Capecitabine

Yes, birth control methods are a must while using Capecitabine, as this medicine may harm your unborn child. Females should continue using these methods for 6 months after the final dose. On the other hand, men using these medicines whose partners can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 months after the final dose.

The duration of treatment with Capecitabine depends on the nature of your illness and individual response to treatment. Usually, it is given as a series of treatment cycles, each of these cycles lasts for 21 days. Capecitabine is given for 14 days followed by a rest period of 7 days. You should continue taking this medicine for the time prescribed by the doctor.

The side effects of Capecitabine include stomach pain or upset stomach, constipation, loss of appetite, and change in ability to taste food. It may also cause increased thirst, unusual tiredness or weakness, dizziness, headache, hair loss, skin rash, back, join, or muscle pain. You may also experience red, swollen, itchy, or teary eyes and trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Inform your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe and persist for long.

Yes, Capecitabine may make you tired and you may also feel weak, as these are the most common side effects of the medicine. Hence, it is possible that use of Capecitabine may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.

It is important to know that Capecitabine can interfere with working of blood thinners like warfarin. This type of interference can cause a change in the rate of clot formation and can cause bleeding that can even lead to death. The risk is higher for cancer patients, especially those who are over 60 years of age. Seek immediate medical help if you experience symptoms like unusual bleeding, vomiting or spitting up blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds, bloody or black, tarry stools, blood in urine, red or dark-brown urine, or easy bruising.

Capecitabine is an anti-cancer (antineoplastic or cytotoxic) chemotherapy drug. Capecitabine is classified as an "antimetabolite." Capecitabine itself is not a cytostatic medicine; it gets converted into an active anti-cancer medicine (more in tumour tissue than in normal tissue) only after getting absorbed by the body.

The doctor will check you on a regular basis while you are taking Capecitabine to monitor side effects and your response to therapy. You may need to get your blood test done as advised by the doctor to monitor your complete blood count (CBC) as well as the function of kidneys and liver.

The use of Capecitabine may cause various serious side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sores in the mouth, swelling, pain, redness, or peeling of skin on the palms and soles of the feet. One may also experience fever, chills, sore throat, or other signs of an infection, swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, chest pain or pressure, fast heartbeat, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Inform your doctor immediately if you experience any such symptoms.