Penicillamine (Noun)
Meaning
A drug (trade name Cuprimine) used to treat heavy metal poisoning and Wilson's disease and severe arthritis.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- Penicillamine is a chelating agent that has been used to treat lead and mercury poisoning by binding to the heavy metal ions and facilitating their excretion from the body.
- The doctor prescribed penicillamine to her patient suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis to reduce inflammation and slow disease progression.
- Penicillamine was the only effective treatment for Wilson's disease, a genetic disorder characterized by excessive copper accumulation in the body, until other therapies became available.
- In cases of acute poisoning, penicillamine can be administered orally or intravenously to rapidly chelate the toxic metal ions and minimize tissue damage.
- The patient experienced significant side effects while taking penicillamine, including a rash and nausea, which required dose adjustments to manage the adverse reactions.