Floxuridine
(flox yoor' i deen)
WHY is this medicine prescribed?
Your doctor has ordered the drug floxuridine to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a catheter that is placed in an artery.
This medication is used to treat:
- adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Floxuridine is in a class of drugs known as pyrimidine analogs. The drug is changed in your body to resemble a substance cancer cells need in order to grow. Cancer cells take up floxuridine, which then slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
Are there OTHER USES for this medicine?
Floxuridine is also used to treat head, neck, brain, liver, gallbladder, and bile duct cancer. Floxuridine has been given by injection into a vein to treat solid tumors, acute leukemia in children, and cytomegalic inclusion disease in children with acute leukemia. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?
Before taking floxuridine,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to floxuridine or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin, any other cancer chemotherapeutic agents, and vitamins.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease.
- you should know that floxuridine may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle (period) in women and may stop sperm production in men. However, you should not assume that you cannot get pregnant or that you cannot get someone else pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Floxuridine may harm the fetus.
- do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
Side effects from floxuridine are common and include:
- loss of appetite
- thinned or brittle hair
- drying or darkening of the skin or nails (sunlight may increase this darkening)
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach cramping or pain
- diarrhea
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
- mouth blistering
- fatigue or weakness
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- fever
- chills
- cough
- sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- severe vomiting
- rash, blistering of the skin, or acne
- change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at Web Site] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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