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Capecitabine

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Brand name(s): Xeloda

Contents of this page:

IMPORTANT WARNING:

When used in combination with anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin), capecitabine can cause serious bleeding and death. Tell your doctor if you are taking warfarin or phenprocoumon. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to capecitabine. If you experience any unusual bleeding or bruising, call your doctor immediately.

About your treatment

Your doctor has ordered the drug capecitabine to help treat your illness. The drug is taken by mouth with tablets. Take capecitabine with water within 30 minutes after eating a meal.

This medication is used to treat:

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for information.

Capecitabine is in a class of drugs known as antimetabolites. Capecitabine resembles a normal cell nutrient needed by cancer cells to grow. The cancer cells take up the capecitabine, which then interferes with their growth. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.

Precautions

Before taking capecitabine,

Side effects

Side effects from capecitabine are common and include:

If you experience any of the following symptoms or the one listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

Storage conditions

Keep capecitabine in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Last Revised - 01/01/2003


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The MedMaster™ Patient Drug Information database provides information copyrighted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland Copyright© 2004. All Rights Reserved.