CellCept vs. Trexall

• Are Trexall and CellCept the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of CellCept?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Trexall?
• What Is CellCept?
• What Is Trexall?
• What Drugs Interact with CellCept?
• What Drugs Interact with Trexall?
• How Should CellCept Be Taken?
• How Should Trexall Be Taken?

CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) and Trexall (methotrexate) are used to prevent the body from rejecting organs after transplant.

CellCept is usually given with cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral) and a steroid medication.

Trexall is also used to treat some cancers, severe skin diseases such as severe psoriasis, and to treat forms of rheumatoid arthritis.

CellCept and Trexall belong to different drug classes. CellCept is an immunosuppressive agent and Trexall is an antimetabolite drug.

Side effects of CellCept and Trexall that are similar include nausea, headache, vomiting, or stomach pain or upset.

Side effects of CellCept that are different from Trexall include constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, gas, tremor, trouble sleeping (insomnia), weakness, swelling in your hands or feet, numbness or tingly feeling, or anxiety.

Side effects of Trexall that are different from CellCept include inflammation of the mouth and lips, dizziness, tired feeling, bleeding gums, blurred vision, and leukopenia (low number of white cells in blood).

CellCept may cause side effects, including:

• constipation,
• nausea,
• headache,
• diarrhea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain or upset,
• loss of appetite,
• gas,
• tremor,
• trouble sleeping (insomnia),
• weakness,
• swelling in your hands or feet,
• numbness or tingly feeling, or
• anxiety.

Tell your doctor if you experience unlikely but serious side effects of CellCept including:

• unusual tiredness,
• fast or irregular heartbeat,
• muscle weakness,
• easy bleeding or bruising,
• swelling of the feet or ankles,
• mental/mood changes,
• weakness on one side of the body, or
• unusual change in the amount of urine.

Common side effects of Trexall include:

• inflammation of the mouth and lips,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upset stomach,
• abdominal pain,
• dizziness,
• tired feeling,
• headache,
• bleeding gums,
• blurred vision, and
• leukopenia (low number of white cells in blood).

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Trexall including:

• dry cough,
• shortness of breath,
• diarrhea,
• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips,
• blood in your urine or stools,
• urinating less than usual or not at all,
• fever,
• chills,
• body aches,
• flu symptoms,
• sore throat and headache with a severe blistering/peeling/red skin rash,
• pale skin,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• weakness,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• dark urine,
• clay-colored stools, or
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Severe side effects occur more frequently in patients taking the high doses of Trexall.

CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) is an immunosuppressive agent used to prevent your body from rejecting a kidney, liver, or heart transplant. CellCept is usually given with cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral) and a steroid medication.

Trexall (methotrexate) is an antimetabolite drug that is used to treat some cancers, severe skin diseases such as severe psoriasis, and to treat forms of rheumatoid arthritis. Trexall is available in generic form as methotrexate.

CellCept may interact with cholestyramine, antibiotics, acyclovir, ganciclovir, valacyclovir, or other medicines that weaken the immune system. Tell your doctor all medications you use.

Trexall may interact with azathioprine, chloramphenicol, hydroxychloroquine, retinol, tretinoin, isotretinoin, steroids, sulfa drugs, phenytoin, probenecid, tetracycline, theophylline, gold treatments, oral diabetes medications, penicillin antibiotics, medicines that reduce stomach acid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or salicylates such as aspirin and others. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. This drug should not be used in pregnant or breastfeeding women due to likely harm to the fetus or infant.

Trexall may interact with allopurinol, methotrexate, blood thinners, olsalazine, sulfasalazine, sulfamethoxasole, trimethoprim, or ACE inhibitors.

The dose of CellCept depends on the type of transplant performed.

Trexall is supplied in 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 mg tablets. The dose is designed for each patient's problem and can range from about 7.5 mg per week to 30 mg per day, depending on the disease process and the doctor's judgment. Trexall has been used in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but most doses were individualized.