Busulfan Injectable Solution

Busulfan is used to prepare your body for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant for chronic myelogenous leukemia. This is a type of blood cancer. This drug is used in combination with the medication cyclophosphamide.

This drug is available in an intravenous (IV) form. It’s only given by a healthcare provider. You won’t give yourself this drug at home.

Busulfan is available as a brand-name drug called Busulfex. It is also available as a generic drug.

The more common side effects of this drug include headache, vomiting, nausea, swelling in your stomach or intestines, and diarrhea.

In some cases, busulfan can cause serious side effects. This includes damage to your bone marrow function. This can raise your risk of infections, fevers, bleeding, and bruising.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• FDA warning See Details

• Damage to lung tissue See Details

• Heart problems in children See Details

• Reproductive effects See Details

What is busulfan?

Busulfan is a prescription drug. It’s available as an intravenous (IV) drug, which is only given by a healthcare provider. You won’t inject this drug yourself. It’s also available as an oral tablet.

The IV form is available as the brand-name drug called Busulfex. It’s also available as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version.

Busulfan is used as part of a combination therapy. This means you will also receive another medication, cyclophosphamide, before your bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

Why it's used

Busulfan is used to prepare your body for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant for chronic myelogenous leukemia. This is a type of blood cancer. This drug is used in combination with the medication cyclophosphamide.

How it works

Busulfan belongs to a class of drugs called alkylating agents. These drugs are used to treat cancer. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.

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More Common Side Effects

The more common side effects of busulfan can include:

• headache

• nausea

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• loss of appetite

• trouble sleeping

• fever

• stomach pain

• anxiety

• swelling and sores inside of your mouth

• high blood sugar

• low magnesium and potassium levels

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious Side Effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 9-1-1 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

• Heart problems, especially in children. Symptoms can include:

  • stomach pain
  • vomiting

• Lung tissue damage. Symptoms can include:

  • shortness of breath
  • cough

• Low red blood cells. This may increase your risk of anemia. Symptoms can include:

  • fatigue
  • weakness
  • dizziness
  • fast heart rate

• Low white blood cells. This may increase your risk of an infection. Symptoms can include:

  • fever
  • redness or swelling of your skin
  • cramping or abdominal pain

• Low platelets. Platelets are needed for your blood to clot. Symptoms can include:

  • bleeding more often than normal
  • large, red spots on your skin

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.

Busulfan can interact with other medications, herbs, or vitamins you might be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. Your healthcare provider will look out for interactions with your current medications. Always be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, herbs, or vitamins you’re taking.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking. Important considerations for taking busulfan

People with history of seizures

This drug can increase your risk for seizures. If you have a history of seizures or are taking any medications that may cause seizures, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you.

People with head injuries

This drug can increase your risk for seizures. If you have a history of head injuries, ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you.

People with a history of chemotherapy or radiation

This drug can increase your risk of an infection or bleeding if you’ve had chemotherapy or radiation before. Ask your doctor whether this drug is safe for you.

Pregnant women

Busulfan is a category D pregnancy drug. That means two things:

1. Research in humans has shown adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
2. This drug should only be used during pregnancy in serious cases where it's needed to treat a dangerous condition in the mother.

Talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Ask your doctor to tell you about the specific harm that may be done to the fetus. This drug should be only used if the potential risk to the fetus is acceptable given the drug’s potential benefit.

Women of childbearing age and men with female partners should use reliable birth control while taking this drug.

Women who are breast-feeding

Busulfan may pass into breast milk and may cause side effects in a child who is breast-fed.

Talk to your doctor if you breast-feed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breast-feeding or stop taking this medication.

For children

This medication hasn’t been studied in children for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. However, it’s been studied in children for different types of cancer.

When to call the doctor

Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this drug.

Allergies

Busulfan can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:

• trouble breathing
• swelling of your throat or tongue

If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. If your symptoms are severe, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Taking this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it could be fatal (cause death). Be sure to tell your doctor if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to this drug.

Your doctor will determine a dosage that’s right for you based on your individual needs, including your body weight. Your general health may affect your dosage. Tell your doctor about all health conditions you have before your healthcare provider administers the drug to you.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always to speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. Important considerations for taking this drug

You’ll start taking this drug 7 days before your transplant

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How long does it take?

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Can I drive home after?

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Clinical monitoring

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Show Sources

• Busulfex – busulfan injection. (2015, January). Retrieved from http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5cb9d285-1803-4a99-946a-d0b239b32df6
• FDA Orange Book. (2015, October). Retrieved from http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/

Content developed in collaboration with University of Illinois-Chicago, Drug Information Group

Medically reviewed by Creighton University, Center for Drug Information and Evidence-Based Practice on February 17, 2016

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.