Velcade

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Treatment & Uses
Side Effects
Treating Overdose
Safety Information
Before Using

Generic Name: bortezomib (bor TEZ oh mib)
Brand Names: Velcade

What is Velcade?

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Velcade interferes with the growth of some cancer cells and keeps them from spreading in your body. It is used to treat multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.

Velcade is sometimes given after other cancer medications have been tried without successful treatment.

Velcade may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Velcade

Velcade can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not receive Velcade without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Velcade can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. To be sure your blood cells do not get too low, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Avoid being near people who have colds, the flu, or other contagious illnesses. Contact your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Avoid becoming dehydrated if you have any vomiting or diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, dry mouth, fainting, or hot and dry skin. Talk with your doctor about how best to keep yourself hydrated.

Velcade can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Before receiving Velcade

You should not use Velcade if you are allergic to bortezomib, mannitol, or boron.

If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely receive this medication. Before you receive Velcade, tell your doctor if you have:

diabetes;
liver disease;
if you are on dialysis;
a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
a low level of platelets or white or red blood cells;
heart disease, congestive heart failure;
herpes or a history of shingles;
high or low blood pressure; or
nerve problems such as burning, numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling.

FDA pregnancy category D. Velcade can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not receive Velcade without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Velcade passes into breast milk. Do not receive bortezomib without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is Velcade given?

Velcade is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein.

You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting. A doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection.

Velcade is usually injected 2 times a week for 2 weeks, followed by 10 days without an injection. Velcade may also be given once a week for 4 weeks followed by 13 days without an injection. Follow your doctor's instructions about your individual dosing schedule.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you will miss an appointment for your Velcade injection.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this medicine.

Overdose may cause weakness, bruising or bleeding, pinpoint red spots on your skin, and fainting.

What should I avoid while receiving Velcade?

Avoid being near people who have colds, the flu, or other contagious illnesses. Contact your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Velcade can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Dizziness may be more likely to occur when rising from a sitting or lying position. Get up slowly to keep from falling.

Velcade side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Velcade: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

new or worsening nerve problems such as numbness, burning, pain, weakness, or tingly feeling;
feeling like you might pass out;
dry cough and trouble breathing;
severe headache, vision problems, confusion, and/or seizure (convulsions);
black, bloody, or tarry stools, vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds;
severe constipation;
easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
fast or slow heart rate, weak pulse, lower back pain, blood in your urine;
urinating less than usual or not at all;
muscle weakness, tightness, or contraction, overactive reflexes; or
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious Velcade side effects may include:

mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach;
diarrhea, constipation;
headache, blurred vision, dizziness;
muscle pain, bone or joint pain;
sleep problems (insomnia);
mild rash or itching; or
skin irritation where the medicine was injected.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Velcade?

Many drugs can interact with Velcade. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol);
rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), or rifapentine (Priftin);
St. John's wort;
an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin) or telithromycin (Ketek);
an antifungal medication such as clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend);
an antidepressant such as nefazodone, paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft);
a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Solfoton);
diabetes medications you take by mouth (your dose may need to be adjusted when your Velcade treatment starts);
HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Norvir);
medicines to treat narcolepsy, such as armodafanil (Nuvigil) or modafanil (Progivil); or
seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), or phenytoin (Dilantin), or primidone (Mysoline).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Velcade. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about Velcade.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Velcade only for the indication prescribed.
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. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.