Managing Copper Excretion in Wilson's Disease with Cuprimine

For adults and children who live with Wilson's disease, there are daily challenges to healthcare. Managing copper levels is important and often requires prescription medications to do so. If you have been diagnosed with Wilson's disease, it is important to become familiar with the medications commonly used to manage this condition.

A medication that is commonly prescribed to patients with Wilson's disease is known as Cuprimine. Manufactured by Merck & Co., Cuprimine provides an effective remedy for removing excess systemic copper from patients who have been diagnosed with Wilson's disease. Because Wilson's disease is an inherited metabolic disorder, the ability to naturally excrete excess copper from the body is impaired. With Cuprimine, the excretion of copper is promoted and successful.

If your physician has prescribed Cuprimine in the management of your copper levels and Wilson's disease complications, you can expect that dosing will require the use of Cuprimine on an empty stomach. Initially, your physician will prescribe Cuprimine at a level ranging from 0.75 grams to 1.5 grams. As a general rule, this dosing level will be continued for two to three months at which point your physician should test your copper levels again. If needed, the dosing level can be increased but should never exceed 2 grams per day.

As with any FDA approved drug, the use of Cuprimine, in the management of Wilson's disease, does not come without side effects. Side effects most commonly reported include fever, rash, swelling of the lymph nodes, and complications with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In addition, liver complications may arise and, as a result, hepatic levels should be tested every two to three months. If you suffer from any pre-existing neurological complications, the use of Wilson's disease may pose some exacerbation of those symptoms.

In women who are pregnant, or may become pregnant, the use of Cuprimine is not recommended in the management of Wilson's disease. Additionally, for women who are breast feeding, Cuprimine should not be prescribed.

As with any inherited metabolic disorder, when diagnosed with Wilson's disease and managing the complications associated with it, ask your physician about the use of Cuprimine. As a drug that effectively manages the excretion of excess copper, many Wilson's disease patients find Cuprimine provides a simple remedy that allows for management of the metabolic complication. If you have been confirmed as suffering from Wilson's disease, ask your physician about the use of Cuprimine in the management of excess copper excretion.