ISCADOR M 20 mg solution for injection

• 100 mg apple mistletoe extract (1: 5) fermented; Extracting agent: water

• Sodium chloride
• Water for injections

Active ingredient:
fermented aqueous extract from apple tree mistletoe

What is Iscador and what is it used for?
Iscador is an anthroposophic medicine for the extended treatment of tumor diseases.

Areas of application
According to the anthroposophical knowledge of man and nature, Iscador M / P / Qu is used to stimulate the formative and integrative forces of adults to dissolve and reintegrate independent growth processes, e.g.

• with malignant tumor diseases, also with accompanying disorders of the blood-forming organs;
• in benign tumor diseases;
• to prevent tumor recurrences after operations;
• with defined preliminary stages of cancer (precancerous lesions).

How to use Iscador
Always use this medicine exactly as described in the package leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Type of application
The subcutaneous injection should be carried out as close as possible to the tumor or metastasis, otherwise in constantly changing parts of the body (eg abdominal skin, upper arm or thigh). Inflamed areas of the skin or radiation fields must, however, be avoided in any case. Strict subcutaneous injection techniques must be used.

As a precaution, it is recommended that Iscador is not drawn up in a syringe with any other medicinal product.

After cleaning the puncture site (e.g. by rubbing it with 70% alcohol), form a skin fold and insert the injection needle at an angle. Pull back the plunger slightly. If blood appears, a blood vessel has been hit.

In this case, repeat the injection at a different site. If no blood appears, inject slowly, then pull out the needle and press the puncture site briefly with a swab.

It is always recommended to learn the injection technique from an experienced person.

Iscador ampoules should be used immediately after opening. Opened ampoules must not be stored and used at a later point in time, as the sterility of the injection liquid is no longer guaranteed.

Dosage
The dosage is always individual. Unless otherwise prescribed by the doctor, the following usual dosage applies.

Introductory phase
In order to avoid overreactions, a gradual dosage of Iscador M / P / Qu series 0 is recommended at the beginning of therapy with Iscador M / P / Qu. Even if therapy has already been carried out with another mistletoe preparation, the corresponding series 0 must be started again when starting therapy with Iscador M / P / Qu.

1 ml is injected subcutaneously 2 to 3 times a week in increasing strength according to the composition of the series.
If series 0 is well tolerated, the patient's individual reaction dose can be increased to Iscador series I to possibly series II.

The optimal strength or dose must be determined individually. According to the current state of knowledge, the following reactions must be observed, which can occur individually or in combination:

a) Change in the subjective condition: On the day of the injection, any fatigue, shivering, general feeling of illness, headache and brief dizziness are not signs of intolerance, but rather indicate an effective, possibly too high dosage. If these symptoms have not subsided on the following day or if they exceed a tolerable level, the strength or dose should be reduced.
An improvement in general well-being (increase in appetite and weight, normalization of sleep, sensation of warmth and performance) and psychological well-being (lightening of mood, increased courage to face life and the ability to take initiative) as well as an alleviation of pain indicate that the dose was within the optimal range.

b) Temperature reaction: temperature reaction in the form of an above-average rise in body temperature a few hours after injection, a restoration of the physiological morning / evening difference of at least 0.5 ° C or an increase in the mean temperature level during treatment.

In the case of tumor fever, on the other hand, the aim is to normalize and rhythmise the core temperature with low strengths.

c) Immunological response: e.g. B. Increase in white blood cells (leukocytes).

d) Local inflammatory reaction: at the injection point up to a maximum of 5 cm in diameter.

Maintenance
phase The treatment is continued with the optimal individual strength or dose determined in this way. Therapy is either continued with the series in which the reaction dose represents the highest strength or with the corresponding type pack (pack with ampoules of one strength).

To avoid habituation effects, a rhythmic application is recommended:

• Alternation with lower strengths or doses in the form of increasing and possibly also decreasing dosage series
• Rhythmic injection intervals, eg injection on day 1, 2 and 5 of each week
• Insertion of pauses, e.g. B. 1 to 2 weeks break after about 4 weeks of therapy; If the duration of treatment is longer, the breaks can be extended from the third year of treatment.
   

If the therapy break lasts 4 weeks or longer, there may be an increased initial reaction when treatment is restarted. It is therefore recommended to start again with the next lower strength or series, eg: Therapy before the break with Iscador series II, start after the break with a pack of series I, then further treatment with series II.
In the case of advanced illness or if you have If the patient feels worse on the Iscador-free days, it can make sense to inject 1 ml daily without a break.

The dosage should be checked at intervals of 3 to 6 months based on the patient's reaction (see above) and the tumor behavior.
Dosage for impaired kidney function.

There are insufficient data for specific dosage recommendations for impaired kidney function. General experience so far has not indicated the need for a dose adjustment.

Duration of application
The treating doctor decides on the duration of application.

In principle, the duration of use is not limited. It is determined by the doctor and depends on the respective risk of recurrence and the individual condition or findings of the patient. It should last for several years, with breaks of increasing length as a rule.

If you use more Iscador than you should
If you use more Iscador than you should, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you forget to use Iscador
Do not use a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose, but carry on with your normal dose at the next scheduled time.

What Iscador M / P / Qu contains:
The active ingredient is: fermented aqueous extract from Viscum album ssp. album / ssp. austriacum / ssp. album (apple mistletoe / pine mistletoe / oak mistletoe).

The strength in mg in the drug name indicates the amount of fresh plant material that was used to produce one ampoule of Iscador M / P / Qu. Example: "Iscador M 1 mg" contains the extract from 1 mg fresh apple mistletoe.

The other ingredients are: sodium chloride, water for injections.