What is Ixabepilone?

Ixabepilone is used to treat advanced breast cancer.
Ixabepilone is usually given after other cancer medications have been tried without successful treatment.
Ixabepilone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Ixabepilone?

You should not receive this medication if you are allergic to ixabepilone, or to a medication ingredient called Cremophor (synthetic castor oil). You may not be able to receive ixabepilone if you have severe liver disease.
Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
Before you receive ixabepilone, tell your doctor if you have liver or heart disease, nerve problems in your hands or feet, diabetes, or bone marrow suppression.
Ixabepilone can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. To be sure your blood cells do not get too low, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are receiving ixabepilone.
Tell your caregivers at once if you have serious side effects such as numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling in your hands or feet, sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body, chest pain or heavy feeling, fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, or redness, swelling, and pain on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Ixabepilone?

liver disease
heart disease
nerve problems (especially in your hands or feet)
diabetes; or
bone marrow suppression or weak immune system

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take ixabepilone.
FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not use ixabepilone without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether ixabepilone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not receive this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Ixabepilone Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Ixabepilone?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; warmth or tingly feeling; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Tell your caregivers at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling in your hands or feet
sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance
chest pain or heavy feeling
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or
redness, swelling, and pain on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet

Less serious side effects include:

tired feeling
joint or muscle pain
hair loss
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite
diarrhea or constipation; or
white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ixabepilone Interactions

What other drugs affect Ixabepilone?

The following drugs can interact with ixabepilone. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol)
St. John’s wort
a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton)
HIV /AIDS medicine such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase)
an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, Grisactin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater), telithromycin (Ketek), or troleandomycin (Tao)
an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend)
seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol) or phenytoin (Dilantin); or
an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), doxepin (Sinequan), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nefazodone (Serzone), nortriptyline (Pamelor), paroxetine (Paxil), and others

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with ixabepilone. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Ixabepilone?

Avoid being near people who have colds, the flu, or other contagious illnesses. Contact your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are receiving ixabepilone.

Ixabepilone Dosage

How should I take Ixabepilone?

Ixabepilone is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein. You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting. An ixabepilone is usually given every 3 weeks.
The medicine must be given slowly through an IV infusion, and can take at least 3 hours to complete.
About 1 hour before you receive your ixabepilone injection, you will be given other medications to help prevent an allergic reaction. You may also be given a steroid medication if you have ever had a reaction to an ixabepilone injection.
Ixabepilone can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. To be sure your blood cells do not get too low, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

What happens if I overdose on Ixabepilone?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this medicine.
An overdose of ixabepilone is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.

What happens if I miss a dose of Ixabepilone?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Sourced from everydayhealth.com

Ixabepilone