Azacitidine Sandoz
Azacitidine Sandoz is a cancer medicine that helps stop cancer cells from growing and can improve how your body makes blood cells.
Form
injektiokuiva-aine, suspensiota varten
Strength
25 mg/ml
Active Ingredient
Azacitidine
Manufacturer
Sandoz A/S
How to Use
Dosage
The recommended dose is 75 mg per square meter of your body's surface area. Your doctor will decide your exact dose based on your health, height, and weight.
Method
This medicine is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) into your thigh, stomach, or upper arm by a doctor or nurse. You will receive it daily for one week, followed by a three-week break. This cycle is repeated every four weeks, and you will usually have at least six cycles.
Important
Your doctor will determine your maximum daily dose based on your individual needs, which is typically 75 mg per square meter of body surface area.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Feeling tired and looking pale due to low red blood cells (anemia).
- •Low white blood cells, which can cause fever and make you more prone to infections.
- •Low platelets, which make you bruise and bleed more easily.
- •Constipation, diarrhea, feeling sick (nausea), throwing up (vomiting), or loss of appetite.
- •Lung infection (pneumonia).
- •Chest pain or trouble breathing.
- •Feeling very tired or lacking energy (fatigue, lethargy).
- •Reactions at the injection spot, like redness, pain, swelling, hardening, bruising, bleeding under the skin, rash, itching, or skin color changes.
- •Pain in your joints or muscles.
- •Rash, bruising, red or purple spots under the skin, itching, or reddening of the skin.
- •Stomach pain.
- •Fever.
- •Headache, dizziness, trouble sleeping, nose and throat pain, nosebleed, or infection in the nose or throat.
- •General feeling of unwellness (malaise), anxiety, or confusion.
- •Weight loss.
- •Low potassium levels in the blood.
- •Bleeding inside the head.
- •Blood infection caused by bacteria (sepsis), often due to low white blood cells.
- •Bone marrow failure or a type of anemia where your body produces fewer red, white, and platelet cells.
- •Urinary tract infection.
- •Cold sores (herpes virus infection).
- •Bleeding from gums, stomach, intestines, hemorrhoids, eyes, or blood in your urine.
- •Sores in your mouth or on your tongue.
- •Skin infection (cellulitis).
- •Nasal pain, runny nose, or sinus pain.
- •High or low blood pressure.
- •Shortness of breath when you move around.
- •Pain in your throat and voice box.
- •Indigestion.
- •Dehydration.
- •White coating on your tongue, inside of cheeks, gums, or tonsils (oral thrush).
- •Fainting or feeling dizzy when standing up quickly (orthostatic hypotension).
- •Sleepiness or drowsiness.
- •Bleeding from a catheter.
- •Bowel inflammation that can cause fever, throwing up, and stomach pain (diverticulitis).
- •Fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion).
- •Chills.
- •Muscle spasms.
- •Itchy raised rash on the skin (hives).
- •Fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion).
RARE
- •Allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction.
- •Shaking (tremor).
- •Liver failure.
- •Large, painful, dark purple patches on the skin that are raised and come with fever.
- •Painful skin sores (pyoderma gangrenosum).
- •Inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis).
- •Dry cough.
- •Painless swelling at the fingertips (clubbing).
- •Tumor lysis syndrome: severe metabolic changes that can happen when cancer cells die quickly, potentially affecting kidneys and heart.
- •Necrotizing fasciitis: a serious, fast-spreading infection of deep skin tissues that can be life-threatening.
- •Severe immune reaction (differentiation syndrome) that can cause fever, cough, trouble breathing, itching, less urine, low blood pressure, swollen arms or legs, and rapid weight gain.
- •Inflammation of blood vessels in the skin (cutaneous vasculitis) that can lead to a rash.
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to azacitidine or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you have advanced liver cancer.
- Do not breastfeed while using this medicine.
- Tell your doctor if you have low levels of blood cells (platelets, red or white blood cells) before or during treatment.
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney, liver, heart, or lung disease.
Show 7 more warnings
- This medicine can cause a severe immune reaction called differentiation syndrome, which needs immediate medical attention.
- You will need blood tests before and during treatment to check your blood cells, liver, and kidney function.
- This medicine is not recommended for children and teenagers under 18 years old.
- Tell your doctor about all other medicines you are taking or have recently taken, as they might interact with Azacitidine Sandoz.
- Do not use if pregnant, as it can harm the baby. Women must use effective birth control during treatment and for 6 months after. Men must use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 months after and should discuss sperm storage with their doctor.
- Do not drive or operate machines if you feel tired or experience other side effects that affect your ability to do so safely.
- Seek medical help immediately if you experience drowsiness, yellow skin, stomach swelling, easy bruising, leg swelling, back pain, less urination, increased thirst, fast pulse, dizziness, feeling sick, throwing up, poor appetite, confusion, restlessness, tiredness, fever, chest pain, trouble breathing, bleeding (e.g., in stool or head), swollen lips, itching, or rash. These could be signs of serious conditions like liver or kidney failure, severe infection, or allergic reaction.