Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

• Housecall
• Alzheimer's caregiving
• Living with cancer

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Stop taking this medicine and get emergency help immediately if any of the following effects occur:

• Diarrhea (moderately severe [four to six stools a day more than usual, or at night])
• Pain, blistering, peeling, redness, or swelling of palms of hands and/or bottoms of feet (severe enough to interfere with normal activities)
• Pain, redness, swelling, sores, or ulcers in your mouth or on your lips (severe enough to interfere with eating)

• Nausea (severe, accompanied by loss of appetite)
• Vomiting (severe [occurring two times or more in 24 hours])

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Abdominal or stomach cramping or pain (severe)
• Agitation
• Back pain
• Bleeding and bruising
• Bleeding gums
• Blood in urine or stools
• Bloody nose
• Bloody or black, tarry stools
• Blurred vision
• Burning, dry, or itching eyes
• Chest pain
• Chills
• Cold
• Collapse
• Coma
• Confusion
• Constipation (severe)
• Convulsions
• Cough or hoarseness (accompanied by fever or chills)
• Cough producing mucus
• Coughing or spitting up blood
• Decreased frequency/amount of urine
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty in swallowing or pain in back of throat or chest when swallowing
• Discharge from eye
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Excessive tearing
• Extra heartbeats
• Eye redness, irritation, or pain
• Fainting
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Fever or chills
• Flu-like symptoms
• Hallucinations
• Headache, sudden and severe
• Heavier menstrual periods
• High fever
• Hot, red skin on feet or legs
• Inability to speak
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
• Increased thirst
• Irritability
• Itching in genital or other skin areas
• Large amount of triglycerides in the blood
• Lightheadedness
• Loss of consciousness
• Lower back or side pain (accompanied by fever or chills)
• Mood or mental changes
• Muscle aches or cramps
• Muscle spasms
• Nosebleeds
• Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips
• Painful or difficult urination (accompanied by fever or chills)
• Painful, swollen feet or legs
• Pain, tenderness, and/or swelling in upper abdominal (stomach) area
• Pale skin
• Paralysis
• Pinpoint red spots on skin
• Prolonged bleeding from cuts
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Red or dark brown urine
• Redness, pain, or swelling of eye, eyelid, or inner lining of eyelid
• Scaling
• Seizures
• Severe constipation
• Shortness of breath, troubled breathing, tightness in chest, and/or wheezing
• Slow or irregular heartbeat
• Slurred speech
• Sneezing, sore throat, and/or stuffy nose
• Sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
• Stiff neck
• Stomach bloating, burning, cramping, or pain
• Swelling of lymph nodes
• Temporary blindness
• Tiredness or weakness (severe)
• Trouble in speaking
• Twitching seizures
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Unusual lump or swelling in the chest
• Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Weakness in arm and/or leg on one side of the body, sudden and severe
• Weight gain or loss
• Wheezing
• White patches in the mouth or throat or on the tongue
• White patches with diaper rash
• Yellow eyes or skin

• Continuing vomiting
• Dark-colored urine
• General feeling of tiredness or weakness

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

• Abdominal or stomach pain (mild or moderate)
• Blistering, peeling, redness, and/or swelling of palms of hands or bottoms of feet (not severe enough to interfere with daily activities)
• Diarrhea (mild [fewer than four stools a day more than usual])
• Numbness, pain, tingling, or other unusual sensations in palms of hands or bottoms of feet
• Pain, redness, swelling, sores, or ulcers in your mouth or on your lips (not severe enough to interfere with eating)
• Unusual tiredness or weakness (mild or moderate)

• Clumsiness or unsteadiness
• Dark urine
• Decrease or increase in blood pressure
• Light-colored stools
• Problems with coordination
• Skin rash or itching
• Swelling of face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
• Swollen glands
• Unexplained nosebleeds

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Constipation (mild or moderate)
• Loss of appetite (not due to nausea)
• Nausea (not accompanied by loss of appetite)
• Vomiting (mild [once a day or less])

• Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, “pins and needles”, or tingling feelings
• Changes or discoloration in fingernails or toenails
• Difficulty in moving
• Discouragement
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Increase in heart rate
• Increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
• Muscle pain
• Pain
• Pain in joints
• Pain in limbs
• Pain and redness of skin at place of earlier radiation (x-ray) treatment
• Red, sore eyes
• Sunken eyes
• Thirst
• Trouble in sleeping
• Weakness
• Wrinkled skin

• Bone pain
• Change in color of treated skin
• Difficulty in walking
• Discouragement
• Dryness or soreness or throat
• Feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• Feeling sad or empty
• Full feeling in abdomen
• Full or bloated feeling or pressure in the stomach
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Hoarseness
• Hot flushes
• Impaired balance
• Increased weight
• Joint pain
• Lack of appetite
• Loss of interest or pleasure
• Muscle weakness
• Noisy breathing
• Pain in rectum
• Pain, swelling, or redness in joints
• Passing less gas
• Rough, scratchy sound to voice
• Runny nose
• Sensation of spinning
• Shakiness in legs, arms, hands, or feet
• Shivering
• Sleepiness
• Sores on the skin
• Sweating increased
• Swelling of abdominal or stomach area
• Tremor or shaking of hands or feet
• Trouble concentrating
• Voice changes

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

DR600289

Nov. 1, 2009

Source: Drug Information provided by: Micromedex

Copyright © 2009 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.