All About Verzenio

What are Verzenio’s side effects?

Like most drugs, Verzenio may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Verzenio may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Medication side effects depend on many things, such as:

• your genetics, age, and overall health
• any other drugs you may be taking
• how well your liver and kidneys are working

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Verzenio. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a short list of some of the mild side effects that Verzenio can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Verzenio’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Verzenio can include:

• mild allergic reaction
• diarrhea*
• tiredness
• nausea or vomiting
• dehydration (low level of fluid in your body)
• headache
• hair loss
• mouth sores
• abdominal pain
• infection, such as the common cold
• appetite loss
• unusual taste in your mouth
• dizziness

For most people, mild side effects go away after a few days of using Verzenio. Talk with your doctor if your side effects continue or are concerning to you.

* For more information about diarrhea, see the “Side effect focus” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Verzenio can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Verzenio, call your doctor right away. However, if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects* can include:

• severe allergic reaction
• liver problems
• blood clots
• low white blood cell level
• interstitial lung disease
• severe diarrhea and dehydration

* For more information about these serious side effects, see the “Side effect focus” section below.

Side effect focus

Below, you can learn more about some of the side effects Verzenio may cause. In addition to the information, you can also refer to this article about Verzenio’s side effects.

Diarrhea

One of the most common side effects of Verzenio is diarrhea. In many cases, it goes away in a few days to weeks.

For some people, diarrhea can be serious. And it may even lead to dehydration. (With dehydration, you have a low level of fluid in your body.)

Some of the medications that are used together with Verzenio (such as fulvestrant) may also cause diarrhea.

It’s important to tell your doctor if your diarrhea lasts for a long time or is severe.

What might help

While you’re taking Verzenio, be sure to stay hydrated to help prevent dehydration. This is especially important if you also have nausea or vomiting with treatment. One way to help stay hydrated is to drink lots of fluids.

If you have trouble with diarrhea from Verzenio, your doctor:

• may suggest that you take an anti-diarrheal medication
• may adjust your Verzenio treatment plan
• will carefully monitor you to make sure your condition doesn’t get worse

Blood clots

Blood clots aren’t a common side effect of Verzenio. But they did occur in some people taking Verzenio during studies. In the studies, blood clots occurred in people’s legs, lungs, heart, and brain. In rare cases, some of the blood clots were fatal.

Blood clots are clusters of blood cells that can form in your blood vessels. Clots can travel inside your blood vessels, leading to dangerous conditions such as stroke and heart attack.

Some symptoms of blood clots include:

• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• pain or swelling in your arms or legs

Keep in mind that your risk of blood clots may change based on other medications you’re taking with Verzenio. If you have concerns about your risk of blood clots, talk with your doctor.

What might help

While you’re taking Verzenio, your doctor will carefully monitor you for blood clots. If you develop a blood clot, it’s important that you get treatment right away.

Ask your doctor about your risk of blood clots with Verzenio treatment. And be sure to let your doctor know if you’ve had blood clots in the past. If you have any symptoms of a blood clot, call your doctor right away. But seek immediate medical attention if your symptoms feel severe or life threatening.

Liver problems

Some people taking Verzenio have had problems with their liver. This isn’t a common side effect of Verzenio, but it can be a serious one.

Some symptoms of liver problems may include:

• dark-colored urine
• yellowing of the whites of your eyes or your skin
• tiredness
• low appetite
• nausea or vomiting
• pain in the upper right side of your abdomen
• easily bruising or bleeding

What might help

Before you start taking Verzenio, your doctor will order blood tests to check your liver function. And they’ll order these tests while you’re taking the drug to keep monitoring the health of your liver.

If you’re taking other drugs with Verzenio, those drugs may also affect how well your liver works.

So, it’s important to talk with your doctor about all the medications, supplements, and over-the-counter products you’re taking. And be sure to call your doctor if you have any symptoms of liver problems while you’re taking Verzenio.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Verzenio.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

• skin rash
• itchiness
• flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

Some people may have a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis with Verzenio. This reaction can be life threatening, so it’s important to recognize its symptoms and get help right away if needed.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include:

• swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
• swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Verzenio. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Verzenio cost and coupons

Costs of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and where you pick up your medication.

Coupons and manufacturer savings

Here are a few things to consider regarding cost:

Cost information and savings coupons: You can visit Optum Perks to get price estimates of what you’d pay for Verzenio when using coupons from the site. See the coupon options below. (Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.)

