• This medicine can cause brain irritation (chemical arachnoiditis). Severe problems can occur in some patients who develop this condition. Call healthcare provider right away if you have a fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, back pain, or neck stiffness or pain. You will be closely monitored by healthcare provider.
• This medicine does not mix well with many medicines. Serious reactions may occur. Check all medicines with healthcare provider.
• If you have an allergy to cytarabine or any other part of this medicine.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
• If you have a brain infection.
• If you are pregnant or may be pregnant.
• If you are breast-feeding.
• This medicine is given into the spine.
• Dexamethasone will be given before this medicine to decrease side effects.
• Change in condition being treated. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
• Check blood work regularly. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Follow up with healthcare provider.
• This medicine will be given to you in a healthcare setting. You will not store it at home.
Created: 2005-04-07 16:31:30.0
Modified: 2010-03-09 08:17:07.0
Lexi-PALS TM © (1977)-(2007) Lexi-Comp, Inc. All rights reserved.
• If you have a life-threatening allergy, wear allergy identification at all times.
• Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• Most medicines can be thrown away in household trash after mixing with coffee grounds or kitty litter and sealing in a plastic bag.
• Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, natural products, supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, physician assistant).
• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or in Canada to Health Canada's Canada Vigilance Program at 1-866-234-2345.
• Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine, including over-the-counter, natural products, or vitamins.
• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
• Talk with healthcare provider before using aspirin, aspirin-containing products, other pain medicines, blood thinners, garlic, ginseng, ginkgo, or vitamin E.
• You may bleed more easily. Be careful. Avoid injury. Use soft toothbrush, electric razor.
• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.
• 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.
• Use birth control that you can trust to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine.
• If you are a male and sexually active, protect your partner from pregnancy. Use birth control that you can trust.
• 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.
• Risk of infection. Avoid people with infections, colds, or flu.
• Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking hard, sugar-free candy, or chewing sugar-free gum may help.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Headache.
• Constipation.
• 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.
• Significant change in thinking clearly and logically.
• Significant change in balance.
• Severe headache.
• Severe nausea or vomiting.
• Severe back pain.
• Neck stiffness.
• Unusual bruising or bleeding.
• Feeling extremely tired or weak.
• Any rash.
• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
