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venetoclax
venetoclax
What is the most important information I should know about venetoclax?
What is the most important information I should know about venetoclax?
Call your doctor at once if you have a fever, chills, joint or muscle pain, tiredness, confusion, shortness of breath, fast or slow heartbeats, nausea, vomiting, dark or cloudy urine, or a seizure (convulsions).
Drink 6 to 8 full glasses of water each day to help prevent these side effects.
What is venetoclax?
What is venetoclax?
Venetoclax is used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic leukemia in adults.
Venetoclax is also used in combination with other medicines to treat acute myeloid leukemia in adults who are 75 years or older, or who cannot use standard chemotherapy due to other medical conditions.
Venetoclax may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking venetoclax?
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking venetoclax?
Some drugs should not be used with venetoclax. Your treatment plan may change if you also use:
- an antibiotic or antifungal medicine;
- heart medication; or
- antiviral medicine to treat hepatitis C or HIV.
Do not start or stop using any medicine without asking your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- liver or kidney disease;
- an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or calcium in your blood);
- gout, or high levels of uric acid in your blood; or
- if you use a blood thinner (such as warfarin) and you have routine "INR" or prothrombin time tests.
May harm an unborn baby. You may need a pregnancy test to make sure you are not pregnant. Use birth control while using venetoclax and for at least 30 days after your last dose. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant.
It may be harder for a man to get a woman pregnant while you using this medicine.
You should not breastfeed while using this medicine and for at least 1 week after your last dose.
How should I take venetoclax?
How should I take venetoclax?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
You may receive your first dose in a hospital or clinic setting to quickly treat any serious side effects.
Take venetoclax with food and water, at the same time each day.
Do not crush, chew, or break a venetoclax tablet. Swallow it whole.
If you vomit shortly after taking venetoclax, do not take another tablet. Take your next dose as scheduled the next day.
To prevent certain side effects, drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily for 2 days before you start taking venetoclax. Also drink 6 to 8 glasses of water on the day you first take venetoclax, and whenever your dose is changed.
You may need frequent medical tests and your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.
Do not stop using venetoclax without first asking your doctor.
Store tablets in their original container at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Do not put venetoclax tablets into a daily pill box.
What happens if I miss a dose?
What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if you are more than 8 hours late for the dose. Do not use two doses at one time.
What happens if I overdose?
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking venetoclax?
What should I avoid while taking venetoclax?
Avoid receiving a "live" vaccine. The vaccine may not work as well while you are using venetoclax. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and zoster (shingles).
Grapefruit, starfruit, and Seville oranges may interact with venetoclax and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid consuming grapefruit products, starfruit, and orange marmalades.
What are the possible side effects of venetoclax?
What are the possible side effects of venetoclax?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- symptoms of sepsis --confusion, severe drowsiness, rapid breathing, feeling very ill;
- signs of pneumonia --cough with yellow or green mucus, stabbing chest pain, wheezing, trouble breathing;
- low blood cell counts --fever, mouth sores, skin sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed; or
- signs of tumor cell breakdown --chills, joint or muscle pain, feeling tired or short of breath, fast or slow heartbeats, nausea, vomiting, dark or cloudy urine, or seizure (convulsions).
Your cancer treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects.
Common side effects may include:
- stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation;
- feeling tired or short of breath;
- low blood pressure, feeling dizzy or lightheaded;
- muscle and joint pain;
- swelling in your arms, legs, hands, and feet;
- fever, low blood cell counts;
- pneumonia, sepsis;
- mouth pain;
- rash; or
- cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough.
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 venetoclax?
What other drugs will affect venetoclax?
Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.
Many drugs can affect venetoclax. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about venetoclax.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
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