Nelarabine is used to treat T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.
Nelarabine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Nelarabine may cause serious side effects of the central nervous system, such as problems with balance, coordination, or fine motor skills. These symptoms may not go away even after you stop receiving nelarabine. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about any possible long-term side effects.
Do not use nelarabine if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using nelarabine.
Before you receive nelarabine, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, a nerve disorder, a history of chemotherapy or radiation treatment of your head, neck, or spinal cord.
Nelarabine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood may need to be tested often. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding injury. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with nelarabine.
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.
You should not receive this medication if you are allergic to nelarabine.
To make sure you can safely receive nelarabine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
- liver disease;
- kidney disease;
- a nerve disorder;
- a history of radiation treatment of your head, neck, or spinal cord; or
- a history of cancer medicine injected around your spinal cord.
It is not known whether nelarabine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using nelarabine.
Nelarabine Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
- confusion or clumsiness, extreme drowsiness, fainting;
- loss of balance or coordination;
- problems with walking, breathing, speech, swallowing, or eye movement;
- numbness, weakness, or prickly feeling in your fingers or toes;
- problems with buttoning clothes or picking up small items with your fingers;
- loss of movement in any part of your body;
- seizure (convulsions);
- pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating;
- easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
- fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat; or
- severe shortness of breath, wheezing, gasping for breath, cough with foamy mucus, chest pain, fast or uneven heart rate.
- cough;
- mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation;
- dizziness, drowsiness, feeling tired;
- joint or muscle pain;
- headache; or
- swelling in your hands or feet.
Nelarabine Interactions
This medicine can pass into body fluids (including urine, feces, vomit, semen, vaginal fluid). For at least 48 hours after you receive a dose, avoid allowing your body fluids to come into contact with your hands or other surfaces. Patients and caregivers should wear rubber gloves while cleaning up body fluids, handling contaminated trash or laundry or changing diapers. Wash hands before and after removing gloves. Wash soiled clothing and linens separately from other laundry.
Body fluids should not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant. Use condoms during sexual activity to avoid exposure to body fluids.
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using nelarabine. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), oral polio, rotavirus, smallpox, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), H1N1 influenza, and nasal flu vaccine.
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.
Before receiving nelarabine, tell your doctor if you are also using pentostatin.
There may be other drugs that can interact with nelarabine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Nelarabine Dosage
Nelarabine is injected into a vein through an IV. You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting. Nelarabine must be given slowly, and the IV infusion can take up to 2 hours to complete.This medication is usually given every day or every other day for 5 days in a row every 3 weeks. Your treatment schedule may be different. Follow your doctor's instructions.
Nelarabine can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections and help your blood to clot. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your nervous system and kidney function may also need to be tested. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests. Visit your doctor regularly.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Overdose symptoms may include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medication guide.
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your nelarabine injection.
