About Your Treatment
Your doctor has ordered erlotinib to help treat your illness. Erlotinib comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day on an empty stomach. Take erlotinib at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you eat a meal or snack. To help you remember to take erlotinib, take it at around the same time every day.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain anything you do not understand. Take erlotinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Do not stop taking erlotinib without talking to your doctor.
This medication is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (a type of cancer that begins in the lungs) in patients who have already been treated ...
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About Your Treatment
Your doctor has ordered erlotinib to help treat your illness. Erlotinib comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day on an empty stomach. Take erlotinib at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you eat a meal or snack. To help you remember to take erlotinib, take it at around the same time every day.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain anything you do not understand. Take erlotinib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Do not stop taking erlotinib without talking to your doctor.
This medication is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (a type of cancer that begins in the lungs) in patients who have already been treated with at least one other chemotherapy medication and have ...
Keep reading...
Other Uses
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
Precautions
Before taking erlotinib,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to erlotinib or any other drugs.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn); carbamazepine (Tegretol); cimetidine (Tagamet); clarithromycin (Biaxin); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); danazol (Danocrine); delavirdine (Rescriptor); dexamethasone (Decadron); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); ethosuximide (Zarontin); fluvoxamine (Luvox); HIV protease inhibitors such as atazanavir (Reyataz), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase); isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); metronidazole (Flagyl); nefazodone; oral contraceptives (birth control pills); other chemotherapy drugs, especially carboplatin (Paraplatin), cisplatin (Platinol-AQ), gemcitabine (Gemzar), and paclitaxel (Onxol, Taxol); phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); phenytoin (Dilantin); rifabutin (Mycobutin); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane); telithromycin (Ketek); troglitazone (Rezulin); troleando
Possible Side Effects
Erlotinib may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
diarrhea
nausea
vomiting
stomach pain
loss of appetite
mouth sores
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Special Instructions
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to erlotinib.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
Storage Conditions
Keep erlotinib in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
