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Other drug names: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 |
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Your doctor has ordered erlotinib to help treat your illness. Erlotinib comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day on an empty stomach. Take erlotinib at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you eat a meal or snack. To help you remember to take erlotinib, take it at around the same time every day.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain anything you do not understand. Take erlotinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Do not stop taking erlotinib without talking to your doctor.
This medication is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (a type of cancer that begins in the lungs) in patients who have already been treated with at least one other chemotherapy medication and have not gotten better.
Erlotinib is in a class of drugs known as Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Type 1/Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER1/EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It slows the growth of cancer cells. The length of your treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have. Be sure to tell your doctor how you are feeling during your treatment.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before taking erlotinib,
Erlotinib may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
Erlotinib may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this drug.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/index.html] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
Keep erlotinib in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to erlotinib.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
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Last Revised -
04/01/2005
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2008. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
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Page last updated: 09 September 2008 |