Chemotherapy Drug Information
<< BackEpirubicin
Your doctor has ordered the drug epirubicin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein. Epirubicin is in a class of drugs known as anthracyclines; 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 epirubicin,
- Vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking.
- You should know that epirubicin 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. Epirubicin may harm the fetus.
- Plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Epirubicin may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.
- Do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
Epirubicin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- diarrhea
- swelling or bruising in the mouth
- hair loss
- hot flashes
- tiredness
- vomiting
- dehydration
- pain at the site of injection
- hives
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- You should know that your urine may appear red for 1 to 2 days after a dose of epirubicin