Carfilzomib Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Sep 9, 2024.

Applies to carfilzomib: intravenous powder for solution.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Receiving this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. It may also cause birth defects if the father is receiving it when his sexual partner becomes pregnant. If you are a woman who can get pregnant, your doctor may do tests to make sure you are not pregnant before starting treatment. Female patients should use an effective form of birth control during treatment and for at least 6 months after the last dose. Male patients who have female partners should use effective birth control during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose. If you think a pregnancy has occurred while receiving this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

This medicine may cause serious heart problems (eg, congestive heart failure, heart attack). Tell your doctor right away if you have chest pain or tightness, decrease in the amount of urine, dilated neck veins, extreme fatigue, irregular heartbeat, swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs, trouble breathing, or weight gain while you are receiving this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you have a bloody urine, a decrease in frequency or amount of urine, an increase in blood pressure, increased thirst, loss of appetite, lower back or side pain, nausea, swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs, trouble breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain. These could be symptoms of a serious kidney problem (eg, kidney failure).

This medicine may cause a serious reaction called tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). Call your doctor right away if you have a change in how much or how often you urinate, rapid weight gain, muscle or joint pain, swelling of the feet or lower legs, or feel tired.

Serious lung or breathing problems may occur after you get a shot of this medicine into one of your veins. Call your doctor right away if have any changes in your breathing after you receive this medicine.

Your blood pressure might get too high while you are receiving this medicine. This may cause headaches, dizziness, or blurred vision. You might need to measure your blood pressure at home. If you think your blood pressure is too high, call your doctor right away.

Blood clots may occur while you are receiving this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have chest pain, dizziness or lightheadedness, fainting, fast heartbeat, pain, redness, or swelling in the arm or legs, or trouble breathing.

This medicine may cause infusion-related reactions, which can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you start to have a fever, chills or shaking, dizziness, trouble breathing, itching or rash, lightheadedness or fainting, joint pain, muscle pain or stiffness, difficulty in moving, nausea, vomiting, or sweating while you are receiving this medicine.

This medicine can lower the number of platelets in your blood, which are needed for blood clotting. This may cause serious bleeding problems. Check with your doctor right away if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising, black, tarry stools, or pinpoint red spots on your skin.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Tell your doctor right away if you have seizures, headache, confusion, vision problems, unusual drowsiness, tiredness, or weakness. These could be symptoms of a serious nervous system problem, called posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

This medicine may increase your risk of developing infections, including a serious brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Call your doctor right away if you have back pain, blurred vision, confusion, dizziness drowsiness, fever, headache, seizures, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Serious side effects of carfilzomib

Along with its needed effects, carfilzomib may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking carfilzomib:

Other side effects of carfilzomib

Some side effects of carfilzomib may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to carfilzomib: intravenous powder for injection.

Hematologic adverse events

• Very common (10% or more): Anemia (47%), thrombocytopenia (36%), lymphopenia (24%), neutropenia (21%), leukopenia (14%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Deep vein thrombosis
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), thrombotic microangiopathy, hemorrhage^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Very common (10% or more): Hypertension (14%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Cardiac failure (i.e., pulmonary edema, decreased ejection fraction), atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, palpitations, flushing
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, pericarditis, pericardial effusion
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hypertensive crisis^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Very common (10% or more): Increased aspartate aminotransferase (13%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Increased alanine aminotransferase, increased gamma-glutamyltransferase, hyperbilirubinemia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hepatic failure, cholestasis^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Headache (28%), peripheral neuropathy (14%), dizziness (13%), hypoesthesia (12%), dizziness
• Postmarketing reports: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, paresthesia, hypoesthesia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Intracranial hemorrhage, cerebrovascular accident
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES)^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Fatigue (56%), pyrexia (30%), peripheral edema (24%), chills (16%), arthralgia (16%), asthenia (14%), pain (12%), infusion reaction
• Common (1% to 10%): Dysphonia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Multi-organ failure^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Very common (10% or more): Dyspnea (35%), upper respiratory tract infection (28%), cough (26%), pneumonia (13%), nasopharyngitis
• Common (1% to 10%): Pulmonary hypertension, bronchitis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, epistaxis, rhinitis, wheezing
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Lung infection
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute respiratory failure, pulmonary hemorrhage, interstitial lung disease, pneumonitis^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Nausea (45%), diarrhea (33%), vomiting (22%), constipation (21%), abdominal pain
• Common (1% to 10%): Oropharyngeal pain, dyspepsia, toothache
• Rare (less than 0.1%): GI hemorrhage, GI perforation^[Ref]

Renal

• Very common (10% or more): Increased blood creatinine (24%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Acute renal failure, renal failure, renal impairment, decreased creatinine renal clearance^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Very common (10% or more): Hypokalemia (14%), hypomagnesemia (14%), anorexia (12%), hyperglycemia (12%), hypercalcemia (11%), hypophosphatemia (11%), hyponatremia (10%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Dehydration, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, hyperuricemia, hypoalbuminemia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Tumor lysis syndrome^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Very common (10% or more): Back pain (20%), extremity pain (13%), chest wall pain (11%), arthralgia, muscle spasms
• Common (1% to 10%): Musculoskeletal pain, musculoskeletal chest pain, bone pain, myalgia, muscular weakness^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Insomnia (17.9%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Anxiety^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Herpes zoster reactivation, sepsis, influenza, viral infection^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Rash, pruritus, erythema, hyperhidrosis^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Urinary tract infection^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Drug hypersensitivity^[Ref]

Ocular

• Common (1% to 10%): Cataract, blurred vision
• Frequency not reported: Blindness and other adverse visual disturbances (due to PRES)^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

• Is Kyprolis a chemo drug and how does it work?
• How is Kyprolis (carfilzomib) administered?

Further information

Carfilzomib side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer