lapatinib

Generic Name: lapatinib
Other Brand Names: Tykerb

What is lapatinib?

Lapatinib is a cancer medication.

Lapatinib is used together with another medicine called capecitabine (Xeloda) to treat a certain type of advanced breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Lapatinib is usually given after other cancer medications have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

Lapatinib may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Uses Side Effects Precautions Interactions Overdose
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking lapatinib?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to lapatinib.

Before using lapatinib, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

  • heart disease;

  • liver disease; or

  • a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome.”

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use lapatinib, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not use lapatinib without your doctor’s consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication.

It is not known whether lapatinib passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take lapatinib?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Be sure to also read the medication guide or patient instructions for capecitabine (Xeloda).

Take lapatinib on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 1 hour eating.

The usual dose of lapatinib is equal to 5 tablets. You may swallow each tablet one at a time, but take the entire lapatinib dose at the same time each day.

Lapatinib is usually taken together with capecitabine in a 21-day cycle. Lapatinib is given once daily for all 21 days in a row, and capecitabine is given twice daily for only the first 14 days of the cycle. This 21-day cycle is then repeated until your doctor decides that lapatinib is no longer an appropriate treatment for your condition. Follow your doctor’s instructions.

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Lapatinib is usually continued unless your condition gets worse or you have serious side effects.

Store lapatinib at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose of lapatinib?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Where can I get more information about lapatinib?
Your pharmacist has information about lapatinib written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of lapatinib?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using lapatinib and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • uneven heart rate;

  • extreme dizziness or fainting;

  • severe diarrhea; or

  • white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips.

Keep taking lapatinib and talk to your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

  • nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, loss of appetite;

  • pain or redness on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet;

  • tired feeling;

  • dry skin;

  • back pain; or

  • sleep problems (insomnia).

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What is the most important information I should know about lapatinib?

This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. Do not use lapatinib without your doctor’s consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication.

Before using lapatinib, tell your doctor if you have heart disease, liver disease, or a history of "Long QT syndrome.”

Lapatinib is usually taken together with another cancer medicine called capecitabine (Xeloda). Lapatinib is given once daily for 21 days in a row, and capecitabine is given twice daily for only the first 14 days in a row. This 21-day cycle is then repeated, unless your condition gets worse or you have serious side effects.

The usual dose of lapatinib is equal to 5 tablets. You may swallow each tablet one at a time, but take the entire lapatinib dose at the same time each day.

Take lapatinib on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 1 hour eating.

Be sure to also read the medication guide or patient instructions for capecitabine (Xeloda).

Stop using lapatinib and call your doctor at once if you have serious side effects such as severe diarrhea or vomiting, or uneven heart rate with extreme dizziness or fainting.

Before taking lapatinib, tell your doctor if you are also using antibiotics, ulcer medications, seizure medications, HIV or AIDS medications, herbal supplements, heart or blood pressure medication, or an antidepressant.

What should I avoid while taking lapatinib?

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with lapatinib and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.

What other drugs will affect lapatinib?

Before using lapatinib, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

  • cimetidine (Tagamet);

  • dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol);

  • rifabutin (Mycobutin);

  • rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);

  • rifapentine (Priftin);

  • St. John’s wort;

  • antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), telithromycin (Ketek), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or voriconazole (Vfend);

  • antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft);

  • a calcium channel blocker such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Tiazac, Cartia, Cardizem), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);

  • HIV /AIDS medicine such as indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), or saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase); or

  • seizure medications such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol) or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use lapatinib, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect lapatinib. 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.

What happens if I have an overdose of lapatinib?

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

Symptoms of a lapatinib overdose may include severe diarrhea or vomiting.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. 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. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. 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.
Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 2/11/2008