ication Guide does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about Vandetanib?
Vandetanib can cause a change in the electrical activity of your heart called QT prolongation, which can cause irregular heartbeats and that may lead to death. You should not take Vandetanib if you have had a condition called long QT syndrome since birth.
Your healthcare provider should perform tests to check the levels of your blood potassium, calcium, magnesium, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as well as the electrical activity of your heart with a test called an electrocardiogram (ECG). You should have these tests:
•Before starting Vandetanib
•Regularly during Vandetanib treatment:
•2 to 4 weeks after starting Vandetanib
•8 to 12 weeks after starting Vandetanib
•Every 3 months thereafter
•If your healthcare provider changes your dose of Vandetanib
•If you start taking medicine that causes QT prolongation
•As instructed by your healthcare provider
Your healthcare provider may stop your Vandetanib treatment for a while and restart you at a lower dose if you have QT prolongation.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel faint, light-headed, or feel your heart beating irregularly while taking Vandetanib. These may be symptoms related to QT prolongation.
What is Vandetanib?
Vandetanib is a prescription medicine used to treat medullary thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or that has spread to other parts of the body. It takes a long time to get rid of Vandetanib from your body and you may be at risk for side effects related to Vandetanib after you have stopped your treatment.
It is not known if Vandetanib is safe and effective in children.
Who should not take Vandetanib?
Do not take Vandetanib if you have had QT prolongation.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking Vandetanib?
Before you take Vandetanib, tell your healthcare provider if you:
•have any heart problems, including a condition called congenital long QT syndrome.
•have an irregular heartbeat
•take or have stopped taking a medicine that causes QT prolongation
•have low blood levels of potassium, calcium, or magnesium
•have high blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone
•have high blood pressure
•have skin problems
•have a history of breathing problems
•have a recent history of coughing up blood or bleeding
•have diarrhea
•have liver problems
•have kidney problems
•have seizures or are being treated for seizures
•are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Vandetanib can cause harm to your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
◦If you are able to become pregnant, you should use effective birth control during your treatment with Vandetanib and for at least 4 months after your last dose of Vandetanib.
◦Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods to prevent pregnancy while you are taking Vandetanib.
•are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Vandetanib passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take Vandetanib or breastfeed. You should not do both.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines yo |
