What is Afinitor?

Everolimus is used to treat advanced kidney cancer.

Everolimus is usually given after sorafenib (Nexavar) or sunitinib (Sutent) have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

Everolimus may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to everolimus or sirolimus (Rapamune).

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication:

• a breathing disorder, such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• liver disease
• diabetes; or
• high cholesterol or triglycerides

FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use everolimus 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 everolimus passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Afinitor Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Afinitor?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; chest pain, difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• fever, chills, cough with yellow or green mucus
• stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath
• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips; or
• other signs of infection such as sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums), loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, or unusual weakness

Less serious side effects may include:

• tired feeling
• headache
• stomach pain, diarrhea
• swelling, weight gain
• dry skin; or
• sleep problems (insomnia)

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.

Afinitor Interactions

What other drugs affect Afinitor?

Many drugs can interact with everolimus. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

• aminoglutethimide (Cytadren)
• aprepitant (Emend)
• bosentan (Tracleer)
• conivaptan (Vaprisol)
• dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol)
• diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Solareze)
• enoxacin (Penetrex)
• imatinib (Gleevec)
• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis)
• phenylbutazone (Azolid, Butazolidin)
• St. John’s wort
• an antidepressant such as nefazodone
• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), rifapentine (Priftin), telithromycin (Ketek), or voriconazole (Vfend)
• a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Solfoton)
• heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), nicardipine (Cardene), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
• HIV or AIDS medication such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir), or saquinavir (Invirase)
• medicines to treat narcolepsy, such as armodafanil (Nuvigil) or modafanil (Progivil); or
• seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), or phenytoin (Dilantin), or primidone (Mysoline)

This list is not complete and there are many other medicines that can interact with everolimus. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

What should I avoid while taking Afinitor?

Do not receive a “live” vaccine while you are being treated with everolimus, and avoid coming into contact with anyone who has recently received a live vaccine. There is a chance that the virus could be passed on to you. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), oral polio, chickenpox (varicella), BCG (Bacillus Calmette and Gu

Afinitor Dosage

How should I take Afinitor?

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Everolimus should be taken at the same time each day.

Take this medication with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush or chew.

You may take everolimus with or without food.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood may need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any follow-up visits to your doctor.

Store everolimus at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I overdose on Afinitor?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Symptoms of an everolimus overdose symptoms are not known.

What happens if I miss a dose of Afinitor?

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.

Edited from everydayhealth.com