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The information provided here is meant to give you a general idea about each of the medications listed below. Only the most general side effects are included, so ask your doctor if you need to take any special precautions. Use each of these medications as recommended by your doctor, or according to the instructions provided. If you have further questions about usage or side effects, contact your doctor.
Medications may help to either prevent or reduce side effects of treatment, or to manage certain side effects once they occur. Since you can develop these symptoms from the treatment and/or from the cancer itself, it is essential that you discuss them with your doctor when you notice them, and ask him or her if any of these medications are appropriate for you.
Anti-nauseants, also called anti-emetics, are given to help treat nausea and vomiting, which may be caused by chemotherapy , radiation therapy , surgery , or other aspects of cancer and its treatment.
Anti-nauseants given by prescription include the following:
Common side effects for dexamethasone include:
Common side effects for dolasetron include:
Common side effects for dronabinol include:
Common side effects for granisetron include:
Common side effects for lorazepam include:
Prochlorperazine can be taken by mouth, injection, or a suppository. Ondansetron and granisetron can be taken orally or as injections. Metoclopramide is usually given by injection.
Common side effects for prochlorperazine include:
Common side effects for metoclopramide include:
Common side effects for ondansetron include:
To help manage pain, your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). You may also be prescribed corticosteroids or opioid analgesics.
NSAIDs are used to relieve pain and inflammation. You may experience pain and inflammation for a variety of reasons, such as:
NSAIDs include the following:
Common side effects of NSAIDs include:
Like NSAIDS, corticosteroids help to minimize inflammation and to relieve pain due to inflammation.
Corticosteroids include the following:
Common side effects of corticosteroids include:
Opioid analgesics act on the central nervous system to relieve pain. These drugs can be very effective; however, they must be used with care because of the side effects. Addiction is rare in patients who use these medications appropriately for pain control. If you are going to take one of these drugs for a long period of time, your doctor will closely monitor you.
Opioid analgesics include the following:
Acetaminophen is often combined with an opioid analgesic to provide better pain relief than either medicine used alone. And in some cases, lower doses of each medicine are necessary to achieve pain relief. Examples of such drugs include the following:
The most common side effects of opioid analgesics include:
During cancer treatment, blood cells can be destroyed along with cancer cells. Medications given to treat this problem are called blood stem cell support drugs and include the following:
Filgrastim helps your bone marrow make new white blood cells, which help your body fight infection. Therefore, filgrastim helps to reduce your risk of infection.
Epoetin helps your bone marrow to make new red blood cells. Low red blood cell levels can lead to anemia ; therefore, epoetin helps reduce your risk for this condition. The medication is quite effective, but it has a two-week delay between the injection and when your red blood cell count really starts to come back. It is not used as a “quick fix” for a low red blood cell count; a blood transfusion is usually performed if you need to recover your red blood cell count more quickly.
Oprelvekin is a platelet growth factor. Platelets help your blood clot, so very low counts can lead to serious bleeding. If your platelet counts fall (usually below 10,000), you may be given transfusions.
Blood stem cell support drugs are given by injection in your doctor's office.
Common side effects for darbepoetin alpha include:
Common side effects for filgrastim include:
Common side effects forepoetin include:
Common side effects for pegfilgrastim include:
References:
Cecil RL, Goldman L, Bennett JC. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co; 2002: 738-741.
Conn HF, Rakel RE. Conn’s Current Therapy. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co; 2002: 527-529.
Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS, Scharschmidt B. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co; 1998: 733-749.
*6/25/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.dynamicmedical.com/what.php : Thomas J, Karver S, Cooney GA, et al. Methylnaltrexone for opioid-induced constipation in advanced illness. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:2332-2343.
Last reviewed April 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
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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