Exemestane Side Effects

Brand Names: Aromasin

Please note - some side effects for Exemestane may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Exemestane - for the consumer

Exemestane

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Exemestane:

Anxiety; back, joint, muscle, or limb pain; constipation; coughing; diarrhea; dizziness; fatigue; flu-like symptoms; hair loss; headache; hot flashes; increased or decreased appetite; increased sweating; joint pain; nausea; stomach pain or upset; tiredness; trouble sleeping; weight gain; vomiting.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; confusion; depression; numbness of an arm or leg; numbness or tingling in the skin, hands, or feet; one-sided weakness; severe or sudden bone pain; severe stomach pain; shortness of breath; sudden, severe dizziness, headache, vomiting, or fainting; sudden, unusual weight gain; swelling of the hands, legs, or feet; vision or speech changes.

By body system

Musculoskeletal side effects

Musculoskeletal side effects including arthralgia (14.6% to 28.8%), pain in limb (9%), osteoarthritis (5.9%), myalgia (5.5%), back pain, pathological fracture, and skeletal pain have been reported. Reductions in bone mineral density over time have also been reported.

General side effects

General side effects including fatigue (11% to 22%), hot flushes (13% to 32.9%), pain (13%), edema (5.5% to 7%), influenza like symptoms (6%), asthenia (6%), and fever (5%) have been reported.

Immunologic side effects

Of the advanced breast cancer patients with grade 3 or 4 lymphocytopenia, 89% had a preexisting lower grade lymphopenia. Forty percent of patients either recovered or improved to a lesser severity while on treatment.

Immunologic side effects including grade 3 or 4 lymphocytopenia (20% of patients in clinical trials for advanced breast cancer) and infection have been reported.

Gastrointestinal side effects

Gastrointestinal side effects including nausea (8.5% to 18%), dyspepsia (16%), abdominal pain (6% to 11%), diarrhea (4% to 9.6%), vomiting (7%), anorexia (6%), constipation (5%), and increased appetite (3%) have been reported.

Dermatologic side effects

Dermatologic side effects including increased sweating (11.8% to 17.8%), alopecia (15.1%), dermatitis (8.2%), hypoesthesia, rash, and itching have been reported.

Cardiovascular side effects

Cardiovascular side effects including hypertension (5% to 15.1%) and chest pain have been reported.

Hepatic side effects

In the comparative study in advanced breast cancer patients, CTC grade 3 or 4 elevation of gamma glutamyl transferase without documented evidence of liver metastasis was reported in 2.7% of patients treated with exemestane and in 1.8% of patients treated with megestrol acetate.

Hepatic side effects including elevations of serum levels of AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma glutamyl transferase greater than five times the upper value of the normal range have rarely been reported in patients treated for advanced breast cancer (but appear mostly attributable to the underlying presence of liver and/or bone metastases).

In early breast cancer patients, elevations in bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and creatinine were more common in those receiving exemestane than either tamoxifen or placebo. Alkaline phosphatase elevations of any CTC grade (13.7% to 15.0%), treatment emergent bilirubin elevations (any CTC grade) (5.3% to 6.9%), CTC grade 3 to 4 increases in bilirubin (0.9%), and creatinine elevations (5.5% to 5.8%) have been reported.

Psychiatric side effects

Psychiatric side effects including insomnia (12.4% to 13.7%), depression (6.2% to 9.6%), and anxiety (4.1%) have been reported.

Nervous system side effects

Nervous system side effects including headache (6.9% to 13.1%), depression (13%), insomnia (11%), anxiety (10%), dizziness (8% to 9.7%), confusion, and paresthesia have been reported.

Respiratory side effects

Respiratory side effects including dyspnea (10%), coughing (6%), upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, and sinusitis have been reported.

Local side effects

Local side effects including pain at tumor sites (8%) have been reported.

Ocular side effects

Ocular side effects including visual disturbances (5%) have been reported.

Oncologic side effects

Oncologic side effects reported from animal studies have included an increased incidence of hepatocellular adenomas and/or carcinomas as well as an increased incidence of renal tubular adenomas. Exemestane has also been clastogenic in human lymphocytes in vitro without metabolic activation.

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof. This information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients, or recommend therapy. This drug information is a reference resource designed as supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill , knowledge, and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug of drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Drugs.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.