Thiotepa Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 23, 2024.

Applies to thiotepa: injection powder for solution.

Precautions

Your doctor will check your progress closely while you are receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to receive it. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control for at least 6 months after treatment ends to keep from getting pregnant. Men should not father a child for at least 1 year after treatment ends. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Do not receive live vaccines without your doctor's approval while you are using this medicine.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth after receiving this medicine.

Thiotepa can lower the number of white blood cells in your blood temporarily, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

• If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
• Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising, black, tarry stools, blood in the urine or stools, or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
• Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
• Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
• Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
• Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

This medicine may cause skin discoloration, itching, blistering or peeling skin in the groin, underarms, skin folds, in the neck, and under dressings. Shower or bathe with water at least two times a day 48 hours after receiving this medicine. Change occlusive dressing and clean the covered skin at least two times a day 48 hours after receiving this medicine. Change bedsheets daily while receiving this medicine. If other skin reactions occur, wash it with water and soap immediately.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease may occur while you are using this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have bloated abdomen or stomach, pain in the upper right abdomen, or yellow skin or eyes after receiving this medicine.

Tell your doctor right away if you have a headache, confusion, dizziness or drowsiness, seizures, problems with memory, or seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there after receiving this medicine.

Talk with your doctor before using this medicine if you plan to have children. Some men and women who use this medicine have become infertile (unable to have children).

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 thiotepa

Along with its needed effects, thiotepa 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 thiotepa:

Other side effects of thiotepa

Some side effects of thiotepa 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 thiotepa: injectable powder for injection, intravenous powder for injection.

Hematologic adverse events

• Very common (10% or more): Leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, febrile neutropenia, anemia, pancytopenia
• Common (1% to 10%): Hemorrhage
• Frequency not reported: Bone marrow depression, hematopoietic suppression,

Granulocytopenia

thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism^[Ref]

Oncologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Myelodysplastic syndrome, acute nonlymphocytic

leukemia^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Common (1% to 10%): Allergic reaction (e.g., rash, urticaria, laryngeal edema, asthma, anaphylactic shock, wheezing)^[Ref]

Local

• Very common (10% or more): Injection site edema, injection site inflammation, injection site pain
• Frequency not reported: Contact dermatitis^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Nausea, stomatitis, esophagitis, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, enteritis, colitis, mucosal inflammation
• Common (1% to 10%): Constipation, GI perforation, ileus
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): GI ulcer
• Frequency not reported: Oral mucositis^[Ref]

Renal

• Very common (10% or more): Hemorrhagic cystitis (after intravesical or IV administration)
• Common (1% to 10%): Oliguria, renal failure, cystitis, hematuria, dysuria, blood creatinine increased, blood urea increased
• Frequency not reported: Urinary retention^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Very common (10% or more): Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, epistaxis
• Common (1% to 10%): Pulmonary edema, cough, pneumonitis
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypoxia, pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Frequency not reported: Apnea^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Dizziness, headache, encephalopathy, convulsion, paresthesia
• Common (1% to 10%): Intracranial aneurysm, extrapyramidal disorder, cognitive disorder, cerebral hemorrhage
• Frequency not reported: Leukoencephalopathy^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Very common (10% or more): Rash, alopecia, pruritus
• Common (1% to 10%): Erythema
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Pigmentation disorder, erythrodermic psoriasis
• Frequency not reported: Severe toxic skin reactions (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, contact dermatitis), skin discoloration (following topical use or exposure), local irritation (comparable to mild radiation cystitis following bladder instillation)^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Very common (10% or more): Amenorrhea, azoospermia, vaginal hemorrhage
• Common (1% to 10%): Impairment of fertility in male, female infertility, menopausal symptoms
• Frequency not reported: Interference with spermatogenesis^[Ref]

Ocular

• Very common (10% or more): Vision blurred, conjunctivitis
• Common (1% to 10%): Cataract^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Hearing impaired, ototoxicity, tinnitus, pyrexia, asthenia, chills, multi-organ failure, pain
• Frequency not reported: Fatigue, weakness, febrile reaction, discharge from a subcutaneous lesion may occur as the result of breakdown of tumor tissue^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Very common (10% or more): Increased susceptibility to infections, sepsis, acute graft versus host disease, chronic graft versus host disease
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Toxic shock syndrome^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Very common (10% or more): Back pain, myalgia, arthralgia^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Very common (10% or more): Anorexia, decreased appetite, hyperglycemia
• Common (1% to 10%): Tumor lysis syndrome (occurring secondary to, spontaneous, or treatment related rapid destruction of malignant cells); features include hyperkalemia, hyperuricemia, and hyperphosphatemia with hypocalcemia (renal damage and arrhythmias can follow), weight increased, blood amylase increased^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Confusion, mental status changes
• Common (1% to 10%): Anxiety
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Delirium, nervousness, hallucination, agitation^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Very common (10% or more): Venoocclusive liver disease, hepatomegaly, jaundice, blood bilirubin increased, transaminases increased, gamma

Glutamyltransferase, increased blood alkaline, phosphatase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Very common (10% or more): Arrhythmia
• Common (1% to 10%): Tachycardia, cardiac failure, lymphoedema, hypertension, embolism
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Cardiomyopathy, myocarditis^[Ref]

Endocrine

• Common (1% to 10%): Hypopituitarism^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Thiotepa 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.

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