In deciding to use a medicine, the risks
of using the medicine must be weighed against the good
it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will
make. For valrubicin, the following should be
considered:
Allergies—Tell
your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic
reaction to valrubicin or to similar medicines (daunorubicin,
doxorubicin, epirubicin). Also tell your health care
professional if you are allergic to any other
substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy—Valrubicin
has not been studied in humans but has been found to
cause birth defects and other problems in animals. Make
sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you
intend to have children (for women and men).
Breast-feeding—It
is not known whether valrubicin instilled into the
bladder passes into breast milk. However, because of the
possible harmful effects if it gets into the milk,
breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with
this medicine.
Children—Studies
on this medicine have been done only in adult patients,
and there is no specific information comparing use of
valrubicin in children with use in other age groups.
Older adults—Many
medicines have not been studied specifically in older
people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work
exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although
there is no specific information comparing the use of
valrubicin in the elderly with use in other age groups,
this medicine has been used mostly in patients older
than 60 years of age and is not expected to cause
different side effects or problems in older people than
it does in younger adults.
Other medicines—Although
certain medicines should not be used together at all, in
other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your
doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions
may be necessary. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you
are using any other prescription or nonprescription
(over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other medical problems—The
presence of other medical problems may affect the use of
valrubicin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have
any other medical problems, especially:
