What is the most important information I should know about dasatinib?
Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
What is dasatinib?
Dasatinib is a cancer medicine that slows the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
Dasatinib is used in adults and children to treat a type of blood cancer called Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
Dasatinib is also used to treat Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults.
Dasatinib may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking dasatinib?
Some people using dasatinib have developed a rare but serious condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH occurs when blood pressure increases inside the arteries in your lungs. This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood through the lungs, which also weakens muscles in the heart. PAH may be irreversible if not promptly treated, and this condition can be fatal. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk of developing PAH.
To make sure dasatinib is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- a weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicines);
- stomach or intestinal bleeding;
- liver disease;
- heart disease;
- low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood;
- long QT syndrome (in you or a family member);
- lung disease; or
- lactose intolerance.
Dasatinib may harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine, and for at least 30 days after your last dose. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
This medicine may affect fertility (ability to have children) in both men and women. However, it is important to use birth control to prevent pregnancy because dasatinib may harm the baby if a pregnancy does occur.
It is not known whether dasatinib passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while taking dasatinib and for at least 2 weeks after your last dose.
How should I take dasatinib?
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
You may take the medicine with or without food. Take the medicine at the same time each day.
Do not crush, chew, or break a dasatinib tablet. Swallow it whole.
Do not use a pill that has been accidentally broken. The medicine from a crushed or broken pill can be dangerous if it gets in your eyes, mouth, or nose, or on your skin. If this occurs, wash your skin with soap and water or rinse your eyes with water. Wear rubber gloves while handling a broken tablet or capsule. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to safely dispose of the broken pill. A pregnant woman should not handle a broken pill.
Dasatinib 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 cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests.
Do not change your dose or stop using dasatinib without your doctor's advice.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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 taking dasatinib?
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with dasatinib and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products while taking dasatinib.
Avoid taking an antacid within 2 hours before or after you take dasatinib. Some antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb dasatinib.
Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
This medicine can pass into body fluids (urine, feces, vomit). 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.
What are the possible side effects of dasatinib?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).
Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), such as:
- chest pain, feeling tired or short of breath (even with mild exertion);
- swelling in your feet, lower legs, or midsection;
- blue-colored lips and skin; and
- a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out.
Also call your doctor at once if you have:
- severe ongoing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
- severe headaches, extreme tiredness, muscle or joint pain;
- pain when you breathe, shortness of breath (especially when lying down);
- swelling, rapid weight gain;
- chest pain, pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
- easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
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other signs of bleeding --blood in your urine, bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, confusion, headache, problems with speech;
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low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, flu-like symptoms, mouth sores, skin sores, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed; or
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signs of tumor cell breakdown --muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, weakness, swelling, feeling short of breath, or seizure.
Dasatinib may affect growth in children. Tell your doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medicine.
Common side effects may include:
- nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain;
- headache, muscle pain, pain in your hands or feet;
- breathing problems;
- skin rash; or
- feeling tired.
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 dasatinib?
Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.
Dasatinib may increase your risk of severe or fatal bleeding, especially if you also use a blood thinner or any medication to prevent blood clots.
Many drugs can interact with dasatinib, and some drugs should not be used together. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about dasatinib.
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: 15.01. Revision date: 1/10/2018.
