What is the most important information I should know about azacitidine?
You should not receive this medicine if you have advanced liver cancer.
What is azacitidine?
Azacitidine is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
Azacitidine is used to treat certain types of bone marrow cancers and blood cell disorders.
Azacitidine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving azacitidine?
You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to azacitidine or mannitol, or if you have:
To make sure azacitidine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- kidney disease; or
- liver disease.
Azacitidine can harm an unborn baby. Both men and women using this medicine should use birth control to prevent pregnancy. The use of this medicine by either parent may cause birth defects.
If you are a woman, keep using birth control for at least 6 months after your last dose of azacitidine. If you are a man, keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your last dose. Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using this medicine.
It is not known whether azacitidine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not breast-feed while using azacitidine and for at least 1 week after your last dose.
How is azacitidine given?
Azacitidine is injected under the skin, or as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.
This medicine is usually given for 7 days in a row every 4 weeks for at least 4 treatment cycles. Your treatment schedule may be different. Follow your doctor's instructions.
You may also be given medications to reduce nausea and vomiting.
If azacitidine accidentally gets on your skin, wash the area thoroughly with soap and warm water.
Azacitidine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your kidney function may also need to be tested. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your azacitidine injection.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while using azacitidine?
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using azacitidine, or you could develop a serious infection. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.
This medicine can pass into body fluids (urine, feces, vomit). For at least 48 hours after you receive a dose, avoid allowing your body fluids to come into contact with your hands or other surfaces. Caregivers should wear rubber gloves while cleaning up a patient's body fluids, handling contaminated trash or laundry or changing diapers. Wash hands before and after removing gloves. Wash soiled clothing and linens separately from other laundry.
Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
What are the possible side effects of azacitidine?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- severe ongoing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
- redness, swelling, warmth, oozing, or other signs of skin infection;
- stabbing chest pain, wheezing, cough with yellow or green mucus, feeling short of breath;
-
low blood cell counts --fever, chills, flu-like symptoms, swollen gums, mouth sores, skin sores, rapid heart rate, pale skin, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, feeling light-headed;
-
kidney problems --lower back pain, blood in your urine, little or no urinating, swelling in your feet or ankles;
-
liver problems --upper stomach pain, itching, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
-
low potassium --leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, extreme thirst, increased urination, muscle weakness or limp feeling; or
-
signs of tumor cell breakdown --confusion, tiredness, numbness or tingling, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, fast or slow heart rate, seizure.
Common side effects may include:
- fever, chills, bruising, or other signs of low blood cell counts;
- low potassium;
- nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea;
- weakness; or
- redness or other irritation where the injection was given.
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 azacitidine?
Other drugs may interact with azacitidine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about azacitidine.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 8.01. Revision date: 1/18/2018.
