• rash

If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).

Don’t take this drug if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to heparin, pork products, or benzyl alcohol.

Warnings for people with certain health conditions

For people with kidney problems:

If you have kidney problems or a history of kidney disease, you may not be able to clear this drug from your body well. This may cause the drug to build up in your body and cause more side effects. Your doctor may decrease your dosage if you have severe kidney disease.

For people with a low body weight:

Women who weigh less than 99 lb (45 kg) and men who weigh less than 126 lb (57 kg) may have higher levels of enoxaparin in their bodies. Your doctor may monitor you more closely for signs of bleeding. They may also give you a lower dosage to avoid side effects

For people with a high body weight:

This drug hasn’t been studied well in people who are obese (a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher). If you’re obese, your doctor may monitor you more closely for signs of a clot. They may also do tests to see if your dose needs to be changed.

For people with diabetes-related eye problems:

This drug can cause bleeding. If you have retinopathy from diabetes that means the blood vessels in your eyes already leak blood. Taking this drug puts you at high risk for hemorrhage (severe, life-threatening bleeding).

For people with high blood pressure:

This drug can cause bleeding. If you have high blood pressure that isn’t controlled, you’re at high risk for hemorrhage (severe, life-threatening bleeding).

For people with a history of a stomach ulcer:

If you’ve recently had a stomach ulcer, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you

For people with platelet disorders:

You shouldn’t use this drug if you’ve had heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (a problem with your platelets that’s related to receiving heparin or similar drugs). If you have low platelets, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you.

For people with certain heart valves:

If you have a mechanical prosthetic heart valve, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you. This drug hasn’t been studied well in people with these types of heart valves.

For people with bleeding disorders:

If you have a bleeding disorder, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you. You’re already at high risk for bleeding and this drug will further increase your risk.

Warnings for other groups

For pregnant women:

is a category B pregnancy drug. That means two things:

1. Research in animals hasn’t shown a risk to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.

2. There aren’t enough studies done in humans to show if the drug poses a risk to the fetus. Talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Animal studies don’t always predict the way humans would respond. Therefore, this drug should only be used in pregnancy if clearly needed. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this drug.

For women who are breastfeeding:

Enoxaparin may pass into breast milk and may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.

For seniors:

The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. If you’re older than 65 years, you may be at higher risk of bleeding while taking this drug.

For children:

This drug hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in people younger than 18 years.