Casodex
Casodex
Oral Uses
Bicalutamide is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other
areas of the body. It is used in combination with hormone treatment.
This medication works by blocking the action of male hormones in the
prostate, slowing growth of the tumors.
This medication should not be used in women or children.
How
to use Casodex Oral
Take this medication by mouth, usually once a day in the morning or
evening, with or without food, or as directed by your doctor.
Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time each day. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy.
Do not increase your dose or take this medication more often without your doctor's approval. Your condition will not improve any faster, and the risk of serious side effects may be increased.
Since this drug can be absorbed through the skin, women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should not handle this medication.
What drug(s) may interact with bicalutamide?
Tell
your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines
you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements,
or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional
if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if
you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your
medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping
or starting any of your medicines.
Precautions While Using This Medicine
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular
visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly and to
check for unwanted effects.
Nonsteroidal antiandrogens rarely cause liver problems during treatment. The most important signs of this side effect are pain or tenderness in the upper right side of the abdomen (stomach) and yellow eyes or skin. Check with your doctor immediately if either of these occurs. Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible if itching occurs or your urine appears unusually dark. Other possible symptoms, such as loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, and “flu-like” symptoms (headache, muscle or joint pain, or tiredness), can occur during treatment even if you are not having any liver problems. These symptoms usually do not need medical attention. However, if two or more of them occur at the same time, and they last for more than a few days, check with your doctor even if you do not have any of the other symptoms mentioned earlier.
For patients taking nilutamide:
Check
with your doctor right away if shortness of breath or difficult breathing
occurs or gets worse during treatment.
Be very careful while driving, especially when you drive into or out
of tunnels. Nilutamide can temporarily change the way your eyes react
to light. You may not be able to see as well as usual for up to several
minutes after going from bright light to darkness or from dark to
lighted areas. Also, nilutamide can cause your eyes to be more sensitive
to light than they are normally. Wearing eyeglasses with tinted lenses
or sunglasses may help reduce these effects.
Drinking alcoholic beverages while taking nilutamide may cause unwanted
effects in some people. Possible effects include feeling dizzy, lightheaded,
or faint; flushing of the face; or a general feeling of illness. If
you notice any of these effects, do not drink any more alcoholic beverages
while you are being treated with this medicine.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking
bicalutamide?
• Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have
liver disease or any other serious illness. You may not be able to
take bicalutamide, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring
if you have any of the conditions listed above.
• Bicalutamide is not indicated for use by women. Do not take
this medication if you are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy. Bicalutamide
is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that bicalutamide is
known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby.
• It is not known whether bicalutamide passes into breast milk.
Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if
you are breast-feeding a baby
