Lenvatinib

When should one not use Lenvatinib

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Elevated or reduced blood pressure.
• Decreased appetite or unintended weight loss.
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, or indigestion.
• Extreme fatigue or weakness.
• Hoarseness of the voice.
• Swelling in the legs.
• Bleeding (most commonly nosebleeds, but may also include other types such as blood in the urine, bruising, bleeding from the gums, or gastrointestinal bleeding).

Other General Warnings

• You have high blood pressure.
• You are a woman who can become pregnant.
• You have a history of heart problems or stroke.
• You have liver or kidney issues.
• You have undergone recent surgery or radiotherapy.
• You need to have a surgical procedure. Your doctor may consider stopping Lenvatinib if you will be undergoing a major surgical procedure, as it may affect wound healing. Lenvatinib may be restarted once adequate wound healing is established.
• You are over 75 years old.
• You have a history of abnormal connections, known as a fistula, between different organs in the body or between an organ and the skin.
• You have or have had an aneurysm (enlargement and weakening of a blood vessel wall) or a tear in a blood vessel wall.
• You have or have had pain in the mouth, teeth, or jaw, swelling or sores inside the mouth, numbness or a feeling of heaviness in the jaw, or loosening of a tooth.
• You are receiving or have received some medicines used to treat osteoporosis (antiresorptive medicines) or cancer medicines that alter the formation of blood vessels (so-called angiogenesis inhibitors); the risk of bone damage in the jaw may be increased.
• You have kidney disease, or you have had a kidney transplant or liver disease.

How Does It Work?

Interactions with food items

• Lenvatinib can be taken with or without food, but try to take it consistently at the same time each day.
• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, as they may affect how the medicine is metabolized.
• Limit foods very high in fat close to the time of taking your medicine, as it may slightly alter absorption.
• Drink plenty of water and maintain a balanced diet to support overall health during treatment.

Overdose

Missed a Dose

• If you have 12 hours or more until your next dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Then, continue with your next dose at the usual time.
• If there are fewer than 12 hours until your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose as scheduled.
• Do not take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose.