<p>Sodium stibogluconate is exceedingly toxic to&nbsp;veins. One of the practical problems is that after a few doses it can become exceedingly difficult to find a vein in which to inject the drug. The insertion of a&nbsp;PICC&nbsp;does not prevent the problem and can instead exacerbate it: the entire vein along the course of the PICC line can become inflamed and&nbsp;thrombose. Large doses of sodium stibogluconate are often administered as dilute solutions.<br />
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Pancreatitis&nbsp;is a common deleterious effect of the drug, and the&nbsp;serum&nbsp;amylase&nbsp;or&nbsp;lipase&nbsp;should be monitored twice weekly; there is no need to stop treatment if the amylase remains less than four times the upper limit of normal; if the amylase rises above the cut-off, then treatment should be interrupted until the amylase falls to less than twice the upper limit of normal, whereupon treatment can be resumed. Cardiac conduction disturbances are less common, but&nbsp;ECG&nbsp;monitoring while the medicine is injected is advisable and changes quickly reverse after the drug is stopped or the infusion rate is decreased.<br />
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The drug can be given intramuscularly but is exceedingly painful when given by this route. It can also be given intralesionally when treating&nbsp;cutaneous leishmaniasis&nbsp;(i.e., injected directly into the area of infected skin) and again, this is exceedingly painful and does not give results superior to intravenous administration.<br />
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Sodium stibogluconate can also cause a reduced appetite, metallic taste in mouth,&nbsp;nausea,&nbsp;vomiting,&nbsp;diarrhoea, headache, tiredness, joint pains, muscle aches, dizziness, and&nbsp;anaphylaxis.</p>