Vinblastine Intravenous

In the U.S.

• Velban

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution
• Powder for Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antineoplastic Agent

Pharmacologic Class: Mitotic Inhibitor

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that vinblastine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

While you are being treated with vinblastine, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccinations) without your doctor's approval. Vinblastine may lower your body's resistance and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization is meant to prevent. Other people living in your household should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have taken oral polio vaccine within the past several months. Do not get close to them, and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and mouth.

Vinblastine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

• If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
• Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
• Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
• Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
• Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
• Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

If vinblastine accidentally seeps out of the vein into which it is injected, it may damage the skin and cause some scarring. Tell the doctor or nurse right away if you notice redness, pain, or swelling at the place of injection.

Along with their needed effects, medicines like vinblastine can sometimes cause unwanted effects such as blood problems, loss of hair, and other side effects. These and other effects are described below. Also, because of the way these medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years after the medicine is used. These delayed effects may include certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.

Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

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

• Cough or hoarseness accompanied by fever or chills
• fever or chills
• lower back or side pain accompanied by fever or chills
• painful or difficult urination accompanied by fever or chills

• Blood in urine or stools
• pain or redness at place of injection
• pinpoint red spots on skin
• unusual bleeding or bruising

• Black, tarry stools

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

• Joint pain
• sores in mouth and on lips
• swelling of feet or lower legs

• Difficulty in walking
• dizziness
• double vision
• drooping eyelids
• headache
• jaw pain
• mental depression
• numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
• pain in fingers and toes
• pain in testicles
• weakness

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:

• Bone or muscle pain
• nausea and vomiting

vinblastine often causes a temporary loss of hair. After treatment with vinblastine has ended, or sometimes even during treatment, normal hair growth should return.

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.

Vinblastine is used to treat cancer. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.

How to use Vinblastine SULFATE Vial

This medication is given by injection into a vein by a health care professional. It is usually given once a week or as directed by your doctor. To prevent leakage of the medication into tissue around the vein, vinblastine should be injected over 1 minute. Tell your health care professional right away if you experience pain, burning, or redness at the injection site. This medication should not be mixed in a large amount of solution and/or injected over a long time (such as 30 to 60 minutes) unless directed by your doctor. Doing so may increase the risk of leakage. If the medication starts to leak into tissue, the injection should be stopped and the remaining solution should be given into a different vein.

The dosage is based on your medical condition, body size, and response to treatment. Your doctor will do blood tests (complete blood count) to find the right dose for you. Your next dose may need to be rescheduled if your white blood cell count is too low.

Avoid getting this medication in your eye. If this occurs, wash the affected eye(s) well and contact your doctor.

Unless your doctor instructs you otherwise, drink plenty of fluids while taking this medication. Doing so helps your kidneys to remove the drug from your body and avoid some of the side effects.

Before using vinblastine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: bone marrow problems (e.g., low white count/platelets from previous chemotherapy/radiation treatment, tumor in the bone marrow), untreated bacterial infection.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially: blood vessel problems (e.g., blood clots, stroke, Raynaud's disease, varicose veins), heart disease (e.g., angina, heart attack), poor nutrition, liver disease, lung problems, stomach/intestinal sores (e.g., peptic ulcer), skin sores (ulcers).

Wash your hands well to prevent the spread of infections. Do not have immunizations/vaccinations without the consent of your doctor, and avoid contact with people who have recently received oral polio vaccine or flu vaccine inhaled through the nose.

To lower your risk of getting cut, bruised, or injured, use caution with sharp objects like razors and nail cutters, and avoid activities such as contact sports.

This medication may make you more sensitive to the sun. Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors. Tell your doctor right away if you get sunburned or have skin blisters/redness.

Caution is advised when using this drug in the elderly, especially if they have poor nutrition or skin sores, because they may be more sensitive to the risk of infection.

This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm the unborn baby. Consult your doctor for more details. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor right away.

It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Because of the possible risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.