Capegard 500

What  CAPEGARD?

- CAPEGARD belongs to a group of medicines called "cytostatic medicines" that prevent the growth of tumor cells. CAPEGARD contains the active substance capecitabine.

- CAPEGARD is used to treat cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach, or breast.

- Furthermore, CAPEGARD is used to prevent the occurrence of a new colon tumor in patients whose tumors have been removed surgically.

- CAPEGARD is indicated for use in adults, only.

What you should know before taking CAPEGARD?

· Do not  take the medicine if you:

- Are allergic to capecitabine

- Have had severe reactions to anticancer drug  fluorouracil

- Are pregnant or breastfeeding,

- Have a very low number of white blood cells or platelets in your blood (leucopenia, neutropenia, or thrombocytopenia),

- Have severe liver or kidney disease,

- Are treated or have been treated with brivudine, sorivudine, or for the last 4 weeks

WHAT SHOULD YOU TELL YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE THERAPY?

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:

Ask your doctor for advice before taking CAPEGARD if you have:

- Liver or kidney disease

- Heart problems

- A brain disease, when a tumor spreads to the brain

- Neuropathy)

- A calcium balance disorder

- Diabetes

- Severe nausea and vomiting

- Diarrhea

- A mineral imbalance in your blood

- If you have severe skin reactions.

THE  CAPEGARD INTERACTION WITH OTHER MEDICINES?

Before starting treatment, tell your if you are taking any of the following medicines:

- Allopurinol

- Coumarin, warfarin

- Sorivudine, brivudine

- Phenytoin

- Interferon alpha

- Drugs to treat cancer (folinic acid, oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, cisplatin, irinotecan),

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

- You should not use CAPEGARD if you are pregnant, or think that you may be pregnant or during breastfeeding.

How to take CAPEGARD?

- The dose of CAPEGARD is dependent on the size of your body surface.

- Your doctor may prescribe a combination of 150 mg and 500 mg tablets for a single dose.

- Swallow the whole tablets in the morning and the evening, within 30 minutes of after meals.

- CAPEGARD tablets are usually taken for 14 days with the following

- 7-day break (when no tablets are taken). This 21-day period represents one treatment cycle.

WHAT IF  YOU HAVE TAKEN MORE MEDICINE THAN PRESCRIBED?

If you have taken much more CAPEGARD than you should you can experience the following symptoms:

°  Feeling sick or nausea,

°  Diarrhea,

°  Inflammation or sores in the intestine or mouth,

°  Decrease of a bone marrow function

° Do not take the missed dose again.

° Do not double the next dose to replace the missed dose.

WHAT ARE KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS?

- Diarrhea

- Vomiting

- Nausea

- Inflammation of the oral mucosa:

- Hand and foot skin reactions:

- Fever

- chest pain:

- neutropenia

- the decrease in the number of white or red blood cells (found in tests)

- dehydration, weight loss,

- insomnia depression,

- headache, drowsiness, dizziness, tingling skin sensations

- eye irritation, conjunctivitis,

- thrombophlebitis

- shortness of breath, cough,

- pneumonia or bronchitis

- constipation, upper abdominal pain,

- digestive problems,

- skin rash, hair and skin loss, itching, change in skin color, skin inflammation

- pain in joints, limbs, chest, or back

- fever, swelling of the limbs,

- urinary tract infections, skin, nose, and throat infections,

- allergies

- diabetes,

- Confusion, panic attacks, decreased libido

- Impaired memory,

- Foggy or double vision

- Irregular heartbeat and heart attack

- Blood clots in deep veins, irregular  blood pressure,

- Purple spots on the skin

- Pulmonary embolism, lung collapse, blood coughing,

- Obstruction of the intestine, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity,

- Inflammation of the bowel, stomach, or esophagus, lower abdominal pain,

- Returning stomach contents to the esophagus,

- Blood in the stool,

- Jaundice

- Skin ulcers and blisters,

- Stenosis of the lacrimal canals

- Liver failure.