Caprelsa Vandetanib 300 mg Tablets

Description

Caprelsa (Vandetanib 300 mg) is a prescription medicine used to treat medullary thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or that has spread to other parts of the body. It takes a long time to get rid of Caprelsa from your body and you may be at risk for side effects related to Caprelsa after you have stopped your treatment. It is not known if Caprelsa is safe and effective in children. What are the possible side effects of Caprelsa? Caprelsa may cause serious side effects, including: Serious skin reactions. Caprelsa can cause serious skin reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or other serious skin reactions that may affect any part of your body. These serious skin reactions may be life threatening and you may need to be treated in a hospital. Call your healthcare provider right away if you experience any of these symptoms. Skin rash or acne Dry skin Itching Blisters on your skin Blisters or sores in your mouth Peeling of your skin Fever Muscle or joint aches Redness or swelling of your face, hands, or soles of your feet Breathing problems (interstitial lung disease). Caprelsa may cause a breathing problem called interstitial lung disease that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience sudden or worsening shortness of breath or cough. Stroke. Strokes have been reported in some people who have taken Caprelsa and in some cases have caused death. Stop taking Caprelsa and call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of a stroke which may include: numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination sudden, severe headache Bleeding. Bleeding can happen during your treatment with Caprelsa. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have severe bleeding while you are taking Caprelsa. Heart failure. Caprelsa can cause heart failure that can lead to death. You may have to stop taking Caprelsa if you have heart failure. Heart failure may not be reversible after stopping Caprelsa. Your healthcare provider should monitor you for signs and symptoms of heart failure. Diarrhea. Diarrhea is often a symptom of medullary thyroid cancer. Caprelsa can also cause diarrhea or make diarrhea worse. Your healthcare provider should check your blood levels to monitor your electrolytes more frequently if you have diarrhea. Thyroid hormones. You can have changes in your thyroid hormone when taking Caprelsa. Your healthcare provider should monitor your thyroid hormone levels while taking Caprelsa. High blood pressure (hypertension). If you develop high blood pressure or your high blood pressure gets worse, your healthcare provider may lower your dose of Caprelsa or tell you to stop taking Caprelsa until your blood pressure is under control. Your healthcare provider may prescribe another medicine to control your high blood pressure. Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS). A condition called reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome can happen while taking Caprelsa. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have: headaches seizures confusion changes in vision problems thinking The most common side effects of Caprelsa include: diarrhea rash acne nausea high blood pressure headache feeling tired loss of appetite upper respiratory tract infections stomach (abdominal) pain Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Caprelsa. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.