Savings program: If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A program called Verzenio Continuous Care may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions. For more information about Verzenio and cost, see this article.

Discover more about Verzenio

Verzenio Cost

Verzenio Interactions

Verzenio Dosage

Verzenio Side Effects

What is Verzenio used for?

If you have breast cancer, your doctor may prescribe Verzenio for you. Verzenio is a prescription drug that’s used to treat early breast cancer and advanced or metastatic breast cancer in some situations.

Early breast cancer means the cancer has not spread outside of the breast. Advanced or metastatic breast cancer has spread from your breast to other parts of your body.

Verzenio treats breast cancer that’s hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive) and HER2-negative. Having HR-positive breast cancer means that hormones encourage the cancer to grow. And having HER2-negative breast cancer means the cancer cells don’t have certain proteins on them.

Verzenio can be prescribed:

• as an add-on treatment, together with hormone therapy in adults with early breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and has a high risk of coming back after treatment
• by itself in adults with advanced or metastatic breast cancer after past hormone treatment and chemotherapy didn’t work and the cancer has become more advanced
• together with a kind of drug called an aromatase inhibitor (a hormone blocker) in adults with advanced or metastatic breast cancer who haven’t used a hormone treatment for the cancer in the past
• together with a drug called fulvestrant (Faslodex) in adults who have used hormone treatment in the past but it didn’t work and the cancer has become more advanced

Verzenio works by helping to prevent cancer cells from making more cancer cells. By doing this, Verzenio helps people with cancer to live longer and have a better quality of life.

What are some frequently asked questions about Verzenio?

You may have questions about Verzenio and how it works compared with other medications. You may also wonder how well Verzenio treats breast cancer. Below, we’ll take a look at some of these questions in more detail.

How does Verzenio compare with Ibrance?

Verzenio and Ibrance belong to the same group of drugs called kinase inhibitors. And they work in similar ways to stop cancer cells from growing.

Verzenio and Ibrance have a lot in common. But they also have some differences, including how they’re used. Here’s an overview of some of the key differences between Verzenio and Ibrance:

• Verzenio is approved to treat advanced or metastatic breast cancer and early breast cancer, and Ibrance is only used for advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
• They contain different active ingredients.
• Verzenio comes as a tablet, and Ibrance comes as a tablet and a capsule.
• They come in different strengths.
• They have some different side effects.
• Verzenio can be prescribed by itself in certain situations, but Ibrance is used together with other drugs.
• Verzenio is taken twice per day for as long as it’s prescribed, but Ibrance is taken on cycles of 21 days on, followed by 7 days off for as long as it’s prescribed.

In one study, Verzenio was shown to be helpful when used by itself after other therapies didn’t work. (These other therapies include hormone treatment and chemotherapy.) Ibrance, on the other hand, isn’t used alone when hormone treatments and chemotherapy haven’t worked. Instead, it’s always used with certain other drugs.

Compared with Ibrance, Verzenio causes more gastrointestinal side effects. These include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. It can also cause more fatigue (lack of energy). One common side effect of both Ibrance and Verzenio is neutropenia (low level of certain white blood cells). And this condition can increase your risk of serious infections.

If you’d like, your doctor or pharmacist can give you more information on how Ibrance and Verzenio compare with each other.

How does Verzenio affect the life expectancy of someone with breast cancer?

It’s important to know that cancer can affect each person differently. And our bodies can respond differently to various treatments. How your body responds to treatment can depend on things such as:

• your genetic makeup
• your overall health and any medical conditions you have
• your age
• any medications you may be taking

Survival rate, which is also sometimes called life expectancy, is an estimate of how long someone may live. For people with certain cancers, this estimate is based on everyone who has that kind of cancer. But the estimate doesn’t take into account everyone’s individual factors.

Over the past few years, several new medications, including Verzenio, have shown promise for metastatic breast cancer. They’re improving both survival rates and quality of life in people with this kind of cancer.

Studies have shown that Verzenio increases people’s life expectancy. And the drug slows cancer from spreading in the body when it’s used either alone or together with other medications.

If you’d like to know more about possible outcomes with Verzenio treatment, talk with your doctor.

What’s the effectiveness of Verzenio?

In studies, Verzenio was effective for treating certain kinds of breast cancer. (For more information about this kind of cancer, see the “What is Verzenio used for?” section below.)

