Coping With the Side Effects of ABRAXANE
There are side effects associated with ABRAXANE. For some people, the side effects may make them want to stop taking their medicine. Be sure to talk with your doctor or nurse about any side effects you may be experiencing.
Here are some suggestions to help you cope with the possible side effects of ABRAXANE:
Hair loss
Before hair loss:
- Be gentle to your hair and scalp
- Consider cutting your hair short
After hair loss:
- Protect your scalp from the sun
Infections due to low white blood cell count (neutropenia)
- Call your doctor if you experience a fever over 100.4°F
- Wash your hands often
- Try to avoid crowds and people with colds
- Immediately clean and protect cuts
- Check with your doctor before getting immunization shots
- Take a bath or shower daily using mild soap
- Use lotion to prevent your skin from cracking
Call your doctor or nurse right away if you experience a fever over 100.4°F or notice any other signs of infection.
Numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands and/or feet (neuropathy)
- Wear shoes inside and outside the home
- Wear gloves when working outside or in the kitchen
- Check the temperature of your bath water before bathing to make sure that it is not too hot
- Check your feet and hands for cuts every day
Talk with your doctor or nurse if you experience these side effects. It may be necessary to adjust your dose of ABRAXANE.
Fatigue and weakness
- Get proper rest
- Take part in activities that relax you
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Perform some form of light exercise daily
Low red blood cell count (anemia)
- Talk with your doctor about medications that may help
- Conserve energy by doing only the things that are most important to you
- Get up slowly from lying or sitting positions to reduce dizziness
- Eat small meals frequently throughout the day
Call your doctor or nurse if you experience any of these symptoms. They can talk with you about further treatment for anemia.
Mouth or lip sores (mucositis)
- Use lip balm or another lip moisturizer
- Use a soft toothbrush and brush your teeth after eating
- Use mouthwash that does not contain alcohol
- Frequently rinse your mouth with warm salt water
- Avoid foods that might irritate your mouth, such as spicy foods, orange juice, and pretzels
Joint and muscle pain
- Ask your doctor if pain medication or other remedies such as a massage or acupuncture could help you
Call your doctor or nurse if you experience any joint or muscle pain that makes you uncomfortable.
Stomach upset and diarrhea
- Drink plenty of fluids slowly and frequently
- Avoid drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol
- Avoid sweets as well as fried, greasy, or spicy foods
- Eat low-fiber foods such as eggs, potatoes, white bread, or creamed cereals
- Avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, or ice cream
Call your doctor or nurse right away if you experience severe abdominal/stomach pain, vomiting, or severe diarrhea.
Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) effects
- Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart disease
- Have your doctor check your blood pressure
- Drink plenty of water
- Elevate the head of your bed to improve blood circulation
- Eat small meals frequently
- Rise slowly from sitting or lying positions
Irritation at the injection site
- Talk with your doctor or nurse right away if you notice anything unusual at the site of injection where the needle was inserted
NEXT: Effectiveness of ABRAXANE
ABRAXANE is a prescription medicine for breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. ABRAXANE is used after treatment with combination chemotherapy has stopped working, including anthracyclines, if appropriate, or when the cancer has come back within 6 months of treatment after surgery.
Important Safety Information About ABRAXANE®
WARNING: ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) should be given only by a doctor who is experienced in giving chemotherapy. That way, if any problems come up during treatment, your doctor will be able to manage them.
If you have a low white blood cell count (neutropenia), you should not take ABRAXANE, since you may be more likely to get a serious infection. While taking ABRAXANE, you must get regular blood tests to check for any problems that could develop.
ABRAXANE contains albumin, a substance found in human blood. Albumin can affect the way other drugs work.
- ABRAXANE has not been studied in people with kidney problems
- If you are pregnant, or become pregnant, ABRAXANE can cause harm to your unborn baby. You should avoid becoming pregnant while taking ABRAXANE
- Men should not father a child while being treated with ABRAXANE
- If you have a very low white blood cell count, you should not take ABRAXANE. If your white blood cell count goes down while taking ABRAXANE, you should stop taking it until your white blood cell count returns to normal. If your white blood cell count drops very low, your doctor will lower your dose of ABRAXANE
- It is not known whether ABRAXANE interacts with other drugs, so be sure to tell your doctor about any medicines you are taking
- People treated with ABRAXANE often have a side effect called sensory neuropathy, a numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands, feet, and ankles. If you get mild sensory neuropathy, you will probably not have to lower your dose of ABRAXANE. If sensory neuropathy becomes severe, you may have to stop taking ABRAXANE until it improves, and then continue treatment at a lower dose
- Treatment with ABRAXANE can make liver problems worse. If you have liver problems, your starting dose of ABRAXANE should be lowered
- Treatment with ABRAXANE can cause irritation where the medicine is injected (injection site reactions). When taking ABRAXANE, you should be monitored by your doctor or nurse to make sure no problems occur at the injection site
- Since it is not known if ABRAXANE passes into human milk, you should stop nursing if you are taking ABRAXANE
- You should not drive a car when you are being treated with ABRAXANE. Side effects such as feeling very tired (fatigue), having no energy (lethargy), or feeling sick (malaise) can affect your ability to drive or use machinery
- In a clinical trial, severe heart and blood vessel side effects occurred in approximately 3% of women taking ABRAXANE. Side effects included chest pain, heart attack, fluid under the skin, blood clots in the veins or lungs, and high blood pressure. Stroke and heart failure were rare
- The most important side effects during treatment with ABRAXANE included hair loss, low white blood cell count, sensory neuropathy, weakness, muscle or joint pain, low red blood cell count (anemia), nausea, diarrhea, infection, vomiting, and sores in the mouth or on the lips (mucositis)
- Other side effects included vision problems, kidney problems, fluid retention, liver problems, and allergic reactions, and a decrease in blood clotting cells (platelets). Dehydration and fever were common
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, and ADVERSE REACTIONS.