Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. It may also cause birth defects if the father is using it when his sexual partner becomes pregnant. Female patients should use effective birth control during treatment with this medicine and for at least 6 months after the last dose. Male patients who have female partners should use effective birth control during treatment with this medicine and for at least 4 months after the last dose. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Your doctor will give you a pregnancy test within 7 days before you use this medicine to make sure you are not pregnant.

Using this medicine may increase your risk of having a condition called differentiation syndrome, which may be life-threatening. It may occur as early as 1 day after starting this medicine and during the first 3 months of treatment. Check with your doctor right away if you start to have a fever, cough, trouble breathing, swelling of the arms or legs or around the neck, groin, or underarms, rapid weight gain, or bone pain. Your doctor may give you a steroid medicine (eg, dexamethasone) to help treat these symptoms.

Tell your doctor right away if you have seizures, headache, confusion, vision problems, unusual drowsiness, tiredness, or weakness. These could be symptoms of a serious nervous system problem called posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, including QT prolongation.

Check with your doctor right away if you have loss of appetite, nausea, or pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back. These could be symptoms of pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas).

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.