Palbociclib

Common side effects include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Take small, frequent meals throughout the day.
• Decreased appetite
• Sore mouth or mouth ulcers
• Rinse your mouth after meals using an alcohol-free mouthwash or salt water.
• Brush your teeth gently with a soft toothbrush.
• Diarrhea and/or stomach discomfort
• Drink plenty of clear fluids to replace those lost (2 litres everyday).
• Avoid oily or spicy food and milk or dairy products.
• Hair loss
• Use a gentle shampoo to wash your hair.
• Rash
• Avoid taking hot showers.
• Feeling tired and lack of energy
• Do not drive or operate machinery when you feel tired.
• Decreased white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets
• This may put you at higher risk of infections, bleeding or bruising and feeling tired.
• To reduce your risk of infection:
• Avoid crowds and people who are sick. Wear a face mask when you are going out.
• Wash your hands after using the toilet and before handling food.
• Eat food that is fresh and completely cooked, and avoid raw or half-cooked food.
• To reduce your risk of bleeding problems:
• Be careful when using sharp objects such as knives.
• Try not to bruise, cut or knock yourself.
• Brush your teeth gently as your gums may bleed more easily.
• Apply direct pressure to any cuts or wounds to help stop bleeding.

If any of these side effects are severe, see your healthcare professional immediately.

Rare but serious side effects include:

• Signs of infection - fever of 38°C and above, chills, cough, body aches
• Unusual bleeding, bruising, black sticky stools or blood in urine
• Cough with chest pain or breathing difficulty

The symptoms of a drug allergy including one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication
• You or your partner become pregnant or is planning for pregnancy. You should use effective birth control during and for at least:
• 3 weeks after stopping Palbociclib (for women)
• 14 weeks after stopping Palbociclib (for men)
• You are breastfeeding
• Do not breastfeed during treatment.

• Avoid taking grapefruit when you are taking this medication as grapefruit may interact with your medication and increase the risk of side effects.
• Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking or intend to take any other medication, supplements, traditional medications or herbal remedies.

• Take Palbociclib once a day with food, for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of rest, in a 4-week cycle.
• Do not break open, chew or crush the capsule. Swallow the capsule whole.
• Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have difficulty swallowing.

If you forget to take a dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for the missed dose.

​Pack Palbociclib into a bag and bring it back to the pharmacy where you received it from.

​You may refer to the following website if you need more information: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/