Palbociclib is used together with other medicines to treat certain types of breast cancer which have spread from the original site to nearby areas or some other parts of the body.
Take Palbociclib exactly as directed by your doctor or according to the instructions on the label. Do not take more or less than instructed by your doctor.
Take it with food or immediately after a meal. Swallow it whole. Do not chew, crush or open the capsule. Try to take it at the same time each day.
Palbociclib is usually taken for 21 days followed by a 7-day rest period when no medicine is taken. This is a one “cycle” of treatment. The dose of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the course of your treatment depending on your condition, effectiveness of the therapy, and your tolerability to this medicine. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully. Always ask your doctor if you are not sure on how to take your medicine.
If you missed a dose or vomit after taking Palbociclib, skip the missed dose and return to your normal dosing schedule.
DO NOT double a dose under any circumstances.
If you often forget to take your medicine, let your doctor and pharmacist know.
Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby soon. If you become pregnant while on Palbociclib therapy, alert your doctor immediately. This medicine may cause harm to your unborn child. It is important that you do not get pregnant while taking this medicine. Both you and your male partner must use proven birth control methods during Palbociclib therapy and for a certain period of time after stopping the treatment. You may wish to discuss birth control methods with your doctor.
Do not breastfeed while you are being treated with this medicine.
Inform your doctor if you have the following conditions:
- liver disease
- kidney disease
Keep your appointments with your doctor. Your doctor needs to monitor your condition and check your response to the medication regularly.
- You may need to have routine blood tests (e.g. complete blood count with differential). Your doctor will advise you about how often you will need to have these tests.
- Regular monitoring of signs and symptoms of infections or toxicity may be needed while you are being treated with this medicine.
- Pregnancy test may be needed prior to treatment initiation to check the appropriateness of Palbociclib therapy.
Palbociclib may cause tiredness or some problems with your eyesight (e.g. blurred vision, increased tearing, dry eyes). If affected, do not drive or take part in any activity in which you need to be alert or need to see clearly.
Other side effects may include any of the following: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased or loss of appetite, mouth sore, nosebleed, change in the sense of taste, weakness, hair thinning or loss, dry skin and rash.
This medicine will cause the level of your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to drop.
Red blood cells carry oxygen around your body. A fall in the level of red blood cells may make you feel tired and worn out.
White blood cells help your body to fight infections. A fall in the level of your white blood cells may put you at higher risk for infections, such as coughs, colds and flu, which may lead to more serious infections. Avoid crowded places and people who are sick. Alert your doctor if you have a fever, or a cough or flu that does not go away.
Platelets help your blood to clot when there is a cut in the skin. A fall in the level of your platelets may put you at risk of bleeding more than usual. Do not take part in activities where you may fall or get injured, such as contact sports. Alert your doctor if you get any unusual bruising (large bruises or several bruises, especially if the bruises appeared on their own) or bleeding that takes a long time to stop (for example, too much bleeding when you floss or brush your teeth).
Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:
- certain antibiotics e.g. clarithromycin, telithromycin
- medicines to treat fungal infection e.g. itraconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole
- medicines for HIV infection e.g. atazanavir, efavirenz, etravirine, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telaprevir
- medicines to treat TB (infection known as tuberculosis) e.g. rifampicin
- medicines for epilepsy (fits or seizures) e.g. carbamazepine, phenytoin
- medicines for heart disease or high blood pressure e.g. bosentan, quinidine, verapamil
- medicines for sleep disorder e.g. modafinil
- medicines to treat depression e.g. nefazodone
- medicines for mood disorder e.g. pimozide
- medicines for migraine e.g. dihydroergotamine, ergotamine
- medicines used in organ transplant or certain immune disorders e.g. ciclosporin, everolimus, sirolimus, tacrolimus
- medicines used in pre-procedure as a pain reliever e.g. fentanyl
- herbal supplement e.g. St. John’s wort
This list does not include all medicines that may interact with Palbociclib.
Always notify your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal tonics such as traditional Chinese medicines, supplements and medicines that you buy without a prescription.
Avoid alcohol.
Avoid excessive consumption (more than 1 litre a day) of grapefruit juice.
Store in a cool, dry place away from the reach of children.
Medicines must not be used past the expiry date.
As this is a cancer medicine, always return any unused or expired medicine to the clinic, hospital or pharmacy for disposal. Do not throw it away in the household waste.
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