Is Gleevec considered chemotherapy?
Imatinib (Gleevec®) is a Chemotherapy Regimen for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
What are the long term effects of taking Gleevec?
Some of the side effects seen in clinical studies can happen with long-term use of Gleevec. These include heart problems, such as congestive heart failure and left-sided heart failure. In a clinical study, more than 500 people who took Gleevec for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) were followed for up to 11 years.
How long does Gleevec stay in your system?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding while taking Gleevec You’ll need to use birth control while taking Gleevec and for at least 14 days after your last dose. You should avoid breastfeeding while taking Gleevec, and for at least 1 month after your last dose. The drug could cause serious side effects in a breastfed child.
Can you drink coffee while taking Gleevec?
during Gleevec use may want to avoid certain foods and beverages (i.e., spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, citrus juice, dairy products, etc.) that may exacerbate these unwanted effects.
Does Gleevec lower immune system?
Gleevec may increase the risk of infection, such as upper respiratory tract infections or the flu because it can reduce the number of white blood cells in your blood (called neutropenia).
Does Gleevec affect your kidneys?
This study looked at the effect of imatinib (Gleevec) on kidney function in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Researchers found that a reversible decline in kidney function was linked with long-term imatinib use in these patients.
What happens when you stop Gleevec?
A study shows that withdrawal symptoms such as bone pain or itching may occur after stopping Gleevec treatment. In addition, stopping treatment can make your cancer worse. This, in turn, can worsen symptoms of the cancer that you were taking Gleevec to treat.
Do you lose your hair with Gleevec?
Hair loss. Gleevec can cause hair loss in people taking it, although this isn’t a common side effect of the drug. Keep in mind that hair loss during cancer treatment is usually temporary. In general, hair lost while taking Gleevec is expected to grow back after you stop taking the drug.
Does imatinib make you gain weight?
The median weight at the start of imatinib therapy was 76.8 kg (range 49.7-123). There was a statistically significant gain in weight in evaluable patients even at 6 months (P < . 0001), with more than 75% of patients gaining weight (Tables 1 and 2).
Does Gleevec cause anemia?
Anaemia is one of the most frequent side effects observed in imatinib treated patients with GIST (90% of patients), mostly mild to moderate, while this drug is associated with severe grade 3–4 anaemia in less than 10% of patients [8].
Can imatinib cause renal failure?
Conclusion. The introduction of imatinib therapy in nonclinical trial CML patients is associated with potentially irreversible acute renal injury, and the long-term treatment may cause a clinically relevant decrease in the estimated GFR.