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Oral chemotherapy at home
Your doctor has prescribed chemotherapy medication to treat your
cancer. You’ll be taking your medication by mouth in the form of pills
or capsules. Here are some precautions and some advice on following
the treatment at home.
Why is it necessary to take
precautions with chemo
medication ?
A disposable pillbox prepared at the drug
store, containing ONLY YOUR CHEMO
MEDICATION, is another good solution.
Oral chemotherapy destroys cancer cells.
This is called the cytotoxic effect (cyto means
cell). However, it can also have toxic effects
on normal cells. That’s why it’s extremely
important to follow the safety measures
described in this document. Your family,
friends and pets should not come into contact
with your chemo meds.
ATTENTION
How to store these containers:
– where children can’t reach them
– where animals can’t reach them
– at room temperature, away from
heat sources
– away from light (for example, in a
cabinet)
Where should I keep my oral chemo
medication ?
– away from humidity
Medications should stay in
the original container. These
containers given by the
pharmacist are:
Once the container is empty, bring it back to
your pharmacy. If this is not possible, throw it in
a garbage can with a lid. These containers must
never be reused for other objects or food.
– rigid and airtight
– hard for children to open
434
– clearly marked CYTOTOXIC
or CHEMOTHERAPY
Oral chemotherapy at home
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Patient Education and Awareness Program
What precautions should I take
when handling oral chemo
medication ?
Tell your dentists and other health-care
professionals you consult that you’re
taking oral chemotherapy. This can
affect the choice of care they provide
for you. Bring along an up-to-date list
of medications you’re taking.
> Wash your hands before and after touching
the pills.
> Put the pills on the cover
of the container to count
them.
> If the pills have come
into contact with a
surface other than the
container, wash the
surface with soap
and water.
How should I take my oral
chemo pills ?
It’s important to follow the directions on the
label. For example, don’t crush, chew, open
or dissolve the capsules before you swallow
them. Make sure you know when to take the
medication (on an empty stomach or with
food) and how many times a day you’re
supposed to take it.
> Once you’ve taken
your pills, seal the
container. Immediately
store it out of reach of children and animals.
Anyone who’s helping you handle your meds
should wear disposable gloves. You can buy
disposable gloves at the drug store. Helpers
should also wash their hands before putting on
the gloves and after taking them off.
If you have questions, call your pharmacist.
What should I do if I forget to take
a dose ?
If you forget to take a dose, don’t double up on
the next dose. Call your pharmacist for advice
based on your situation.
Use an alarm clock or a calendar to help you
remember to take your pills.
Women who are pregnant or
breastfeeding should not touch
chemo pills.
Oral chemotherapy at home
2
Patient Education and Awareness Program
What should I do if I take more
than the recommended dose of
my medication ?
> Chest pain
> Rapid heartbeat even
at rest
> feeling out of breath or
having trouble breathing
Immediately advise your doctor, your
pharmacist or your nurse.
> 4 loose bowel movements
(diarrhea) or more every
day for the past 2 days
What should I do if someone else
accidentally swallows some of my
chemo pills ?
> no bowel movements for
3 days
> unable to drink anything for
more than 24 hours
Try to make the person throw up. If this
happens during the hours when the oncology
clinic is open, contact your oncology
pharmacist or your nurse.
> vomiting for more than 24 hours
> nausea lasting more than 48 hours
> sudden and profuse bleeding (from any part
of the body)
If the clinic is closed, call:
Poison Control Centre:
> 1 800 463-5060
> sudden appearance of extreme fatigue or
irresistible desire to sleep
If you can’t get the person to throw up and you
can’t reach your nurse or the Poison Control
Centre, have the person go to the hospital’s
emergency. The person should bring along the
name of the medication and the quantity that
was swallowed (number of mg).
> feeling of intense anxiety or having suicidal
ideas.
What are the side effects of
chemotherapy ?
Chemo can cause:
When should I go to emergency ?
– nausea and vomiting
– small mouth ulcers
It’s extremely important to contact your nurse
or go to emergency if you have one or more of
the following symptoms:
– diarrhea or constipation
–fatigue
>Fever
– oral temperature higher
than 38 °C
(100.4 °F) for more than
one hour
– oral temperature higher
than 38.3 °C (100.9 °F)
These effects are often temporary and can be
treated. Ask your care team for fact sheets on
these side effects.
ATTENTION
Don’t take Advil, Tylenol, Motrin or
aspirin, all of which can hide a fever.
Oral chemotherapy at home
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Patient Education and Awareness Program
USEFUL RESOURCES
My treatment is over now. What
should I do with the pills that
are left?
Canadian Cancer Society:
> 1 888 939-3333
> cancer.ca
If you have some chemo pills left and you don’t
have to take them any more, return them to
the drug store in the original container. They
will be safely disposed of.
Other health sheets published by the
CHUM are available (in French only).
Ask for those that might fit your situation.
Never throw oral chemo drugs in the toilet or
the garbage.
You can also find them
on our web site
chumontreal.qc.ca/votresante
Where should I go for help or
answers to my questions ?
If you have questions, feel free to
contact your pharmacist, your oncology
pharmacist, your nurse or your doctor.
NOTEPAD
Questions
The content of this document in no way replaces
the recommendations and diagnoses made, or the
treatment suggested by your health professional.
Oral chemotherapy at home
To find out more about the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
chumontreal.qc.ca
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This document is protected under Creative Commons license.
4 005 319 February 2017
Write down any questions you want
to ask your care team so you don’t
forget anything.