The studies showed that Verzenio was effective when it was used:

• alone, after hormone treatment and chemotherapy didn’t work
• together with hormone treatment
• together with a drug called fulvestrant (Faslodex)

In these studies, Verzenio extended the length of time that people’s cancer didn’t spread or worsen. And more people using Verzenio didn’t have their cancer spread or worsen compared with people not using Verzenio.

If you’d like to learn more about how effective Verzenio is, talk with your doctor.

Is it safe to drink coffee while taking Verzenio?

Yes, in most cases it’s safe to drink coffee during Verzenio treatment. Verzenio and coffee aren’t known to interact with each other.

But diarrhea was a common side effect in studies of Verzenio. For some people, coffee may cause or worsen episodes of diarrhea. If you have this side effect after drinking coffee during Verzenio treatment, talk with your doctor. They may recommend that you consume less (or no) coffee to help ease your symptoms.

For more information about Verzenio and coffee, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also read this article to learn more about Verzenio and interactions.

What is Verzenio’s dosage?

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Verzenio that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but the dosage you take will be determined by your doctor.

Form and strengths

Verzenio comes as tablets that you’ll swallow. It’s available in the following strengths:

• 50 milligrams (mg)
• 100 mg
• 150 mg
• 200 mg

Recommended dosage

Verzenio is taken twice per day. You’ll take the medication around the same times every day.

Your doctor may prescribe Verzenio by itself or together with other medications for your condition.

If you’re taking Verzenio by itself, the usual recommended dosage is 200 mg twice per day. If you’re taking Verzenio with other medications, the usual recommended dosage is 150 mg twice per day.

Your exact dosage also depends on your overall health, any other medications you take, and other conditions you may have. Your doctor will recommend the Verzenio dosage that’s right for you.

If needed, your doctor may adjust your dosage of Verzenio. For example, your dosage may be changed based on your age or how well your liver and kidneys are working.

To learn more about Verzenio’s dosage, see this article.

Questions about Verzenio’s dosing

Below are some common questions about Verzenio’s dosing:

• What if I miss a dose of Verzenio? If you miss a dose of Verzenio, do not double your next dose. Instead, just take the next dose as usual at the scheduled time. And consider using a reminder app or timer to help you remember to take your medication as prescribed.
• Will I need to use Verzenio long term? Your doctor will recommend how long you’ll need to take Verzenio. And it’ll depend on how your body responds to the medication treatment. As long as your body is responding well to the medication, your doctor may have you keep taking it long term. For early breast cancer, you may be treated with Verzenio for up to 2 years or until your condition progresses, whichever comes first.
• How long does Verzenio take to work? Verzenio starts working soon after you take a dose. Your doctor will monitor how you are doing, and they’ll make sure the drug is working for your condition. Talk with your doctor about how your condition will be monitored during Verzenio treatment. They’ll help you understand what to expect with this drug.

How is Verzenio taken?

Your doctor will explain how you should take Verzenio. They’ll also explain how much to take and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Taking Verzenio

Verzenio comes as tablets that you’ll swallow.

You can take Verzenio with or without food. But you should not take Verzenio with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Doing so can change how Verzenio works in your body. If you have questions, ask your pharmacist for more information about taking Verzenio with food.

Taking Verzenio with other medications

In certain situations, your doctor may have you take Verzenio with other medications. These other medications include:

• fulvestrant (Faslodex)
• letrozole (Femara)

Questions about taking Verzenio

Here are some answers to common questions about taking Verzenio.

• Can Verzenio be chewed, crushed, or split? No, you should not crush, split, or chew Verzenio tablets. There isn’t any information available to know whether doing so changes how the medication works. If you have trouble swallowing Verzenio tablets, talk with your doctor about your treatment options.
• Should I take Verzenio with food? Verzenio can be taken with or without food. Keep in mind that the drug can cause side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. So, you can see if it works better for you to take it with food or on an empty stomach. And be sure to talk with your doctor if you have any serious side effects, including abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

You may have questions about taking Verzenio and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all of your concerns with your doctor.

Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:

• Before your appointment, write down questions like:
  • How will Verzenio affect my body, mood, or lifestyle?
• Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable.
• If you don’t understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you.

Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are here to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.

What should be considered before taking Verzenio?

Some important points to discuss with your doctor when considering Verzenio treatment include:

• your overall health
• any medical conditions you may have

See the sections below to learn about these and other things to consider before starting this drug.

