Like all medicines, Glivec can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. They are usually mild to moderate.
These side effects may occur with certain frequencies, which are defined as follows:
- Very common: affects more than 1 patient in 10.
- Common: affects 1 to 10 patients in 100.
- Uncommon: affects 1 to 10 patients in 1,000.
- Rare: affects 1 to 10 patients in 10,000.
- Very rare: affects less than 1 patient in 10,000.
- Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data.
Some side effects may be serious. Tell your doctor straight away if you get any of the following:
Very common or common side effects:
- Rapid weight gain. Glivec may cause your body to retain water (severe fluid retention). - Signs of infection such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers. Glivec can reduce the number of white blood cells, so you might get infections more easily.
- Unexpected bleeding or bruising (when you have not hurt yourself).
Uncommon or rare side effects Chest pain, irregular heart rhythm signs of heart problems. Cough, having difficulty breathing or painful breathing signs of lung problems. Feeling light-headed, dizzy or fainting signs of low blood pressure. Feeling sick nausea, with loss of appetite, light-coloured urine, yellow skin or eyes signs of liver problems. Rash, red skin with blisters on the lips, eyes, skin or mouth, peeling skin, fever, raised red or purple skin patches, itching, burning sensation, pustular eruption signs of skin problems. Severe abdominal pain, blood in your vomit, stools or urine, black stools signs of gastrointestinal disorders. Severely decreased urine output, feeling thirsty signs of kidney problems. Feeling sick nausea with diarrhoea and vomiting, abdominal pain or fever signs of bowel problems. Severe headache, weakness or paralysis of limbs or face, difficulty speaking, sudden loss of consciousness signs of nervous system problems. Pale skin, feeling tired and breathlessness and having dark urine signs of low levels of red blood cells. Eye pain or deterioration in vision. Pain in your hips or difficulty walking. Numb or cold toes and fingers signs of Raynauds syndrome. Sudden swelling and redness of the skin signs of a skin infection called cellulites. Difficulty hearing. Muscle weakness and spasms with an abnormal heart rhythm signs of changes in the amount of potassium in your blood. Bruising. Stomach pain with feeling sick nausea. Muscle spasms with a fever, red-brown urine, pain or weakness in your muscles signs of muscle problems. Pelvic pain sometimes with nausea and vomiting, with unexpected vaginal bleeding, feeling dizzy or fainting due to low blood pressure signs of problems with your ovaries or womb. Nausea, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, clouding of urine, tiredness andor joint discomfort associated with abnormal laboratory test results eg. high potassium, uric acid and phosphorous levels and low calcium levels in the blood. If you get any of the above, tell your doctor straight away.
Other side effects may include:
Very common side effects Headache or feeling tired. Feeling sick nausea, being sick vomiting, diarrhoea or indigestion. Rash. Muscle cramps or joint, muscle or bone pain. Swelling such as round your ankles or puffy eyes. Weight gain. If any of these affects you severely, tell your doctor.
Common side effects Anorexia, weight loss or a disturbed sense of taste. Feeling dizzy or weak. Difficulty in sleeping insomnia. Discharge from the eye with itching, redness and swelling conjunctivitis, watery eyes or having blurred vision. Nose bleeds. Pain or swelling in your abdomen, flatulence, heartburn or constipation. Itching.
Unusual hair loss or thinning. Numbness of the hands or feet. Mouth ulcers. Joint pain with swelling. Dry mouth, dry skin or dry eye. Decreased or increased skin sensitivity. Hot flushes, chills or night sweats. If any of these affects you severely, tell your doctor.
Not known:
- Reddening and/or swelling on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet which may be accompanied by tingling sensation and burning pain.
- Slowing of growth in children and adolescents.
If any of these affects you severely, tell your doctor.
If any of the side effects gets serious or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
