Aldesleukin Side Effects and Warnings

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

• Talk with healthcare provider before receiving any vaccinations. Use with this medicine may either increase the risk of serious infection or make the vaccination less effective.

• If you have an immune or inflammatory disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have kidney disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have liver disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you are having an x-ray with dye, talk with healthcare provider.

• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.

• You may not be alert. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities until you see how this medicine affects you.

• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor) or other medicines and natural products that slow your actions and reactions.

• Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant.

What are some possible side effects of this medicine?

• Risk of infection. Avoid people with infections, colds, or flu.

• Feeling lightheaded, sleepy, having blurred vision, or a change in thinking clearly. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities that require you to be alert or have clear vision until you see how this medicine affects you.

• Feeling dizzy. Rise slowly over several minutes from sitting or lying position. Be careful climbing.

• Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking hard, sugar-free candy, or chewing sugar-free gum may help.

• Low blood pressure.

• Belly pain.

• Cough.

• Diarrhea.

• Mouth irritation. Frequent mouth care with a soft toothbrush or cotton swabs and rinsing mouth may help.

• Weight gain.

• Feeling tired or weak.

• Anemia, low white blood cell count, and low platelet count. Medicine may need to be stopped.

Reasons to call healthcare provider immediately

• If you suspect an overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency department immediately.

• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Signs or symptoms of infection. These include a fever of 100.5 degrees or higher, chills, severe sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, increased sputum or change in color, painful urination, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, or anal itching or pain.

• Chest pain or pressure or fast heartbeat.

• Severe dizziness or passing out.

• Difficulty breathing.

• Significant change in thinking clearly and logically.

• Swelling of legs or belly.

• Significant weight gain.

• Severe belly pain.

• Unable to pass urine.

• Not able to eat.

• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

• Yellow skin or eyes.

• Feeling extremely tired or weak.

• Any rash.

• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.