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Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of imatinib in children below 2 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of imatinib in the elderly. However, serious side effects (e.g., swelling of the face, hands, fingers, feet, and/or lower legs, and unusual weight gain) may be more likely to occur in elderly patients, who may be more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of imatinib.
Pregnancy
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | D | Studies in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the fetus. However, the benefits of therapy in a life threatening situation or a serious disease, may outweigh the potential risk. |
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Aprepitant
- Carbamazepine
- Dexamethasone
- Fosaprepitant
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytoin
- Rifampin
- St John's Wort
- Warfarin
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Ketoconazole
- Levothyroxine
- Pimozide
- Rifabutin
- Simvastatin
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Anemia or
- Platelet problems or
- White blood cell problems—May worsen and affect the decision to continue therapy.
- Ascites (fluid in the abdomen) or
- Bleeding problems or
- Congestive heart failure or
- Pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart) or
- Pleural effusion (fluid around your lungs) or
- Pulmonary edema (fluid inside the lungs) or
- Underactive thyroid—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
- Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
- Herpes zoster (shingles)—Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body.
- Heart disease—Patients with this condition should be monitored closely when using imatinib.
- Infection—Imatinib may decrease your body's ability to fight infection.
- Kidney disease or
- Liver disease—Drug effects may be increased because of slower removal of imatinib from the body.
