Fludara
Fludara is a medicine that stops cancer cells, especially in a type of blood cancer called B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, from growing and dividing.
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
10 mg
Active Ingredient
Fludarabine fosfate
Manufacturer
Sanofi B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will calculate your exact daily dose, which is usually 3-10 tablets (40 mg/m²).
Method
Swallow tablets whole with water. Do not crush or chew. Take once daily for 5 days, repeating every 28 days for up to 6 cycles, with or without food.
Important
Never take more tablets than your doctor has prescribed, as high doses can be very harmful.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Infections (some serious)
- •Lung infection (pneumonia) with cough, fever, or trouble breathing
- •Easy bruising or bleeding due to low platelets
- •Low white blood cells (neutropenia)
- •Low red blood cells (anemia)
- •Cough
- •Vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea
- •Fever
- •Feeling tired
- •Weakness
- •Severe loss of appetite and weight loss
- •Numbness or weakness in arms or legs
- •Vision problems
- •Mouth sores
- •Skin rash
- •Swelling (edema)
- •Inflammation of the digestive tract lining
- •Chills
- •General feeling of being unwell
RARE
- •Confusion
- •Lung problems including scarring and inflammation, making it hard to breathe
- •Stomach or intestinal bleeding
- •Coma
- •Seizures
- •Restlessness
- •Blindness or severe vision loss
- •Inflammation or damage to the optic nerve (affects vision)
- •Heart failure
- •Irregular heartbeat
- •Skin cancer
- •Bleeding in the brain
- •Muscle weakness or paralysis in arms and legs
- •Bleeding in the lungs
- •Bladder inflammation with pain and blood when urinating
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you are allergic to fludarabine phosphate or any other ingredients.
- Do not take if you are breastfeeding.
- Do not take if you have severe kidney disease.
- Do not take if you have a certain type of anemia causing low red blood cells (decompensated hemolytic anemia).
- Tell your doctor if your bone marrow or immune system is not working well, or if you've had severe infections.
Show 11 more warnings
- Tell your doctor immediately if you feel very unwell, notice unusual bruising, heavy bleeding, many infections, or have red or brownish urine.
- Tell your doctor immediately if you develop a rash or blisters on your skin.
- Tell your doctor immediately if you notice vision problems, headache, confusion, or seizures.
- Tell your doctor immediately if you notice flank pain, blood in your urine, or less urine than usual (signs of tumor lysis syndrome).
- Inform your doctor if you need a blood transfusion; you will need specially treated blood.
- Tell your doctor if you notice new skin changes, or if you have or had skin cancer as it may worsen.
- Women must not get pregnant during treatment and for 6 months after. Men must not father a child during treatment and for 3 months after. Use effective birth control.
- Talk to your doctor before any vaccinations, as live vaccines should be avoided.
- If you have kidney problems or are over 65, your kidney function will be regularly checked.
- Fludara tablets may cause more nausea and vomiting than the liquid form given by IV.
- Tell your doctor immediately if you have heart palpitations (feel your heart pounding) or chest pain, as these can be signs of heart problems.