(kar MUS teen) Brand: BiCNU, Gliadel
• Carmustine is used to treat brain tumors, Hodgkin's malady, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Carmustine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. You may get an infection or bleed more easily. Call your doctor if you have unusual bruising or bleeding, or signs of infection (fever, chills, body aches).
• Carmustine can reason nausea and vomiting that may recent up to 6 hours after your injection.
• Carmustine is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
• Carmustine is used to treat brain tumors, Hodgkin's malady, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Carmustine is sometimes given with another cancer medications.
• Carmustine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
• You must not receive this medicine if you are allergic to it.
• To create certain carmustine is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:
· bone marrow suppression;
· liver disease;
· kidney malady; or
· a history of lung or breathing problems.
• FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use carmustine if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn child. Use effective birth control, and speak your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
• It is not known whether carmustine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while using this medicine.
• Carmustine is injected into a vein through an IV. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.
• Carmustine is generally given once each 6 weeks. You may be given either a single injection or multiple injections over a 2-day period. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully.
• Speak your caregivers if you feel any burning or pain near the IV needle when carmustine is injected.
• Carmustine can reason nausea and vomiting that may recent up to 6 hours after your injection. You may be given anti-nausea medications to help prevent these side effects.
• Carmustine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your kidneys, liver, and lung function may also need to be tested. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests.
• Carmustine can have long lasting effects on your body. Your blood will need to be tested weekly for at least 6 weeks after you receive a doze of carmustine.
• Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your carmustine injection.
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
• Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections. Speak your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
• This medication can pass into body fluids (including urine, feces, vomit, semen, vaginal fluid). For at least 48 hours after you receive a doze, avoid allowing your body fluids to come into contact with your hands or another surfaces. Patients and caregivers must wear rubber gloves while cleaning up body fluids, handling contaminated trash or laundry or changing diapers. Wash hands till and after removing gloves. Wash soiled clothing and linens apart from another laundry.
• Body fluids must not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant. Use condoms during sexual activity to avoid exposure to body fluids.
• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor at once if you have:
· new or worsening cough, fever, trouble breathing;
· shortness of breath with mild exertion;
· chest discomfort, dry cough or hack;
· feeling weak or weary, loss of appetite, rapid weight loss;
· fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat;
· light bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
· pale skin, feeling light-headed, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;
· urinating smaller than normal or not at all;
· drowsiness, confusion, mood changes, heighten thirst, swelling, weight gain, feeling short of breath;
· severe burning, irritation, or skin changes where the injection was given; or
· redness of your eyes or skin and severe warmth or tingling under your skin (within 2 to 4 hours after your carmustine injection).
• General side effects may include:
· nausea, vomiting;
· headache; or
· mild pain, swelling, redness, or darkened skin color where the injection was given.
• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
• Speak your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with carmustine, especially:
· cimetidine.
• This list is not complete. Another drugs may interact with carmustine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medicine manual.
• Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about carmustine.
Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.
Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.