Paclitaxel Side Effects and Warnings

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

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

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).

• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

• You may bleed more easily. Be careful. Avoid injury. Use soft toothbrush, electric razor.

• 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.

What are some possible side effects of this medicine?

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

• Fever, chills, itching, hives, chest pain or pressure, or shortness of breath during infusion.

• Feeling tired or weak.

• Diarrhea.

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

• Hair loss. Hair usually grows back when medicine is stopped.

• Infertility.

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.

• Difficulty breathing.

• Persistent cough.

• Severe belly pain.

• Severe nausea or vomiting.

• Severe diarrhea.

• Chest pain or pressure.

• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

• Numbness or tingling of hands or feet.

• Not able to eat.

• Dark urine or yellow skin or eyes.

• Feeling extremely tired or weak.

• Any rash.

• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.