What is the most important information I should know about capecitabine?
Capecitabine should only be prescribed by a qualified healthcare provider experienced in the
use of cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Talk to your doctor if you are taking the
blood thinner warfarin (
Coumadin). In some cases,
severe bleeding and death have resulted when these medications were taken together, or when
treatment with warfarin (Coumadin) was started in the month following treatment with capecitabine. If
treatment with both medications is determined by your doctor to be necessary, special monitoring will
be required.
If the dose of capecitabine prescribed for you requires a combination of different strength
tablets, it is very important that you correctly identify the tablets to ensure the correct dose. Contact
your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions regarding a dose.
Stop taking capecitabine and notify your doctor immediately if you experience any of the
following side effects: more than 4 bowel movements per day or
diarrhea at night; vomiting more than
once in a 24-hour period; the amount of food you eat each day is much less than usual or if you are
only able to eat at certain times; pain, redness, swelling, or sores in or around the mouth; tingling,
numbness, pain, swelling, or redness of the hands and/or feet (hand-and-foot syndrome); or fever
(temperature greater than 100.5 degrees) or other evidence of infection.
What is capecitabine?
Capecitabine is a cancer (chemotherapeutic) medication. Capecitabine interferes with the
growth of cancer cells and slows their growth and spread in the body.
Capecitabine is used in the treatment of some types of breast and colorectal cancers.
Capecitabine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking capecitabine?
Do not take capecitabine without first talking to your doctor if you are allergic to
fluorouracil (
Adrucil).
Before taking capecitabine, tell your doctor if you
You may not be able to take capecitabine, or you may require a dosage
adjustment or special monitoring during therapy if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Do not take this medication if you are pregnant or could become
pregnant during treatment. Capecitabine is in the FDA pregnancy category D. This means that it is
known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Contraceptive measures are recommended for both
men and women during treatment with capecitabine.
It is not known whether capecitabine will harm a nursing infant. Do not take capecitabine
without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding.
The safety and effectiveness of capecitabine in patients younger than 18 years of age have
not been established.
If you are over the age of 80, you may be more likely to experience side effects from
capecitabine.
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