Imatinib Side Effects and Warnings

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

• If you have heart disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have diabetes, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have kidney disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have liver disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have lung disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• If you have thyroid disease, talk with healthcare provider.

• Do not take St John's wort with this medicine. It may make this medicine less effective.

• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.

• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

• You may not be alert. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities until you see how this medicine affects you.

• Talk with healthcare provider before using aspirin, aspirin-containing products, other pain medicines, blood thinners, garlic, ginseng, ginkgo, or vitamin E.

• Use birth control that you can trust to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine.

What are some possible side effects of this medicine?

• Anemia, low white blood cell count, and low platelet count. Medicine may need to be stopped.

• Risk of infection. Avoid people with infections, colds, or flu.

• Feeling lightheaded, sleepy, having blurred vision, or a change in thinking clearly. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities that require you to be alert or have clear vision until you see how this medicine affects you.

• Belly pain.

• Cough.

• Headache.

• Hair loss. Hair usually grows back when medicine is stopped.

• Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking hard, sugar-free candy, or chewing sugar-free gum may help.

• Diarrhea.

• Runny nose.

• Muscle pain.

• Liver damage can rarely occur.

Reasons to call healthcare provider immediately

• If you suspect an overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency department immediately.

• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Signs or symptoms of infection. These include a fever of 100.5 degrees or higher, chills, severe sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, increased sputum or change in color, painful urination, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, or anal itching or pain.

• Difficulty breathing.

• Significant change in thinking clearly and logically.

• Swelling of legs or belly.

• Severe headache.

• Severe belly pain.

• Severe nausea or vomiting.

• Severe diarrhea.

• Not able to eat.

• Significant weight gain.

• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

• Dark urine or yellow skin or eyes.

• Feeling extremely tired or weak.

• Black, tarry, or bloody stools.

• Any rash.

• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.