Interactions

Taking medications, vaccines, foods, and other things with a certain drug can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions. Verzenio can interact with some medications, foods, and supplements.

Before taking Verzenio, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take (including prescription and over-the-counter types). Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these products may cause with Verzenio.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

Many medications, including Verzenio, are broken down in your liver by an enzyme (type of protein) called CYP3A. This is how the medications get cleared from your body.

Some medications affect how CYP3A works. For instance:

• CYP3A inhibitors slow the removal of Verzenio from your body. And this can increase your side effects from Verzenio.
• CYP3A inducers speed up the removal of Verzenio from your body. And this can make Verzenio less effective for you.

Examples of medications that are CYP3A inhibitors include:

• the antibiotic clarithromycin
• the antifungal ketoconazole

Examples of medications that are CYP3A inducers include:

• the antibiotic rifampin (Rimactane)
• the HIV drug efavirenz
• the narcolepsy drug modafinil (Provigil)

These lists don’t contain all types of drugs that may interact with Verzenio. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about these interactions and any others that may occur with the use of Verzenio.

Other interactions

You should not drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit with Verzenio. Doing so can increase the effect of Verzenio in your body. And this may lead to increased side effects of the drug.

Other warnings

Verzenio may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Verzenio. Factors to consider include those in the list below.

Liver or kidney problems: If you have severe liver or kidney problems, your doctor may adjust your dosage of Verzenio. Before you start taking Verzenio, your doctor will order blood work to check the health of your liver and kidneys. And they’ll order these tests during your treatment to make sure your liver and kidneys are working well.

Infection: If you have an infection, your doctor may wait to have you start Verzenio until the infection is treated. This will help you to avoid having complications of the infection.

Blood disorders: Verzenio can lower your blood cell levels. If your blood cell levels are already low, your doctor may have you wait to start Verzenio. This is because it can be dangerous to take the drug while your blood cell levels are low.

Increased risk of blood clots: Verzenio can cause blood clots, which can be life threatening. Verzenio has not been studied in people who have early breast cancer and a history of blood clots. If you have an increased risk of blood clots, such as if you’ve had one in the past, let your doctor know. They’ll determine whether Verzenio treatment is safe for you.

Problems with your immune system: Verzenio may lower the activity of your immune system. And this increases your risk of getting infections. Before you start Verzenio, your doctor will order tests to see how well your immune system is working. And they’ll continue to check on your immune system during your treatment with Verzenio.

Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Verzenio or any of its ingredients, you should not take Verzenio. Ask your doctor what other medications are better options.

Verzenio with alcohol

There aren’t any known interactions between Verzenio and alcohol. But alcohol and Verzenio can both affect your liver. If you drink alcohol, be sure to ask your doctor whether it’s safe to drink it while you’re taking Verzenio.

Also, keep in mind that alcohol may increase some side effects with Verzenio, such as:

• dizziness
• dehydration (low level of fluid in your body)
• nausea
• tiredness

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

You should not take Verzenio if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. You should also avoid taking this drug if you’re breastfeeding. There isn’t any information available on taking Verzenio during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

If you have questions about the risks and benefits of using Verzenio during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, talk with your doctor.

What should be done in case of overdose?

Do not take more Verzenio than your doctor prescribes. Using more than this can lead to serious side effects.

What to do in case you take too much Verzenio

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Verzenio. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers, or use its online resource. However, if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 (or your local emergency number) or go to the nearest emergency room.

Ask your doctor

Verzenio is used to treat breast cancer, including metastatic breast cancer in some people. This drug can be used alone or together with other medications.

There are many other treatment options for metastatic breast cancer that you can also consider. Check out this article to learn about other treatment options you may want to discuss with your doctor.

Also, talk with your doctor about complementary therapies that may support your well-being while you’re taking Verzenio. Complementary therapies include acupuncture, yoga, massage, and diet and exercise programs.

Before starting Verzenio, ask your doctor any questions you have about the treatment and how it will work for you. Here are a few questions to get you started:

• What should I know about how Verzenio will affect my body?
• Can I take vitamins with Verzenio?
• Will Verzenio make me too tired to work?
• How long will it take my body to get used to Verzenio?

To learn more about Verzenio, see these articles:

• Side Effects of Verzenio: What You Need to Know
• Verzenio and Cost: What You Need to Know
• Dosage Details for Verzenio
• Verzenio Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.