Capecitabine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Xeloda

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For capecitabine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to capecitabine or to fluorouracil. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - It is best to avoid pregnancy during treatment with this medicine. Studies in animals have found that capecitabine causes birth defects and death of the fetus. Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before starting treatment with this medicine. Also, tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while taking this medicine.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether capecitabine passes into human breast milk. However, because this medicine may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding generally is not recommended while you are taking it.

Children - There is no specific information comparing use of capecitabine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Patients 80 years of age or older may be more sensitive to the effects of capecitabine. Severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting may be more likely to occur in these patients. Patients 60 years of age and older and/or who are also taking an anticoagulant (blood thinner), may be more likely to have blood clotting problems.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking capecitabine, it is especially important that your health care professional knows if you are taking any of the following:

• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Colchicine or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir)
• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicines - Capecitabine may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Anticoagulants, coumarin-type (blood thinners) - These medicines can cause increased risk of bleeding and alter blood clotting

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of capecitabine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bone marrow depression or
• Cancer - May increase risk of blood clotting problems

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body
• Heart disease - The risk of a side effect that affects the heart may be increased
• Kidney disease - The risk of side effects that affect the kidneys may be increased
• Liver disease - The amount of capecitabine in the body may be increased in patients with liver disease. Also, the risk of a side effect that affects the liver may be increased
• Infection - Capecitabine decreases your body's ability to fight infection