ERBITUX

Erbitux Information

Erbitux (also known as Cetuximab) is a monoclonal antibody and also an epidermal growth factor inhibitor (also abbreviated EGFR). This is a cancer medication which interferes with the expansion of the cancer and it is helpful in slowing down the cells’ growth and also spread throughout the human body.

Erbitux Indications

Erbitux is usually prescribed in the treatment of the patients who are suffering from colorectal cancer which has spread all over the body, especially if the individuals do not respond to or cannot take other medicines. This drug can be used in combination with Irinotecan or alone to treat the cancer, but it is not a cure for the colorectal cancer.

Erbitux can also be used in combination with radiotherapy to treat some cancerous disorders that are located in the patient’s neck or head. Erbitux may be used to serve other purposes than those listed above; for further information ask your personal health care provider.

Erbitux Warnings

The intake of Erbitux may cause allergic reactions, but only in 3% of the patients who are using it; death only results in very rare cases. The symptoms which may be experienced by patients who are under treatment with this medicine are: breathing problems, wheezing, hoarseness, loss of consciousness, heart attack, diarrhea, weakness and low blood pressure. More serious side effects are: allergic reactions, infections, skin reactions, kidney failure, lung disease and sometimes blood clots in the lungs. Usually the allergic reactions appear after taking the first dose of Erbitux; in the case of a severe allergic reaction, the treatment must be stopped and not restarted.

Erbitux Intake Guidelines

You should ask you personal health care provider how to use the doses of Erbitux. It is not recommended to deviate from any of the doctor’s instructions. The patients are recommended to take this medicine with a glass full of liquid (water/milk/juice/tea) and eat very well before taking it, in order to avoid a stomach upset. You should not stop the treatment before consulting this with your personal health care provider. This medication contains small particles and this is why it is very important to use an “in-line” filter while taking this drug.

Erbitux Dosage

Your personal health care provider will prescribe you the proper dose of Erbitux that you should take in on a regular basis. Do not deviate from the dosage that you have been given by your personal doctor without his or her consent. The recommended dose is of 400 mg intravenous once a week. The administration of this medicine generally lasts for two hours. Your physician will decide whether you will receive Erbitux in combination with radiotherapy or alone. The dosage given to you is usually established depending on your medical condition and also on the response of your organism to the therapy.

Erbitux Overdose

The maximum single dose of Erbitux which was administered to a patient was of 1000 mg and there were no adverse events reported in that case. Most cases of over-doses with this drug have occurred due to the unauthorized intake of extra doses of this medicine. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with further information regarding this matter.

Erbitux Missed Dose

It is very important for the patients to try to take each of the scheduled doses of Erbitux at their prescription time. In the cases in which a patient skips one of his or her doses it is recommended not to take a double dose (except the cases in which the doctor tells the patient to do so), but to contact his personal health care in order to receive a new dosing schedule.

Erbitux Side Effects

Here is a list of the most common side effects that the patients may experience while taking Erbitux: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, eye redness, eye itching, drowsiness, headaches, fatigue, backache, fever, chills, sleeping problems, weight loss, dry skin, nail changes. The first two side effects (nausea and vomiting) can be severe and in some of the cases the doctor may prescribe the patients some other drug therapy in order to prevent them. A way of lessening these side effects is to force the patient to make some changes in their diet.

Individuals may also experience acne – like rash; depending on its severity the personal health care provider may lower the dose, delay the treatment, treat the rash or in some of the cases even stop the treatment with Erbitux. The patients should announce immediately their doctor if they experience: confusion, depression, swelling of the hands and feet, serious infections, high fever, sore throat, dehydration, dizziness, irregular heartbeats. Very rare symptoms include the development of lung problems; this is why the patients must contact immediately their personal health care provider if they have problems breathing.

This is not a complete list of the side effects which can appear in a patient who is taking Erbitux; this is why if a patient experiences other effects than those listed above, he should immediately contact his doctor.

Before starting the treatment with Erbitux, the patients should tell their doctor if they are allergic to this drug, if they have other allergies, their medical history (especially if the patient has had lung disease, radiation therapy, heart diseases such as congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and coronary artery disease).

Erbitux Drug Reactions

Your personal health care provider (such as the doctor, pharmacist, and nurse) should be aware of any possible interactions between Erbitux and other drugs and should monitor you for it. The patients should not stop their therapy or change the dosage of this medicine without previously consulting their personal health care provider.

Before starting the treatment with Erbitux, the patients should inform their personal health care provider about all the prescription products that they use - even about those which are 100% natural.