gemcitabine

What is the most important information I should know about gemcitabine?

Gemcitabine can also affect your liver, kidneys, or lungs. Tell your doctor if you have stomach pain, dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, little or no urinating, swelling, rapid weight gain, severe shortness of breath, wheezing, or cough with foamy mucus.

What is gemcitabine?

Gemcitabine is used to treat cancers of the pancreas, lung, ovary, and breast.

Gemcitabine is sometimes given with other cancer medicines, or when other cancer treatments did not work or have stopped working.

Gemcitabine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving gemcitabine?

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease (especially cirrhosis);
• alcoholism; or
• radiation treatment.

• If you are a woman, do not use gemcitabine if you are pregnant. You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 6 months after your last dose.
• If you are a man, use effective birth control if your sex partner is able to get pregnant. Keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your last dose.
• Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using gemcitabine.

This medicine may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men. However, it is important to use birth control to prevent pregnancy because gemcitabine can harm an unborn baby.

How is gemcitabine used?

Gemcitabine is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

Tell your caregivers if you feel any burning, pain, or swelling around the IV needle when gemcitabine is injected.

Gemcitabine can increase your risk of bleeding or infection. You will need frequent medical tests.

What happens if I miss a dose?

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while using gemcitabine?

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding or injury.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using gemcitabine, and avoid coming into contact with anyone who has recently received a live vaccine. There is a chance that the virus could be passed on to you. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of gemcitabine?

• headache, confusion, change in mental status, vision loss, seizure (convulsions);
• blisters or ulcers in your mouth, trouble eating or swallowing;
• severe skin redness, swelling, oozing, or peeling during or after radiation treatment;
• liver problems --loss of appetite, stomach pain (upper right side), itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, skin sores, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed;
• fluid build-up in or around the lungs --pain when you breathe, feeling short of breath while lying down, wheezing, gasping for breath, cough with foamy mucus, cold, clammy skin, anxiety, rapid heartbeats; or
• signs of damaged red blood cells --unusual bruising or bleeding, pale skin, bloody diarrhea, red or pink urine, swelling, rapid weight gain, and little or no urination.

Your cancer treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects.

Common side effects may include:

• fever;
• nausea, vomiting;
• low blood cell counts;
• abnormal blood or urine tests;
• shortness of breath;
• swelling in your hands or feet;
• rash; or
• red or pink urine.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect gemcitabine?

Other drugs may affect gemcitabine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about gemcitabine.