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Information on Tablets A-Z
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Brand Names:
Proleukin
About your treatment:
Your doctor has ordered the drug aldesleukin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein or under the skin.
This medication is used to treat:
metastatic renal cell cancer
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for information.
Aldesleukin is in a class of drugs known as cytokines. It is similar to a chemical which the body produces. Aldesleukin increases the body=s ability to fight cancer. In addition, aldesleukin stimulates the body to produce other chemicals which increase the body=s ability to fight cancer. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
Other uses for this medicine:
Aldesleukin also is used to treat metastatic melanoma. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
Precautions:
Before taking aldesleukin,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to aldesleukin or any other drugs.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin; medications for anxiety, blood pressure, infection, inflammation, nausea, pain, or swelling; and vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart, lung, brain, kidney, liver, or autoimmune disease.
women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
you should know that aldesleukin may make you more sensitive to contrast dyes which are given to improve the pictures taken from X-rays or other scans. Notify your doctor that you are taking aldesleukin.
do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.
Side effects:
Side effects from aldesleukin are common and include:
nausea
vomiting
loss of appetite
tiredness
weakness
general feeling of being unwell (malaise)
headache
diarrhea
dry skin
Other possible side effects:
constipation
confusion
changes in your mood
dizziness
changes in your vision, taste, or speech
muscle or bone aches
pains in the chest, abdomen, or back
weight gain
retaining water
pain or redness at the site of injection
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
mouth blistering
fatigue
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
unusual bruising or bleeding
bleeding from the rectum
extreme sleepiness or tiredness
difficulty breathing
wheezing
yellowing of the skin or eyes
problems with urinating
itching or red rash
fever
chills or shaking chills
In case of emergency/overdose:
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Special instructions:
The most common side effect of aldesleukin is a decrease in the number of blood cells. Your doctor may order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by the drug. Aldesleukin may change the amount of some minerals in your body. It also can change the amount of sugar in your blood. Your doctor will order tests to monitor the amount of minerals and sugar in your blood.
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