Rituximab Side Effects and Warnings

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

• Hepatitis B testing may be suggested. Unrecognized hepatitis B infection may worsen during treatment.

• If you are 65 or older, use this medicine with caution. You could have more side effects.

• If you are taking medicine for high blood pressure, talk with healthcare provider. Healthcare provider may ask you to skip that medicine on the morning of treatment.

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

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

• Tell dentists, surgeons, and other healthcare providers that you use 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.

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

• 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 and for up to 12 months following this medication.

• If taking this medicine for rheumatoid arthritis, make sure you are current with all your vaccinations.

What are some possible side effects of this medicine?

• Flu-like symptoms. These include headache, weakness, fever, shakes, aches, pains, and sweating. Mild pain medicine may help.

• Low blood pressure.

• Feeling tired or weak.

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

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

• Headache.

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

• Belly pain.

• Cough.

• Runny nose.

• Low white blood cell count or low platelet count.

• Brain infection may rarely occur.

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.

• Sudden change or loss of vision.

• Significant change in thinking clearly and logically.

• Severe dizziness or passing out.

• Significant change in balance.

• Difficulty breathing.

• Difficulty speaking.

• Feeling extremely tired or weak.

• Severe headache.

• Severe nausea or vomiting.

• Severe belly pain.

• Yellow skin or eyes.

• Severe diarrhea.

• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

• Any rash.

• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.