Mercapthol 50mg Tablet

Mercapthol 50mg Tablet is used in the treatment of blood cancer. It works by decreasing the number of red blood cells, which is produced by the body. Thereby prevents the cancer cells from growing and multiplying.

Mercapthol 50mg Tablet can be taken with or without food or you can have it one hour before or 2 hours after the meal. Your doctor will decide what dose is necessary and how often you need to take it. This will depend on what you are being treated for and may change from time to time. You should take it exactly as your doctor has advised. Taking it in the wrong way or taking too much can cause very serious side effects. It may take several weeks or months for you to see or feel the benefits but do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to.

The most common side effects of this medicine include nausea, vomiting, rash, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. This medicine may reduce the number of blood cells (decrease red blood and white blood cells) in your blood, thereby, increasing the susceptibility to infections. Regular blood tests are required to check your blood cells along with heart, liver, and blood uric acid levels. You have to avoid driving or attention seeking activity if you experience dizziness while taking this medicine.

Before taking it, tell your doctor if you have heart disease, liver, or kidney problems or are taking any medicines to treat infections. Many other medicines can affect, or be affected by, this medicine so let your doctor know all medications you are using. This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. The use of effective contraception by both males and females during treatment is important to avoid pregnancy.

• Blood cancer

Blood cancer
Blood cancer, also called leukemia, is a cancer of the blood-forming tissues, that decreases the body's ability to fight infection. Mercapthol 50mg Tablet kills or stops the growth of cancer cells and also prevents the multiplication of cancer cells. It is an effective medicine but you should discuss the side effects and benefits of this medicine with your doctor. Let your doctor know if any of the side effects bothers you.

Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Common side effects of Captomer

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rash
• Decreased white blood cell count (neutrophils)
• Intestinal ulcer
• Anemia (low number of red blood cells)
• Increased bilirubin in the blood
• Low blood platelets
• Increased transaminase level in blood
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite

Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Mercapthol 50mg Tablet may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.

Mercapthol 50mg Tablet interferes with the growth of DNA and RNA of the cancer cells by substituting their building blocks. It prevents the cancer cells from growing and multiplying.

• Mercapthol 50mg Tablet is used for the treatment of cancer of the blood.
• Take it with or without food.
• Do not drive or do anything requiring concentration until you know how it affects you.
• Use a reliable contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy while you are taking this medicine.
• Your doctor may get regular blood and urine tests done to monitor your blood cells, kidney and liver function during treatment with this medicine.
• Inform your doctor immediately if you notice any signs of infection such as fever, sore throat, rash or severe diarrhea.

Chu E, Sartorelli AC. Cancer Chemotherapy. In: Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited; 2009. p. 948.

Briggs GG, Freeman RK, editors. A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk: Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. pp. 864-66.

Mercaptopurine. Dublin, Ireland: Aspen; 2012 [revised 17 Dec. 2018]. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2019] (online) Available from:

Drugs.com. Mercaptopurine Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Warnings. [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019] (online) Available from:

Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006. Mercaptopurine. [Updated 2020 Jan 20]. [Accessed 18 Feb. 2020] (online) Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501015/