How to take TYKERB
Follow these steps to help you get the most from your treatment:
- Take TYKERB exactly as your doctor has told you. The usual dosage is 5 tablets of TYKERB taken at one time each day
- Be sure to take TYKERB on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before you eat or 1 hour after you eat
- Do not eat or drink grapefruit products while taking TYKERB
- Do not crush, split or dissolve your tablets of TYKERB
- Take all of the tablets of TYKERB at the same time every day (for example, right after you wake up or before you go to bed)
- Read tips on managing any side effects you may have with TYKERB. Be sure to talk with your doctor or nurse about ways to manage side effects
- Please talk to your doctor about when and how to take Xeloda in combination with TYKERB
Because TYKERB is given in combination with Xeloda®, it is important for you to take each medicine exactly as your doctor tells you. To do that, you need to know what each tablet looks like. Below are pictures of the actual tablets you will be taking. They do not reflect the dose your doctor has prescribed for you. Please talk with your doctor or nurse about your correct dose. Look closely at the tablets before you take them. Be sure you are taking each medicine as directed by your doctor.
Getting the most from your treatment
Taking TYKERB exactly as your doctor prescribes can help you get the most from your treatment. Here are some helpful tips to keep you on track.
How to store TYKERB
- Store TYKERB at room temperature
- Keep the pill bottle closed tightly. Be sure to store it out of the reach of children
- Throw away medicine that is out of date. Also, throw away any medicine that you no longer need. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children
Check out GlaxoSmithKline's Tykerb® CARES support program to help patients and the healthcare providers who treat them.
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Indication
TYKERB is indicated in combination with Xeloda® (capecitabine) for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and Herceptin® (trastuzumab).
Important Safety Information
Some women may develop liver damage while taking TYKERB. The cause of this damage is not known. In some cases, liver damage may be severe and may cause death. Your doctor should test your liver before and during treatment with TYKERB to check for signs of liver damage. You should contact your doctor if you have itching, yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, pain in your right upper side of your belly or feel very tired. If you develop liver damage during your treatment, your doctor may tell you to stop taking TYKERB. Before taking TYKERB, tell your doctor if you have liver problems. You may need a lower dose of TYKERB.
Before taking TYKERB, tell your doctor if you have heart problems. As with other treatments for HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer, there have been reports of changes in how the heart pumps blood through the body and how the heart beats. Call your doctor right away if you are short of breath, have rapid heartbeats (palpitations), or feel very tired.
Some people taking TYKERB have reported diarrhea. In some cases, diarrhea can be severe. Call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea. It is important to manage diarrhea with medicine as soon as it begins. Severe diarrhea may need to be treated with electrolytes and fluids given by mouth or by vein. Treatment with TYKERB may have to be delayed for a while or stopped completely.
If you have a dry cough or have shortness of breath, talk with your doctor. These may be signs of inflammation in the lungs.
Women should not become pregnant when taking TYKERB because the unborn baby may be harmed.
The most common side effects reported by patients taking TYKERB and Xeloda were diarrhea; vomiting; feeling sick to your stomach (nausea); feeling tired; red, painful hands and feet; and rash.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines and herbal and dietary supplements.
Because TYKERB is currently indicated to be taken with another medicine called Xeloda, be sure to talk with your doctor about any medicines and supplements that should be avoided when taking Xeloda.
Please see complete US Prescribing Information for TYKERB.
Herceptin is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.
Xeloda is a registered trademark of Roche Laboratories Inc.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only.