Dactinomycin (Intravenous Route)

Free

E-Newsletters

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

• Housecall
• Alzheimer's caregiving
• Living with cancer

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Also, because of the way these medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years after the medicine is used. These delayed effects may include certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in urine or stools
• Cough or hoarseness accompanied by fever or chills
• Fever or chills
• Lower back or side pain accompanied by fever or chills
• Painful or difficult urination accompanied by fever or chills
• Pinpoint red spots on skin
• Unusual bleeding or bruising

• Pain at place of injection
• Wheezing

• Abdominal cramps
• Confusion
• Convulsions
• Difficulty in breathing
• Growth retardation
• Irregular heartbeats
• Mood or mental changes
• Muscle cramps in hands, arms, feet, legs, or face
• Numbness and tingling around the mouth, fingertips, or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Tremor

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

• Diarrhea (continuing)
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Heartburn
• Sores in mouth and on lips
• Stomach pain (continuing)
• Unusual tiredness or weakness

• Joint pain
• Swelling of feet or lower legs
• Yellow eyes or skin

• Blisters
• Body aches or pain
• Chapped, red, or swollen lips
• Congestion
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty in moving
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dryness or soreness of throat
• Fever
• Flushing, redness of skin
• Hoarseness
• Joint pain
• Muscle aching or cramping
• Muscle pains or stiffness
• Runny nose
• Scaling, redness, burning, pain, or other signs of inflammation of lips
• Swollen joints
• Tender, swollen glands in neck
• Trouble in swallowing
• Unusually warm skin
• Voice changes

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Darkening of skin
• Infection
• Unusual feeling of dullness or sluggishness
• General feeling of discomfort or weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Redness of skin
• Skin rash or acne

This medicine often causes a temporary loss of hair, sometimes including the eyebrows. After treatment with dactinomycin has ended, normal hair growth should return.

After you stop using this medicine, it may still produce some side effects that need attention. During this period of time, check with your doctor immediately if you notice the following side effects:

• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in urine or stools
• Cough or hoarseness accompanied by fever or chills
• Diarrhea
• Fever or chills
• Lower back or side pain accompanied by fever or chills
• Painful or difficult urination accompanied by fever or chills
• Pinpoint red spots on skin
• Sores in mouth and on lips
• Stomach pain
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Yellow eyes or skin

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Copyright © 2012 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.