Vincristine

Generic name: Vincristine
Dosage form: intravenous solution (1 mg/mL)
Drug class: Mitotic inhibitors

Usage of Vincristine

Vincristine is used to treat leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue tumors), neuroblastoma (cancer that forms in nerve tissue), and Wilms' tumor.

Vincristine is sometimes used in combination with other cancer drugs.

Vincristine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Vincristine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Vincristine may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

severe constipation, severe bloating or stomach pain, bloody or tarry stools;

swelling, rapid weight gain;

urination problems;

wheezing, trouble breathing;

chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder;

problems with vision, hearing, speech, balance, or daily activities;

a seizure;

mouth pain or ulcers;

numbness, tingling, burning pain; or

low blood cell counts--fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed or short of breath.

Common side effects of vincristine may include:

hair loss;

decreased weight with loss of muscle tissue;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss; or

rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Vincristine

You should not use vincristine if you are allergic to it, or if you have a nerve-muscle disorder such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. Tell your doctor if you are also receiving radiation treatments.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

gout;

kidney stones;

breathing problems;

liver disease;

a blockage in your intestines; or

coronary artery disease, high blood pressure.

Vincristine may harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant. vincristine may cause missed menstrual periods.

This medicine may affect fertility (your ability to have children), whether you are a man or a woman.

You should not breastfeed while using this medicine.

Relate drugs

How to use Vincristine

Vincristine is given as an infusion into a vein, usually once every 7 days. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

Tell your caregivers if you feel any burning, pain, or swelling around the IV needle when vincristine is injected.

You may need frequent medical tests to be sure this medicine is not causing harmful effects. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.

Vincristine may cause constipation. Ask your doctor how to avoid severe constipation.

Warnings

You should not use vincristine if you have a nerve-muscle disorder such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome.

What other drugs will affect Vincristine

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

nefazodone;

phenytoin;

an antibiotic--clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin;

antifungal medicine--itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole; or

antiviral medicine to treat HIV or hepatitis C--boceprevir, cobicistat, dasabuvir, elvitegravir, indinavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, nelfinavir, ombitasvir, paritaprevir saquinavir, telaprevir, tipranavir.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect vincristine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.