Vincristine Side Effects
What should I watch for?
Your condition will be monitored carefully while you are receiving this medication.
This medication may make you feel generally unwell. This is not uncommon as chemotherapy can affect healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Report any side effects. Continue your course of treatment even though you feel ill unless your care team tells you to stop.
You may need blood work while taking this medication.
This medication may increase your risk to bruise or bleed. Call your care team if you notice any unusual bleeding.
This medication may increase your risk of getting an infection. Call your care team for advice if you get a fever, chills, sore throat, or other symptoms of a cold or flu. Do not treat yourself. Try to avoid being around people who are sick.
This medication will cause constipation. If you do not have a bowel movement for 3 days, call your care team.
Call your care team if you are around anyone with measles, chickenpox, or if you develop sores or blisters that do not heal properly.
Be careful brushing or flossing your teeth or using a toothpick because you may get an infection or bleed more easily. If you have any dental work done, tell your dentist you are receiving this medication
Talk to your care team if you or your partner wish to become pregnant or think either of you might be pregnant. This medication can cause serious birth defects.
This medication may cause infertility. Talk to your care team if you are concerned about your fertility.
Talk to your care team before breastfeeding. Changes to your treatment plan may be needed.
Side Effects (Rare and Common)
Along with their needed effects, medicines like vincristine can sometimes cause unwanted effects such as blood problems, nervous system problems, loss of hair, and other side effects. These and others are described below. Also, because of the way these medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years after the medicine is used. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Pain or redness at place of injection
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Blurred or double vision
difficulty in walking
drooping eyelids
headache
jaw pain
joint pain
lower back or side pain
numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
pain in fingers and toes
pain in testicles
stomach cramps
swelling of feet or lower legs
weakness
Less common
Agitation
bed-wetting
confusion
convulsions (seizures)
decrease or increase in urination
dizziness or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position
hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)
lack of sweating
loss of appetite
mental depression
painful or difficult urination
trouble in sleeping
unconsciousness
Rare
Sores in mouth and on lips
Some side effects 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:
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. This medicine often causes a temporary loss of hair. After treatment with vincristine has ended, or sometimes even during treatment, normal hair growth should return.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.