Paclitaxel (Systemic)

Brand Names : Taxol

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 paclitaxel, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to paclitaxel.

Pregnancy - Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you intend to become pregnant. Studies in rats and rabbits have shown that paclitaxel causes miscarriages and deaths of the fetus, as well as problems in the mother.

Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before taking this medicine. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving paclitaxel. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving paclitaxel.

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

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

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

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 receiving paclitaxel, it is especially important that your health care professional know 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) or
• If you have ever been treated with x-rays or cancer medicines - Paclitaxel may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

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

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles) - Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Heart rhythm problems - May be made worse by paclitaxel

• Infection - Paclitaxel may decrease your body's ability to fight infection