Brand & Generic Names

KPAB
Potaba
Potassium Aminobenzoate
Potassium Para-aminobenzoate

Basic Information

• Habit forming? No
• Prescription needed? Yes
• Available as generic? No
• Drug class: Antifibrosis

Uses

Reduces inflammation and relieves contractions in tissues lying under the skin that have become tight from such disorders as dermatomyositis, Peyronie's disease, scleroderma, pemphigus, morphea.

Dosage & Usage Information

How to take:
Tablets--Dissolve in liquid or take with food to prevent stomach upset.
Capsules--Take with full glass of liquid.
Oral solution--Swallow with liquid to lessen stomach upset.
Powder--Mix with liquid.

When to take:
At the same times each day, according to instructions on prescription label. Usually taken with meals and at bedtime with a snack.

If you forget a dose:
Take as soon as you remember up to 2 hours late. If more than 2 hours, wait for next scheduled dose (don't double this dose).

What drug does:
May increase ability of diseased tissues to use oxygen.

Time lapse before drug works:
May require 3 to 10 months for improvement to begin.

Don't take with:
Any other medicine without consulting your doctor or pharmacist.

Overdose

SYMPTOMS:
Nausea, vomiting.

WHAT TO DO:

Overdose unlikely to threaten life. If person takes much larger amount than prescribed, call doctor, poison-control center or hospital emergency room for instructions.

Possible Adverse Reactions or Side Effects

Life-threatening:

None expected.

Common:

Appetite loss, nausea, rash, fever.

Infrequent:

• Low blood sugar (hunger, anxiety, cold sweats, rapid pulse).
• Sore throat.

Rare:

None expected.

Warnings & Precautions

Don't take if:
You are allergic to aminobenzoate potassium or aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

Before you start, consult your doctor:

• If you have low blood sugar.
• If you have diabetes mellitus.
• If you have kidney disease.

Over age 60:
Adverse reactions and side effects may be more frequent and severe than in younger persons, particularly low blood sugar.

Pregnancy:
Safety not established. Consult doctor.

Breast-feeding:
Unknown effect. Consult doctor.

Infants & children:
Not recommended. Safety and dosage have not been established.

Prolonged use:
Talk to your doctor about the need for follow-up medical examinations or laboratory studies to check complete blood counts (white blood cell count, platelet count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit).

Skin & sunlight:
No problems expected.

Driving, piloting or hazardous work:
No problems expected.

Discontinuing:
No problems expected.

Others:
If you become acutely ill and cannot eat well for even a short while, tell your doctor. These circumstances can lead to low blood sugar, and dosage may need adjustment.

Possible Interaction with Other Drugs

GENERIC NAME	COMBINED EFFECT
------------------------	-----------------------
Dapsone	Decreased dapsone effect.
Methotrexate	Increased methotrexate effect and
	toxicity.
Salicylates*	May increase salicylate blood
	level.
Sulfa drugs*	Decreased sulfa effect.

Possible Interaction with Other Substances

INTERACTS WITH	COMBINED EFFECT
---------------	---------------
Alcohol:	None expected.
Beverages:	None expected.
Cocaine:	None expected.
Foods:	None expected.
Marijuana:	None expected.
Tobacco:	None expected.