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Main Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Colorectal Cancer | Resource Guide Medications for Colorectal Cancer by Michelle Badash, MS En Español (Spanish Version) The information provided here is meant to give you a general idea about each of the medications listed below. Only the most general side effects are included. Ask your doctor if you need to take any special precautions. Use each of these medications only as recommended by your doctor, and according to the instructions provided. If you have further questions about usage or side effects, contact your doctor. Medications may help to either prevent or reduce side effects of treatment, or to manage certain side effects once they occur. You can develop side effects from the treatment and/or from the cancer itself. Tell your doctor when you notice a new symptom, and ask him or her if any of these medications are appropriate for you. Prescription Medications + Nausea Therapies Prochlorperazine (Compazine) Ondansetron (Zofran) Granisetron (Kytril) Metoclopramide (Octamide, Metoclopramide Intensol, Reglan) + Corticosteroids Dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dalalone, Decadrol, Decadron, Decaject, Dexacorten, Dexamethasone Intensol, Dexasone, Dexone, Hexadrol, Mymethasone, Primethasone, Solurex) Prednisone (Cordrol, Deltasone, Liquid Pred, Meticorten, Orasone, Prednicot, Prednisone Intensol, Pred-Pak, Sterapred) + Painkillers—Narcotics Hydrocodone (Dilaudid, Hydrostat) Methadone (Astramorph PF, Duramorph, Kadian, MS Contin, OMS Concentrate, Oramorph SR, Rescudose, RMS Uniserts, Roxanol) Oxycodone and Acetaminophen (Percocet) + Blood Stem Cell Support Drugs Filgrastim (Neupogen) Epoetin (Epogen, Procrit) Over-the-Counter Medications + Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Ibuprofen (Advil, Bayer Select Ibuprofen, Dolgesic, Excedrin IB, Genpril, Haltran, Ibifon, Ibren, Ibu, Ibuprin, Ibuprohm, Medipren, Midol IB, Motrin, Nuprin, Q-Profen, Rufen, Trendar) Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn) Prescription Medications Page 1 of 5 Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. Nausea Therapies Common names include: Prochlorperazine (Compazine) Ondansetron (Zofran) Granisetron (Kytril) Metoclopramide (Octamide, Metoclopramide Intensol, Reglan) Medications for nausea, also called anti-emetics, are given to help treat nausea and vomiting that may be caused by chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery to treat cancer. Prochlorperazine can be taken by mouth, injection, or a suppository. Ondansetron and granisetron can be taken orally or as injections; metoclopramide is usually given by injection. Possible side effects include: For prochlorperazine: Blurred vision, change in color vision, or difficulty seeing at night Fainting Loss of balance control Restlessness or need to keep moving Shuffling walk Stiffness of arms or legs Trembling and shaking of hands and fingers For ondansetron: Constipation Diarrhea Fever Headache For granisetron: Abdominal pain Constipation Diarrhea Headache Unusual tiredness or weakness For metoclopramide: Diarrhea (with high doses) Drowsiness Restlessness Increased risk of tardive dyskinesia (a serious neurological condition) in patients who take metoclopramide for longer than three months Corticosteroids Common names include: Page 2 of 5 Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. Dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dalalone, Decadrol, Decadron, Decaject, Dexacorten, Dexamethasone Intensol, Dexasone, Dexone, Hexadrol, Mymethasone, Primethasone, Solurex) Prednisone (Cordrol, Deltasone, Liquid Pred, Meticorten, Orasone, Prednicot, Prednisone Intensol, Pred-Pak, Sterapred) Corticosteroids help reduce inflammation and relieve pain due to inflammation. You may experience pain and inflammation for a variety of reasons, such as: Bone pain from cancer that has spread to your bones Edema (fluid build up in cells) caused by tumors or treatment Possible side effects include: Increased appetite Indigestion Nervousness or restlessness Painkillers—Narcotics Common names include: Hydrocodone (Dilaudid, Hydrostat) Methadone (Astramorph PF, Duramorph, Kadian, MS Contin, OMS Concentrate, Oramorph SR, Rescudose, RMS Uniserts, Roxanol) Oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet) Narcotics act on the central nervous system to relieve pain. These drugs can be very effective; however, narcotics must be used with great caution because they can be mentally and/or physically addicting. If you are going to take one of these drugs for a long period of time, your doctor will closely monitor you. Percocet is a combination medication; the narcotic analgesic and acetaminophen used together may provide better pain relief than either medicine used alone. The most common side effects of narcotics include: Dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint Drowsiness Nausea or vomiting Blood Stem Cell Support Drugs Common names include: Filgrastim (Neupogen) Epoetin (Epogen, Procrit) During cancer treatment, blood cells can be destroyed along with cancer cells. Filgrastim helps your bone marrow make new white blood cells, which help your body fight infection. Therefore, filgrastim helps to reduce your risk of infection. Epoetin helps your bone marrow make new red blood cells. Low red blood cell levels can lead to anemia. Therefore, epoetin helps reduce your risk of anemia. Page 3 of 5 Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. Both filgrastim and epoetin are given by injection in your doctor's office. Possible side effects include: For filgrastim: Headache Pain in arms or legs Pain in joints or muscles Pain in lower back or pelvis Skin rash or itching For epoetin: Cough, sneezing, or sore throat Fever Swelling of face, fingers, ankles, feet, or lower legs Weight gain Over-the-Counter Medications Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Common names include: Ibuprofen (Advil, Bayer Select Ibuprofen, Dolgesic, Excedrin IB, Genpril, Haltran, Ibifon, Ibren, Ibu, Ibuprin, Ibuprohm, Medipren, Midol IB, Motrin, Nuprin, Q-Profen, Rufen, Trendar) Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn) NSAIDs are used to relieve pain and inflammation. You may experience pain and inflammation for a variety of reasons, such as: Bone pain from cancer that has spread to your bones Edema (fluid build up in cells) caused by tumors or treatment Possible side effects include: Stomach cramps, pain, or discomfort Dizziness, drowsiness, or lightheadedness Headache Heartburn, indigestion, nausea, or vomiting Special Considerations Whenever you are taking a prescription medication, take the following precautions: Take your medication as directed. Do not change the amount or the schedule. Do not stop taking them without talking to your doctor. Do not share them. Know what the results and side effects. Report them to your doctor. Some drugs can be dangerous when mixed. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you are taking more than one drug. This includes over-the-counter medication and herb or dietary supplements. Plan ahead for refills so you don’t run out. REFERENCES: Page 4 of 5 Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved. American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp . FDA's MedWatch safety alerts: March 2009. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm142815.htm . Published March 23, 2009. Accessed August 4, 2009. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/ . United States Pharmacopeial Convention. USP DI. 21st ed. Englewood, CO: Micromedex; 2001 Last reviewed September 2011 by Mohei Abouzied, MD, FACP Last Updated: 9/19/2011 Page 5 of 5 Copyright © 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.