Chemotherapy Drug Information
<< BackDoxorubicin
Your doctor has ordered the drug doxorubicin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein. Doxorubicin is a type of antibiotic that is only used in cancer chemotherapy. It slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. 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.
Before taking doxorubicin,
- You should know that doxorubicin may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle (period) in women and may stop sperm production in men. However, you should not assume that you cannot get pregnant or that you cannot get someone else pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Doxorubicin may harm the fetus.
- Do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
- nausea and vomiting which may last up to 24-48 hours after treatment
- loss of appetite
- diarrhea
- difficulty swallowing
- thinned or brittle hair
- skin irritation (sunburn-like) or rash on areas previously exposed to radiation treatments
- darkening of fingernails or toenails
- swelling, pain, redness, or peeling of skin on the palms and soles of the feet
- fatigue
- mouth blistering
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- red urine or sweat
- pain at the injection site
- persistent diarrhea or any change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
- fever
- chills
- breathing discomfort