Sunday, 8 July 2012

Sprycel


Generic Name: dasatinib (da SAT in ib)

Brand Names: Sprycel


What is dasatinib?

Dasatinib is a cancer medication that slows the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.


Dasatinib is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) when other cancer treatments have not been effective.


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


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


Do not use dasatinib if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are receiving dasatinib, whether you are a man or a woman. Dasatinib use by either parent may cause birth defects.

Before taking dasatinib, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood, heart disease or a heart rhythm disorder, or if you have a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome."


Do not crush, chew, or break a dasatinib tablet. Swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. There are many other drugs that can interact with dasatinib. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Dasatinib can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood may need to be tested often. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding injury. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.


Some people using dasatinib have developed a rare but serious condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH may be irreversible if not promptly treated, and this condition can be fatal. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk of developing PAH.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking dasatinib?


You should not use dasatinib if:

  • you have not first received a medication called imatinib (Gleevec); or




  • if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during treatment with dasatinib.




Some people using dasatinib have developed a rare but serious condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH occurs when blood pressure increases inside the arteries in your lungs. This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood through the lungs, which also weakens muscles in the heart. PAH may be irreversible if not promptly treated, and this condition can be fatal. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk of developing PAH.

To make sure you can safely take dasatinib, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:



  • low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood;




  • anemia (lack of red blood cells);




  • liver disease;




  • lung disease;




  • heart disease or a heart rhythm disorder; or




  • a personal or family history of Long QT syndrome.




FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use dasatinib if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Use birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are receiving dasatinib, whether you are a man or a woman. Dasatinib use by either parent may cause birth defects. A man taking dasatinib should use a condom during any sexual activity.

This medication may affect fertility (your ability to have children), whether you are a man or a woman.


It is not known whether dasatinib passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while taking dasatinib.

Dasatinib tablets contain lactose. Talk to your doctor before using this medication if you are lactose-intolerant.


How should I take dasatinib?


Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.


This medicine is usually taken once per day in the morning or evening. Follow your doctor's instructions. You may take the medication with or without food.


Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.


Do not crush, chew, or break a dasatinib tablet. Swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. Do not use a pill that has been accidentally broken. The medicine from a crushed or broken pill can be dangerous if it gets in your eyes, mouth, or nose, or on your skin. If this occurs, wash your skin with soap and water or rinse your eyes with water. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to safely handle and dispose of a broken tablet.

Dasatinib can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests. Visit your doctor regularly.


Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

See also: Sprycel dosage (in more detail)

What happens if I miss a dose?


Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.


What happens if I overdose?


Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include some of the serious side effects listed in this medication guide.


What should I avoid while taking dasatinib?


Avoid taking an antacid within 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take dasatinib. Use only the type of antacid your doctor recommends. Some antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb dasatinib.

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.


Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with dasatinib and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.


Dasatinib side effects


Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop taking dasatinib and call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), such as:

  • feeling tired or short of breath (even with mild exertion);




  • swelling in your feet or lower legs;




  • rapid weight gain;




  • blue-colored lips and skin; and




  • feeling light-headed or fainting.




Stop using dasatinib and call your doctor at once if you have any of these other serious side effects:

  • pale skin, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating;




  • easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;




  • fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat;




  • black, bloody, or tarry stools;




  • coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds; or




  • chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling.



Less serious side effects may include:



  • headache;




  • tired feeling;




  • nausea, diarrhea; or




  • mild skin rash.



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 dasatinib?


Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:



  • alfentanil (Alfenta), fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Fentora, Duragesic, Ionsys, Lazanda, Onsolis);




  • bosentan (Tracleer);




  • conivaptan (Vaprisol);




  • cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);




  • dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dexasone, Solurex, DexPak);




  • ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, Migergot);




  • imatinib (Gleevec);




  • isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);




  • pimozide (Orap);




  • rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), or rifapentine (Priftin);




  • St. John's wort;




  • an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), or telithromycin (Ketek);




  • an antidepressant such as nefazodone;




  • antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), miconazole (Oravig), or voriconazole (Vfend);




  • phenobarbital (Solfoton) and other barbiturates;




  • aspirin, or a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);




  • heart or blood pressure medication such as nicardipine (Cardene) or quinidine (Quin-G);




  • HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Kaletra, Norvir);




  • medicines to treat narcolepsy, such as armodafanil (Nuvigil) or modafanil (Progivil);




  • medication used to prevent blood clots, such as bivalirudin (Angiomax), clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), dipyridamole (Persantine, Aggrenox), enoxaparin (Lovenox), fondaparinux (Arixtra), lepirudin (Refludan), ticlopidine (Ticlid);




  • medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf);




  • seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenytoin (Dilantin), or primidone (Mysoline); or




  • stomach acid reducers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), esomeprazole (Nexium), famotidine (Pepcid), lansoprazole (Prevacid), nizatidine (Axid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), or ranitidine (Zantac).




This list is not complete and there are many other drugs that can interact with dasatinib. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

More Sprycel resources


  • Sprycel Side Effects (in more detail)
  • Sprycel Dosage
  • Sprycel Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
  • Drug Images
  • Sprycel Drug Interactions
  • Sprycel Support Group
  • 4 Reviews for Sprycel - Add your own review/rating


  • Sprycel Prescribing Information (FDA)

  • Sprycel Monograph (AHFS DI)

  • Sprycel Advanced Consumer (Micromedex) - Includes Dosage Information

  • Sprycel Consumer Overview

  • Sprycel MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)

  • Dasatinib Professional Patient Advice (Wolters Kluwer)



Compare Sprycel with other medications


  • Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
  • Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
  • Leukemia


Where can I get more information?


  • Your pharmacist can provide more information about dasatinib.

See also: Sprycel side effects (in more detail)


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