Uses of leukeran tablets.
Leukeran tablets are used to cure many forms of cancer (such as leukemia and lymphoma). Chlorambucil is one of a family of medicines known as alkylating agents. It functions by slowing down or halting the development of cancer cells.
How to use leukeran tablets.
Taking this medicine by mouth as instructed by your doctor, usually once a day. Unless otherwise instructed by the doctor, drink lots of fluid to help avoid side effects.
The dosage is dependent on your medical condition, weight, and reaction to your medication. Do not raise your dosage or take this drug more often than directed. Your health will not change sooner, and your chance of side effects will arise.
Because this medicine can be ingested by the skin and lungs and may damage an unborn child, pregnant women or may become pregnant should not take this medicine or breathe the dust from the tablets.
Side effects.
Relevant things to note about Leukeran’s side effects:
-Many patients do not suffer any of the mentioned side effects.
-The side effects are also predictable in terms of their onset and duration.
-The side effects are almost all reversible and can go away when the medication is complete.
-There are several tools available to either reduce or avoid side effects.
-There is no association between the occurrence or severity of side effects and the drug’s potency.
The following side effects are normal (over 30%) in patients taking Leukeran tablets:
Low counts of blood. Your white and red blood cells and platelets may decrease temporarily. This can put you at an elevated risk of inflammation, anemia, and/or bleeding.
Nadir: mean low point, nadir is the period between chemotherapy sessions at which you encounter reduced blood counts.
Onset: seven days
Nadir: fourteen days
Recovery: twenty-eight days; can be extended to 6-8 weeks in some patients.
There are less frequent (10-29%) side effects in patients receiving Leukeran:
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Skin rash (an extreme skin reaction is an unusual but dangerous side effect of Leukeran. Immediately mention any skin rash or reactions to your health care provider).
- Increases in blood tests to assess liver function. These return to normal after therapy has been stopped. (See problems with the liver).
Important precautions
-Before beginning therapy for Leukeran tablets, be sure to tell the doctor about all other drugs you are taking (including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal remedies, etc.). Do not take aspirin, aspirin-containing drugs unless expressly prescribed by the doctor.
-Do not undergo any form of immunization or vaccine without your doctor’s permission when taking Leukeran.
-Inform the health care provider if you are pregnant or could be pregnant before beginning this procedure. Pregnancy type D (Leukeran can be dangerous to the fetus. Women who are pregnant or become pregnant should be aware of possible danger to the fetus).
-To both men and women: do not conceive of a fetus (get pregnant) while taking Leukeran. Barrier strategies for contraception, such as condoms, are recommended. Speak to the doctor whether you are healthy to get pregnant or conceive of a baby after medication.
-Do not feed breasts when taking this drug
How long does it take to get chlorambucil to work?
Therapeutic effects are found after 2-4 weeks of use. The main side effect of concern with chlorambucil is the suppression of bone marrow. The bone marrow is the origin of all the blood cells, both white cells, and red cells. Since the precursors of these cells are quickly dividing, they are attacked by chlorambucil.
Is chlorambucil causing hair loss?
Hair loss typically does not occur with chlorambucil.
