• This medicine is very strong. It can prevent your bone marrow from making some of the cells that your body needs. You will be closely monitored by healthcare provider. Tell healthcare provider right away about any fever, sore throat, signs of infection, bleeding, shortness of breath, or feeling tired.
• Other forms of cancer can rarely occur later in life.
• 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 melphalan 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 are pregnant or may be pregnant.
• If you are breast-feeding.
Oral:
• Take this medicine on an empty stomach. Take 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.
• Take this medicine at a similar time of day.
• Drink plenty of noncaffeine-containing liquid unless told to drink less liquid by healthcare provider.
Injection:
• This medicine is given as a shot into a vein.
Oral:
• Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule.
• Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
Injection:
• Call healthcare provider for appointment.
• Change in condition being treated. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
• For the occurrence of side effects.
• Check blood work regularly. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Follow up with healthcare provider.
Oral:
• Store tablets at room temperature.
• Protect from moisture. Do not store in a bathroom or kitchen.
Injection:
• This medicine will be given to you in a healthcare setting. You will not store it at home.
Created: 2006-10-13 14:02:53.0
Modified: 2010-05-05 14:18:43.0
Lexi-PALS TM © (1977)-(2007) Lexi-Comp, Inc. All rights reserved.
• This medicine is used to treat multiple myeloma.
• This medicine is used to treat cancer of the ovary.
• This medicine is used as therapy in preparation for bone marrow transplantation.
• 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.
• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.
• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
• Talk with healthcare provider before using other: aspirin, aspirin-containing products, blood thinners, garlic, ginseng, ginkgo, ibuprofen or like products, pain medicines, or vitamin E.
• 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.
• 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.
• Anemia, low white blood cell count, and low platelet count.
• Diarrhea.
• Skin irritation.
• Hair loss. Hair usually grows back when medicine is stopped.
• For females, no menstrual cycle.
• Mouth irritation or mouth sores.
• Change in color of urine to brown or orange.
• Liver damage can rarely occur.
• Lung damage can rarely occur.
• Other forms of cancer can rarely occur later in life.
• 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.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Severe belly pain.
• Severe nausea or vomiting.
• Severe diarrhea.
• Unusual bruising or bleeding.
• Dark urine or yellow skin or eyes.
• Feeling extremely tired or weak.
• Any rash.
• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
