Chemotherapy Drug Information
<< BackFluorouracil
Your doctor has ordered the drug fluorouracil to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein. Fluorouracil belongs to a group of drugs known as antimetabolites. It resembles a normal cell nutrient needed by cancer cells to grow. The cancer cells take up fluorouracil, which then interferes with their growth.
Before taking fluorouracil,
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to fluorouracil or any other drugs.
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin, leucovorin, and vitamins.
- You should know that fluorouracil 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. Fluorouracil may harm the fetus.
- Do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
Side effects from fluorouracil are common and include:
- thinned or brittle hair
- weakness or achiness
- drying or darkening of the skin or nails
- sensitivity of skin to sunlight
- blistering skin or acne
- loss of appetite or weight
- tingling in the hands or feet
- mouth blistering
- fatigue
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- painful urination or red urine
- diarrhea
- stomach pain
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- swelling of the feet or legs
- fever
- nausea and vomiting
- rash
- joint pain