Like all medicines, Noxafil can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Some of these side effects can be serious and may require urgent medical attention. Please consult your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
Possible side effects listed below are grouped by frequency of occurrence Very common Common Uncommon Rare Very rare Not known affects more than 1 user in 10 affects 1 to 10 users in 100 affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000 affects 1 to 10 users in 10,000 affects less than 1 user in 10,000 frequency cannot be estimated from the available data
Common side effects:
Abnormal levels of salts in the blood (e.g. could experience confusion and weakness).
Uncommon side effects:
Anaemia, thrombocytopenia (a blood disease characterized by an abnormally small number of platelets in the blood, which may lead to bleeding), leukopenia (a blood disease characterized by lower than the normal amount of white blood cells), eosinophilia (an abnormal increase in the number of a specific type of white blood cell called eosinophils, which often accompanies inflammatory conditions), Allergic reaction,
Convulsions, a problem with the functioning of all the nerves in the body,
Irregular heartbeat, abnormal electrocardiogram, high or low blood pressure,
Inflammation of the pancreas (e.g. intense stomach pain),
Failure of the liver (e.g.coma), liver damage, yellow colour of the skin or the eyes, inflammation of the liver with or without bile obstruction,
Enlargement of both the liver and spleen (e.g. feeling mass under the ribs), liver tenderness, Failure of the kidneys (e.g. urine increase or decrease, discoloured urine, pain while urinating).
Rare side effects:
Pneumonia (e.g. shortness of breath and discoloured phlegm), high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery which can irrevocably damage the lungs and heart,
Unusual blood clotting, prolonged bleeding,
Severe allergic reactions, including widespread blistering rash and skin peeling,
Altered brain function (such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not there), fainting,
Problem thinking or talking, an abnormal tremor consisting of involuntary jerking movements,
especially in the hands, frequently occurring with impending hepatic coma and altered brain function,
Stroke (e.g. pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the limbs),
A blind or dark spot in the visual field,
Heart failure or heart attack, heart rhythm disorders, with sudden death, absence of the heart beat leading to oxygen lack and eventually to death,
Blood clots in limbs (e.g. intense pain or swelling), or blood clots in lungs (e.g. shortness of breath, pain while breathing),
Bleeding into the gut (e.g. vomiting blood, blood in the stool), intestinal obstruction: blockage of the intestine (especially the ileum) that prevents the contents of the intestine from passing to the lower bowel, which often results in abdominal bloating, vomiting, severe constipation, loss of appetite, and cramps,
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (a condition characterized by the breakup of red blood cells (hemolysis) with or without kidney failure), pancytopenia (an abnormal deficiency in all blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets)),
Large purple discolourations on the skin,
Swelling of the face or tongue.
The other side effects listed below are given with an estimation of the frequency with which they may occur with Noxafil.
Common side effects:
An abnormal sensation of the skin, such as numbness, tingling, pricking, burning, or creeping on the skin,
Headache, dizziness,
Sleepiness,
Nausea (feeling or being sick), loss of appetite, stomach pain, diarrhoea, upset stomach, vomiting, passing gas, dry mouth,
Abnormal liver function results in blood test,
A decrease in white blood cells in blood tests (that can increase the risk of infections), Weakness, tiredness,
Rash,
Fever.
Uncommon side effects:
Enlargement of lymph glands,
Reduced sense of touch or sensation, or a partial loss of sensitivity to sensory stimuli,, tremor, High blood levels of sugar,
Blurred vision,
Temporary hair loss,
Mouth ulcers,
Shivering, generally feeling unwell,
Scattered body pain, including in muscles and joints, back pain,
Water retention (e.g. body swelling),
Menstrual disorder (e.g. abnormal bleeding from the vagina),
Change in effectiveness of some medicines.
Rare side effects:
Depression,
Double vision,
Breast pain,
Poor functioning of the adrenal gland (e.g. weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, skin discolouration), decreased blood levels of hormones that are secreted by the pituitary gland, and that affect the function of the male or female gonads,
Hearing problems.
Some patients have also reported feeling confused after taking Noxafil.
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.
