Gemcitabine Hcl

CAS:122111-03-9

Assay: 98.0% - 102.0%

Appearance: off-white crystalline powder

Chemical Name:1-(2-oxo-4-amino-1,2-dihydropyrimidin-1-yl)-2- deoxy-2,2-difluororibose

Melting Range: 286 - 292 degree C

This product should be stored, handled and used in accordance with good industrial hygiene practice and conformity with any legal regulation.

The information contained herein are based on the present state of our knowledge and are intended to describe out product from the point of view of safety requirements. They should not therefore be constructed as guaranteeing specific properties .

Proper Use of Gemcitabine?
Gemcitabine often causes nausea and vomiting. It can also cause flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, general feeling of illness, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. It is very important that you continue to receive the medicine even if it makes you feel ill. Ask your health care professional for ways to lessen these effects.

Dosing?

The dose of gemcitabine will be different for different patients. The dose that is used may depend on a number of things, including the type of cancer being treated, the patient's size, and whether or not other treatments are also being given. If you are receiving gemcitabine at home, follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. If you have any questions about the proper dose of gemcitabine, ask your doctor.

Precautions While Using Gemcitabine?
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests will be needed to check for unwanted effects.

While you are being treated with gemcitabine, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccinations) without your doctor's approval. Gemcitabine may lower your body's resistance, and there is a chance you might get the infection that the immunization is meant to prevent. In addition, other persons living in your household should not take oral polio vaccine, since there is a chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have taken oral polio vaccine within the past several months. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and mouth.

Check with your doctor immediately if shortness of breath occurs or worsens while you are being treated with gemcitabine.

Gemcitabine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are needed for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Also, check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

Side Effects of Gemcitabine?
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common
Shortness of breath

Less common
Cough or hoarseness (accompanied by fever or chills); fever or chills; headache (sudden and severe); lower back or side pain (accompanied by fever or chills); painful or difficult urination (accompanied by fever or chills); pain in chest, arm, or back; pressure or squeezing in chest; slurred speech or inability to speak; troubled breathing, tightness in chest, and/or wheezing; weakness in arm and/or leg on one side of the body (sudden and severe)

Rare
Coughing; noisy or rattling breathing

The following side effects may mean that you are having a serious allergic reaction to this medicine, especially if they occur together with breathing problems. Check with your doctor immediately if any of them occur:

Rare
Change in skin color of the face; skin rash, hives, and/or itching; swelling or puffiness of the face, especially the eyelids or area around the eyes

Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

More common
Black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; cloudy urine; fever; pinpoint red spots on skin; skin rash, with or without itching; swelling of fingers, feet, or lower legs; unusual bleeding or bruising ; unusual tiredness or weakness

Less common
Fast or irregular heartbeat; high blood pressure

Rare
Increased or decreased urination; yellow eyes or skin

Some of the above side effects may occur, or continue to occur, after treatment with gemcitabine has ended. Check with your doctor if you notice any of them after you stop receiving the medicine.

Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

More common
Constipation; diarrhea; general feeling of illness; loss of appetite; muscle pain; nausea and vomiting; runny nose; sweating; trouble in sleeping

Less common
Drowsiness (severe); irritation, pain, or redness at place of injection; numbness or tingling of hands or feet; sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips and in mouth

Gemcitabine may also cause a temporary loss of hair in some people. After treatment with gemcitabine has ended, normal hair growth should return.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

Additional Information?
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, gemcitabine is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:

Bladder cancer
Breast cancer
Cancer of the lymph system
Epithelial ovarian cancer
Cancer of the bile ducts
Cancer of the gallbladder
Germ cell tumors of the ovaries and testes (cancer of the egg- and sperm-producing cells)
Other than the above information, there is no additional information relating to proper use, precautions, or side effects for this use.