ceritinib
Other Name: Zykadia (TM)
For treating certain types of lung cancer.
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Tell your health care team if you have or had significant medical condition(s), such as:
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heart problems (including irregular or low heartbeat)
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liver or kidney problems
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diabetes or high blood sugar
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problems with your pancreas
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or any allergies
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Tell your health care team about all of the other medications you are taking.
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Keep taking other medications that have been prescribed for you, unless you have been told not to by your health care team.
Talk to your health care team about:
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How this treatment may affect your sexual health.
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How this treatment may affect your ability to have a baby, if this applies to you.
This treatment may harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care team if you or your partner are pregnant, become pregnant during treatment, or are breastfeeding.
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If there is any chance of pregnancy happening, you and your partner together must use 2 effective forms of birth control at the same time until 3 months after your last treatment dose. Talk to your health care team about which birth control options are best for you.
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Do not breastfeed while on this treatment.
IMPORTANT: You must talk to your health care team about whether to take this medication with food or not.
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This medication is usually taken once a day by mouth.
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Swallow whole with a glass of water and take with food (for example a snack or full meal).
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You may need to take more than 1 capsule to have the correct dose. Follow the instructions given to you by your health care team.
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Do not open, crush or chew capsules.
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If you miss a dose, take it if it is within 12 hours from the missed dose, otherwise skip and take your next dose as scheduled. Do not double the dose to make up for the forgotten one.
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If vomiting occurs after taking the dose, do not take a replacement dose. Continue with the next scheduled dose.
To Treat Diarrhea
Diarrhea is when you have loose bowel movements (watery poo) or you need to go poo (have bowel movements) more often than usual. Diarrhea may start a few days after your treatment.
You may be given a medication called loperamide (Imodium®) to help treat your diarrhea. Take this medication only if you need it. Keep your loperamide with you all the time. When diarrhea starts, take the loperamide right away.
If you start to have diarrhea:
- Take 2 tablets (4mg) of loperamide right away.
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Take 1 tablet after each loose bowl movement (watery poo).
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Do not take more than 8 tablets every day.
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Will this medication interact with other medications or natural health products?
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This medication can interact with other medications, vitamins, foods and natural health products. Interactions can make the treatment not work as well or cause severe side effects.
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Tell your health care team about all of your:
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prescription and over-the-counter (non-prescription) medications and all other drugs, such as marijuana (medical or recreational)
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natural health products such as vitamins, herbal teas, homeopathic medicines, and other supplements
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Check with your health care team before starting or stopping any of them.
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What should I do if I feel unwell, have pain, a headache or a fever?
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Always check your temperature to see if you have a fever before taking any medications for fever or pain (such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)).
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Fever can be a sign of infection that may need treatment right away.
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If you take these medications before you check for fever, they may lower your temperature and you may not know you have an infection.
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How to check for fever:
Keep a digital (electronic) thermometer at home and take your temperature if you feel hot or unwell (for example, chills, headache, mild pain).
- You have a fever if your temperature taken in your mouth (oral temperature) is:
- 38.3°C (100.9°F) or higher at any time
OR
- 38.0°C (100.4°F) or higher for at least one hour.
- 38.3°C (100.9°F) or higher at any time
If you do have a fever:- Try to contact your health care team. If you are not able to talk to them for advice, you MUST get emergency medical help right away.
- Ask your health care team for the Fever pamphlet for more information.
If you do not have a fever but have mild symptoms such as headache or mild pain:
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Ask your health care team about the right medication for you. Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is a safe choice for most people.
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Talk to your health care team before you start taking Ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) or ASA (Aspirin®), as they may increase your chance of bleeding or interact with your cancer treatment.
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Talk to your health care team if you already take low dose aspirin for a medical condition (such as a heart problem). It may still be safe to take.
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What to DO while on this medication:
- DO check with your health care team before getting any vaccinations, surgery, dental work or other medical procedures.
