Vinblastine Side Effects and Warnings

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

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

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

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

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

• Talk with healthcare provider before receiving any vaccinations. Use with this medicine may either increase the risk of serious infection or make the vaccination less effective.

• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).

• You can get sunburned more easily. Avoid sun, sunlamps, and tanning beds. Use sunscreen; wear protective clothing and eyewear. Continue to protect yourself against sunburn for at least 5 days after therapy.

• You may bleed more easily. Be careful. Avoid injury. Use soft toothbrush, electric razor.

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

• If you are a male and sexually active, protect your partner from pregnancy. Use birth control that you can trust.

• Breast-feeding is not recommended.

What are some possible side effects of this medicine?

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

• High blood pressure.

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

• Not hungry.

• Mouth and lip irritation. Frequent mouth care with a soft toothbrush or cotton swabs and rinsing mouth may help.

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

• Low white blood cell count.

• Constipation. More liquids, regular exercise, or a fiber-containing diet may help. Talk with healthcare provider about a stool softener or laxative.

• Infertility.

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.

• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

• Chest pain or pressure, fast heartbeat, or passing out.

• Numbness or tingling of hands or feet.

• Unable to pass urine.

• Significant weight loss.

• Severe constipation.

• Severe belly pain.

• Feeling extremely tired or weak.

• Shortness of breath.

• Severe jaw pain.

• Severe headache.

• Seizures.

• Any rash.

• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.