Before taking imatinib,
-tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to
imatinib or any other medications.
-tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and
nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional
supplements you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to
mention any of the following: acetaminophen (Tylenol);
certain antibiotics including erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin,
Erythrocin), clarithromycin (Biaxin), and rifampin (Rifadin,
in Rifamate); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as
warfarin (Coumadin); antifungals such as ketoconazole (Nizoral)
and itraconazole (Sporanox); Calcium channel blockers such
as amlodipine (Norvasc, in Caduet), diltiazem (Cardizem,
Tiazac), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (Dynacirc),
nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia,
others), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), or
verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);
cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) such as
atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and
simvastatin (Zocor); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune);
dexamethasone; hormonal contraceptives (birth control
pills, patches, rings, injections or implants); pimozide (Orap);
medications for anxiety; medications for seizures such as
carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital, and phenytoin (Dilantin);
sedatives; sleeping pills; and tranquilizers. Other
medications may also interact with imatinib, so be sure to
tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking,
even those that do not appear on this list. Your doctor
may need to change the doses of your medications or
monitor you carefully for side effects.
-tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking,
especially St. John's wort.
-tell your doctor if you have or have ever had high
blood pressure a heart attack; an irregular heartbeat;
diabetes; or heart, lung, thyroid, or liver disease. Also
tell your doctor if you smoke, if you use street drugs,
and if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of
alcohol.
-tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become
pregnant. You should not become pregnant while you are
taking imatinib. Talk to your doctor about birth control
methods that you can use during your treatment. If you
become pregnant while taking imatinib, call your doctor.
Imatinib may harm the fetus.
-tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You should
not breast-feed while you are taking imatinib.
-talk to your doctor about what you should do if you
develop diarrhea during your treatment. Do not take any
medications to treat diarrhea without talking to your
doctor.
