Epirubicin may cause severe heart damage, even months or years after you have stopped taking the drug. Epirubicin may also cause a decrease in the number of blood cells.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had chemotherapy with daunorubicin (Cerubidine, DaunoXome), doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Doxil, Rubex), epirubicin, idarubicin (Idamycin), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), or valrubicin (Valstar) or radiation therapy to the chest and if you are taking calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan) or cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar). Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart or liver disease.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: rapid heartbeat; shortness of breath; swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs; swelling of the stomach; unusual bleeding or bruising; pale skin; lack of energy; or fever, sore throat, chills, and other signs of infection.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests before, during, and after your treatment to check your body's response to epirubicin.
Epirubicin has been associated with the development of other types of cancer. Talk with your doctor about the risk of developing a new cancer.
Your doctor has ordered the drug epirubicin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.
breast cancer
Epirubicin is in a class of drugs known as anthracyclines; it slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
nausea
diarrhea
swelling or bruising in the mouth
hair loss
hot flashes
tiredness
vomiting
dehydration
pain at the site of injection
hives
difficulty breathing or swallowing
Epirubicin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this drug.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
You should know that your urine may appear red for 1 to 2 days after a dose of epirubicin.
Last Reviewed - 04/01/2012
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2012. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.