Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Headache

Blurred vision

Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)

Depression

Muscle cramps

Fatigue

Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain

Nosebleeds (epistaxis)

Fever (pyrexia)

Pins and needles (paraesthesia)

Dizziness

Inflammation of the lining of the eye, causing pain and redness (conjunctivitis)

Dry skin

Low red blood cell count (anaemia)

Alteration in taste

Loss of appetite

Excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling (oedema)

Hair loss (alopecia)

Decrease in the number of a type of white blood cell (neutrophil) in the blood (neutropenia)

Decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia)

Liver disorders

Rash or itching

Bleeding from the stomach or intestines (GIST patients)

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

As yet, there is insufficient experience with imatinib to say with certainty which medicines it interacts with, but the following are interactions that may potentially happen. Tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines, including those bought over-the-counter and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with imatinib. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before you take any new medicines while you are taking imatinib. Imatinib may increase the blood level of paracetamol and people taking imatinib should avoid or minimise taking over-the-counter or prescription medicines containing paracetamol. The following medicines may increase the blood level of imatinib: - antifungals such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, miconazole - the antibiotics erythromycin, clarithromycin - cimetidine - the HIV protease inhibitors ritonavir, nelfinavir - the antidepressants fluvoxamine, nefazadone. The following medicines may decrease the blood level of imatinib: - dexamethasone - phenytoin - carbamazepine - rifampicin - phenobarbital (phenobarbitone) - the herbal remedy St John's wort. Imatinib may increase the blood levels of the following medicines: - ciclosporin - pimozide - statins, eg simvastatin - calcium channel blockers, eg nifedipine - benzodiazepines, eg alprazolam, triazolam - tricyclic antidepressants, ag amitriptyline. Warfarin is not recommended in combination with this medicine and people who need anticoagulation treatment should instead be prescribed a heparin.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredients

Glivec

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