What NOT to DO on this medication:
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DO NOT eat or drink grapefruit, starfruit, Seville oranges or their juices (or products that contain these) while taking this drug. They may increase the amount of drug in your blood and increase side effects.
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DO NOT smoke or drink alcohol while on treatment without talking to your health care team first. Smoking and drinking can make side effects worse and make your treatment not work as well.
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Keep this medication in the original packaging at room temperature in a dry place, away from heat and light. Keep out of sight and reach of children and pets.
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Do not throw out any unused medications at home. Bring them to your pharmacy to be thrown away safely.
The following table lists side effects that you may have when getting ceritinib.
The table is set up to list the most common side effects first and the least common last. It is unlikely that you will have all of the side effects listed and you may have some that are not listed. Read over the side effect table so that you know what to look for and when to get help.
Keep this paper during your treatment so that you can refer to it if you need to.
Very Common Side Effects (50 or more out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Diarrhea (May be severe) What to look for?
What to do? If you have diarrhea:
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Talk to your health care team if no improvement after 24 hours of taking diarrhea medication or if severe (more than 7 times in one day) |
Liver problems (May be severe) Your health care team may check your liver function with a blood test. The liver changes do not usually cause any symptoms.
If you have any symptoms of liver problems, get emergency medical help right away. |
Get emergency medical help right away |
Nausea and vomiting What to look for?
What to do? To help prevent nausea:
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Talk to your health care team if nausea lasts more than 48 hours or vomiting lasts more than 24 hours or if severe |
Common Side Effects (25 to 49 out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Fatigue What to look for?
What to do?
Ask your health care team for the Fatigue pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Pains or cramps in the belly What to look for?
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Low appetite What to look for?
Ask your health care team for the Loss of Appetite pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Less Common Side Effects (10 to 24 out of 100 people) | |
Side effects and what to do | When to contact health care team |
Abnormal kidney lab tests (May be severe) What to look for?
To prevent bladder or kidney problems:
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Rash; dry, itchy skin What to look for?
What to do? To prevent and treat dry skin:
Rash may be severe in some rare cases and cause your skin to blister or peel. If this happens, get emergency medical help right away.
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Constipation What to look for?
What to do? To help prevent constipation:
To help treat constipation:
Ask your health care team for the Constipation Pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Mild joint, muscle pain or cramps What to look for?
What to do?
Ask your health care team for the Pain pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Anemia (low red blood cells) What to look for?
What to do? If your health care team has told you that you have anemia (low red blood cells):
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Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
High blood sugar (May be severe) What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team as soon as possible |
Heart problems What to look for?
What to do? Get emergency medical help right away. |
Get emergency medical help right away |
Abnormal levels of pancreas tests (lipase, amylase) Your health care team will check your pancreas function with a blood test regularly. |
Talk to your health care team if it does not improve or if it is severe |
Other rare, but serious side effects are possible. If you experience ANY of the following, speak to your cancer health care provider or get emergency medical help right away:
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Slow heartbeat
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Pain, swelling and hardening of a vein in your limb(s)
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New cough, breathing problems, shortness of breath, or coughing blood
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Blurred vision, sensitivity to light or eye pain
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Pain in the centre of your belly that may extend to your back
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Muscle weakness; seizures; feeling confused
Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?My cancer health care provider is: ________________________________________________ During the day I should contact:__________________________________________________ Evenings, weekends and holidays:________________________________________________
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Other Notes:
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For more links on how to manage your symptoms go to www.cancercareontario.ca/symptoms.
The information set out in the medication information sheets, regimen information sheets, and symptom management information (for patients) contained in the Drug Formulary (the "Formulary") is intended to be used by health professionals and patients for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or side effects of a certain drug, nor should it be used to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for a given condition.
A patient should always consult a healthcare provider if he/she has any questions regarding the information set out in the Formulary. The information in the Formulary is not intended to act as or replace medical advice and should not be relied upon in any such regard. All uses of the Formulary are subject to clinical judgment and actual prescribing patterns may not follow the information provided in the Formulary.