Tarceva and/or Equivalents

Tarceva

Tarceva Description

Tarceva is an oral medicinal drug primarily prescribed to treat advanced lung cancer. It is not a chemotherapy drug. It usually works by blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (a kind of protein cancer cells use to thrive on). This helps kill or reduce the cancer cells in the body. The drug is usually used before or after chemotherapy treatment but never during it. It is a small, round white coloured pill. Tarceva mainly consists of Erlotinib. It is soluble in water and methanol. The drug is usually sold in 3 different dosages. Inactive ingredients like hypromellose, sodium starch glycolate, titanium dioxide are also known to be present.

Conditions Treated by Tarceva

Tarceva is an oral medication commonly used for treating lung cancer (non small cell), pancreatic cancer and other forms of cancer. Patients are usually administered Tarceva after a few chemotherapy sessions. This is because doctors usually wait for the cancer cells to stop multiplying before using the drug.

Tarceva Dosage Information

a.) Typical dosage recommendations

Tarceva should typically be taken once a day on an empty stomach. It is an oral medication that works best if had before a meal. Patients are usually advised to take it before their lunch hour so that the body gets adequate time to absorb the medication before its time for a patient to sleep.

b.) Missing a dose

Although doctors normally prescribe the Tarceva pill only once a day, should you forget to have your daily dosage, you must immediately contact your doctor. Missing a dose of Tarceva can result in other problems like nausea, fever, weakness etc. The Tarceva pill typically works daily to reduce the protein content that cancer cells feed on. By missing a dose, the cancer cells will have more quantity of the protein for a day. Depending on the seriousness of your illness and case history, your doctor may advise you to take another replacement pill or wait till the next dose is due. Either way, when you realize you have missed a dose it is important to contact your doctor immediately.

c.) Overdosing

Tarceva is a strong medication. If you have more than the required quantity it may result in other health problems. If you overdose on Tarceva and experience problems like difficulty in breathing, increased blood pressure, irregular heart beat or plain vomiting and nausea you must contact your doctor. Depending on the severity of your illness, your doctor may need to hospitalize you. Overdose due to Tarceva can also result in extreme weakness. If you feel that you may have consumed more than the required quantity of the drug, it is important to seek medical help.

Tarceva Warnings

Like every drug, before consuming Tarceva, you should take some precautions. Pregnant women should not take Tarceva. If a patient becomes pregnant during the medication, it is advisable to stop the medication. Patients trying to get pregnant should avoid doing so while on Tarceva. Mothers of new born babies should not have Tarceva if they are breast feeding their babies. Tarceva is not openly prescribed to everyone. If you have been suffering from cancer for several years, your doctor may not advise the use of Tarceva. Furthermore, it may be necessary to undergo certain tests before Tarceva can be prescribed safely. This is to ensure that the ingredients in the drug do not cause other health problems. Tarceva is usually prescribed after cancer cells stop growing post chemotherapy treatment. It cannot be prescribed when the cancer cells are still actively spreading through the body. Tarceva cannot be prescribed during other cancer treatments especially during chemotherapy treatment. The ingredients in Tarceva may cause certain allergic reactions. If the reactions are not very serious, doctors may continue use of the medicine. If you have suffered from any liver, kidney or organ disease in the past, then it is better to inform your doctor. Medication used at that time may affect or interact with Tarceva. Avoid consuming alcohol while on the medication. If you consume alcohol while on Tarceva, it may result in severe internal bleeding.

Tarceva Side Effects

Most medicinal drugs used to treat different types of cancer may cause certain side effects in the body. Even chemotherapy causes various side effects on the body. It is considered normal if a patient experiences some side effects, as long as they are not serious and life threatening. If symptoms of certain side effects last for more than a day, doctors usually discontinue the medication or reduce the dosage. Some side effects of Tarceva include:

• Lung problems
• Liver or kidney problems
• Hole in the lining or intestine
• Skin conditions like rashes and allergies
• Eye irritation
• Damage to the cornea
• Eye pain
• Sudden external bleeding

Sometimes, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite can also be observed in people taking Tarceva. However, these are also symptoms of the worsening or spread of the cancer. Patients may also experience difficulty in breathing, swelling of the ear, nose or throat, swelling on the face and sudden bouts of fever, cough etc. The ingredients in Tarceva may also cause mouth sores and ulcers. If you experience change in the colour of your stools or urine, severe abdominal pain, yellowing of skin and eyes, then it may indicate other problems. Cancer patients have lower immunity levels then healthy people. This subjects them to illnesses and even physical injuries that take longer to heal. As a cancer patient, it is important to avoid physical contact with people who suffer from contagious diseases. You may be at risk of contracting diseases while on medication. Every patient reacts to medications differently. If you realize that you are experiencing other problems than the ones listed above then it is important to notify your doctor. Some side effects are unique to patients and need to be treated accordingly.

Tarceva Drug Interactions

Tarceva may be metabolised by liver enzymes. Tarceva may also react with ketoconazole, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, telithromycin or voriconazole. Other inducers include rifabutin, rifapentine, phenytoin, carbamazepine, Phenobarbital.

If you have any questions about buying discount Tarceva online or any other prescription products you can contact our team of professional Patient Service Representatives or one of our pharmacists 24-7 by calling 1-800-226-3784.

Notice: The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Tarceva and/or Equivalents warnings, side-effects and general information