Teniposide is used on its own or together with other medicines to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (a type of the cancer of the blood and bone marrow) that has relapsed or loss response to other therapy.
Teniposide injection is to be given intravenously (into the vein). It is delivered into the bloodstream via the blood vessel.
Your doctor or nurse will administer the injection for you.
The dose and schedule of administration of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the course of the treatment depending on your condition and response to the medication.
Ensure that you keep all appointments with your doctor so that you do not miss any dose. Your doctor also needs to regularly monitor your response to Teniposide.
If you miss an appointment or miss an injection with your doctor, alert your doctor or nurse. A replacement appointment or infusion should be given as soon as possible.
Alert your doctor if you have blood disorder e.g. low blood cell or platelet count as Teniposide is not suitable for you.
Do not use Teniposide if you ever had an allergic reaction (e.g. rashes, breathlessness, swollen eyes) to this medicine or any of its ingredients.
Do not use this medicine if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby soon. If you become pregnant while being treated with this medicine, alert your doctor immediately. Teniposide may cause harm to your unborn child.
Inform your doctor if you have the following condition:
- down syndrome (an inherited condition related to developmental delay)
- hypoalbuminaemia (low level of albumin in the blood)
- kidney disease
- liver disease
Let your doctor know if you are breastfeeding.
Inform your doctor if you have been recently vaccinated. Do not receive any vaccinations without first asking your doctor.
To know if Teniposide is suited for you, a pregnancy test may be done before treatment initiation.
Your blood pressure must be checked regularly as it may reach to unsafe levels. Your doctor may also need to do blood tests, liver and kidney functions tests. Your doctor will advise you about how often you need to have these tests.
If you develop rashes, breathlessness, swollen mouth or eyes, stop taking Teniposide and inform your doctor immediately. These could be signs of an allergic reaction.
Teniposide may cause any of the following side effects: mouth sores, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea, bleeding, fever.
This medicine may 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).
Teniposide may cause your blood pressure to fall and you may feel giddy. To minimise this problem, stand up slowly.
Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.
Do not use Teniposide with live vaccines e.g. yellow fever vaccine, BCG vaccine.
Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:
- medicines for epilepsy (fits or seizures) e.g. carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital
- medicine used in organ transplant or certain immune disorders e.g. ciclosporin
- medicine for diabetes e.g. tolbutamide
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 and St John’s wort.
Store in the refrigerator, between 2-8°C. Protect from light.
If you notice that the injection has changed colour or has become cloudy, do not use it. Throw it away and use a new injection.