penicillamine
a drug that binds metals and therefore aids their excretion (see CHELATING AGENT ). It is used to treat WILSON'S DISEASE , poisoning by metals such as lead, copper, and mercury, and severe rheumatoid arthritis. It is administered by mouth and commonly causes digestive upsets and allergic reactions.
Penicillamine is used to treat Wilson's disease (an inherited condition that causes copper to build up in the body and may result in serious symptoms) and cystinuria (an inherited condition which can lead to kidney stones). It is also used in combination with other treatments to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis (a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) that did not get better after treatment with other medications. Penicillamine is in a class of medications called heavy metal antagonists. It works to treat Wilson's disease by binding to the extra copper in the body and causing it to leave the body through the urine. It works to treat cystinuria by binding to the substance that makes kidney stones and preventing it from building up and forming stones. It works to treat rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing some actions of the immune system.
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