How Effective is Gleevec & What are Its Side Effects?

Gleevec which is also known as imatinib restricts the development of particular cancer cells.

Gleevec can reduce blood cells which assist your body combat infections as well as aiding in blood clotting. You can bleed more easily or contract infections when using gleevec. Inform your doctor when you have unfamiliar bleeding or bruising, or symptoms of infections such as body aches, chills or fever.

How Effective is Gleevec & What are Its Side Effects?

How Effective is Gleevec?

Gleevec or imatinib is utilized effectively in treating some types of skin cancer, blood cancer (leukemia), born marrow conditions.

Some tumors of the digestive system and the stomach are also effectively treated by gleevec or imatinib.

Gleevec or imatinib may escalate threats of liver complications. You should notify your doctor when you experience lack of appetite, pains in the upper stomach, clay colored stools, dark urine, or yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice).

Gleevec or imatinib can also upsurge the danger of having heart problems or fluid retention. Notify your physician if you have prompt weight increase, swelling, slow or fast heartbeats, short breath, fainting or weak pulse.

What to know Before using Gleevec Medicine?

People who are allergic to gleevec or imatinib should not use the medicine. To be safe with gleevec or imatinib, you should alert your doctor if you have:

  • Liver illness
  • Kidney illness
  • Underactive thyroid, forthcoming or current thyroid operation,
  • Past record of stomach bleeding or ulcers,
  • Congestive heart failure or heart disease
  • If you are on chemotherapy treatment.

Pregnant women should not use gleevec or imatinib medicine. This is because it can hurt the unborn child. You should use effective methods of birth control to avoid pregnancy, and inform your physician immediately if you conceive while using gleevec or imatinib medicine.

It is not established whether gleevec or imatinib gets into breast milk or if it can hurt a nursing child. Do not breastfeed when taking this medicine.

Gleevec or imatinib may interfere with your child’s growth. Notify your doctor if you suspect that your child in not growing as per the standard ratio while taking Gleevec medicine.

What are the Side Effects of Gleevec?

Seek immediate medical assistance if you experience any symptoms of allergic reactions to gleevec or imatinib; such as breathing difficulties, hives or swelling of your lips, throat, face and tongue.

Contact your doctor immediately if you have the following severe side effects of gleevec or imatinib:

  • Fluid retention symptoms such as fast weight increase on your face or midsection of the body, swelling and short breaths particularly when lying down.
  • Severe gleevec or imatinib symptoms of fluids within the lungs such as wheezing, pain when breathing, cough with soapy mucus and panting for breath.
  • Signs of liver complications like dark urine, yellowing of eyes and skin, clay colored stools and pain on the upper stomach.
  • Symptoms of low blood cells like chills, fever, swollen gums, skin and mouth sores, fast heartbeat, unfamiliar bruising and bleeding, pale skin, and feeling light headed.
  • Severe gleevec or imatinib side effects of bleeding stomach such as coughing of blood, tarry or bloody stools, coffee grounds like vomit.
  • Symptoms of tumor cell failure such as bloody urine, minimal or no urine, low back aches, tingling or numbness of your mouth, tight and weak muscles, weak pulse, fainting, confusion and slow or rapid heartbeats.
  • Severe gleevec or imatinib signs of thyroid such as thrilling tiredness, joint stiffness and aches, dehydrated skin, weak or painful muscles, being more delicate cold temperatures and croaky voice.
  • Serious skin reactions like swelling of your tongue or face, fever, stinging throat, scorching eyes, painful skin leading to purple or red skin rashes which scatters mostly on the face or upper body causing peeling and blisters.

Common side effects of gleevec or imatinib may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Muscle and joint aches
  • Skin rash
  • Diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting are all side effects of gleevec or imatinib.

Does Gleevec Interfere with Other Drugs?

Most medicines can intermingle with gleevec or Imatinib. All probable interactions are not recorded here. You should notify your physician about all the medicines you are using or those you used currently while on gleevec or imatinib treatment.

  • Bosentan
  • Ergotamine or dihydroergotamine
  • Nefazodone
  • Fentanyl (onsolis, duragesic, lazanda, actiq, abstral, fentora)
  • Pimozide
  • St johns wort can also interfere with gleevec or imatinib
  • Antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin and telithromycin
  • Antiviral drugs for treating HIV/ AIDS or hepatitis C like boceprevir, atazanavir, delavirdine, fosamprenavir, , efavirenz, cobicistat (stribild, tybost), nelfinavir, indinavir, nevirapine, , telaprevir, saquinavir, ritonavir.
  • Antifungal drugs such as, ketoconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole.
  • Heart medications like quinidine, nicardipine.
  • Blood thinner medicines like Coumadin, warfarin, jantoven.
  • Medicines for preventing organ transplant like cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus can interfere with gleevec or imatinib.
  • Tuberculosis medicines like rifampin, isoniazid, rifapentine and rifabutin.
  • Convulsion drugs such as phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin, oxcarbazepine, primidone, fosphenytoin.
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:June 10, 2019

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