Daunorubicin - Intravenous

Daunorubicin is used together with other anti-cancer medicines to treat certain types of leukaemia where the bone marrow produces too many white blood cells called granulocytes or lymphocytes.

Daunorubicin injection is to be given intravenously (into the vein) as an infusion. It is delivered directly into the bloodstream via the blood vessel.

Your doctor or nurse will administer the injection for you.

The dose of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the treatment timeframe depending on the severity of your disease and your response to the medication.

Ensure that you keep all appointments with your doctor so that you do not miss any doses. Your doctor also needs to regularly monitor your response to Daunorubicin.

If you miss an appointment or miss an injection, alert your doctor or nurse. A replacement appointment or injection should be given as soon as possible.

Alert your doctor if you have the following conditions:

• persistent and severely low blood cell counts
• severe infection
• severe irregular or abnormal heartbeat
• recent heart attack
• recently exposed to or with existing chickenpox
• severe liver disease
• severe kidney disease

as Daunorubicin may not be suitable for you.

Do not breastfeed while you are being treated with this medicine.

Alert your doctor if you have been recently vaccinated. You must avoid any vaccinations without consulting with your doctor.

Inform your doctor if you have the following conditions:

• history of heart disease
• mild to moderate liver disease
• mild to moderate kidney disease
• previous or currently receiving radiation therapy on the chest area

Let your doctor know if you are pregnant.

Why is it important to keep my appointments with the doctor?

Keep your appointments with your doctor. Your doctor needs to monitor your condition and check your response to the medication regularly.

• Routine tests (e.g. complete blood count, uric acid level, heart, liver, and kidney function) may be done while you are being treated with this medicine. Your doctor will advise you about how often you need to have these tests.
• Regular monitoring of signs and symptoms of infusion-related reactions may also be needed.

Daunorubicin may cause dizziness and some problems with your eyesight. If affected, do not drive or take part in any activity in which you need to be alert or need to see clearly.

Other side effects include any of the following: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, and hair loss.

Some side effects may need immediate medical help. Alert your doctor quickly if you experience any of the following:

• swelling in the ankles or feet, fast or irregular heartbeat
• chest pain, tightness or pressure, pain that may spread to the arms, jaw, neck, shoulder or back, shortness of breath, lightheadedness
• severe loss of strength or energy

This medicine will cause the level of your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to drop.

Red blood cells carry oxygen around your body. A fall in the level of red blood cells may make you feel tired and worn out.

White blood cells help your body to fight infections. A fall in the level of your white blood cells may put you at higher risk for infections, such as coughs, colds and flu, which may lead to more serious infections. Avoid crowded places and people who are sick. Inform your doctor if you have a fever, cough, or flu that does not go away.

Platelets help your blood to clot when there is a cut in the skin. A fall in the level of your platelets may put you at risk of bleeding more than usual. Do not take part in activities where you may fall or get injured, such as contact sports. Inform your doctor if you get any unusual bruising (large bruises or several bruises, especially if the bruises appeared on their own) or bleeding that takes a long time to stop (for example, too much bleeding when you floss or brush your teeth).

Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.

Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:

• other medicines for cancer e.g. cyclophosphamide, methotrexate
• certain water pills or medicines for water retention

This list does not include all medicines that may interact with Daunorubicin.

Avoid vaccinations during treatment with this medicine.

Always notify your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal tonics such as traditional Chinese medicines, supplements, and medicines that you buy without a prescription.

Avoid alcohol.

Available products of Daunorubicin may vary with its storage requirements. Ask your doctor or pharmacist on how to properly store this medicine.

Protect from light.

Medicines must not be used past the expiry date.

As this is a cancer medicine, always return any unused or expired medicine to the clinic, hospital, or pharmacy for disposal. Do not throw it away in the household waste.