Chemotherapy Drug Information
<< BackVinblastine
Your doctor has ordered the drug vinblastine to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein. When vinblastine is administered into a vein, it may leak into surrounding tissue. Your doctor or nurse will monitor your administration site for this reaction.
Vinblastine is in a class of drugs known as vinca alkaloids. 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 vinblastine,
- Tell your doctor what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin, itraconazole (Sporanox), phenytoin (Dilantin), and vitamins.
- Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease.
- You should know that vinblastine 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. Vinblastine may harm the fetus.
- Do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
Side effects from vinblastine are common and include:
- nausea and vomiting which usually lasts less than 24 hours
- stomach pain
- constipation
- diarrhea
- jaw pain, headache, or other aches
- thinned or brittle hair
- exposed areas of the skin may become easily sunburned
- fatigue
- mouth blistering
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- tingling, numbness, and cramping in the legs or arms for longer than a few days severe abdominal or muscle cramping
- difficulty walking
- hoarseness
- fever
- chills
- change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
- redness, pain, or swelling at the injection site