Velban (Intravenous)

Vinblastine is part of a group of medicines called antineoplastic agents. It is used to treat certain types of cancer, including lymphoma and cancer of the breast or testicles, as well as some noncancerous conditions.

Vinblastine works by interfering with the growth of cancer cells, which are then destroyed. Since it can also affect the growth of normal body cells, other effects may occur. Some of these may be serious and should be reported to your doctor. Other effects, like hair loss, may not be serious but can be concerning. Some effects might not appear until months or years after using the medicine.

Before starting treatment with vinblastine, you and your doctor should discuss the benefits of this medicine along with the risks of using it.

Vinblastine must be given only by or under the close supervision of your doctor.

It is very important that your doctor checks your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

While you are being treated with vinblastine, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccinations) without your doctor's approval. Vinblastine may lower your body's resistance, and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization is meant to prevent. Other people living in your household should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have taken oral polio vaccine within the past several months. Do not get close to them, and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and mouth.

Vinblastine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

• If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
• Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
• Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
• Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
• Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
• Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

If vinblastine accidentally seeps out of the vein into which it is injected, it may damage the skin and cause some scarring. Tell the doctor or nurse right away if you notice redness, pain, or swelling at the place of injection.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the benefits. This decision will be made by you and your doctor. For this medicine, consider the following:

Allergies

Inform your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also, tell your healthcare professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

This medicine has been tested in children and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems compared to adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been tested in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work the same way as in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information about the use of vinblastine in the elderly.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women to determine the risk to infants when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although some medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases, two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When taking this medicine, it is especially important for your healthcare professional to know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected based on their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Measles Virus Vaccine, Live
• Mumps Virus Vaccine, Live
• Rotavirus Vaccine, Live
• Rubella Virus Vaccine, Live
• Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
• Zoster Vaccine, Live

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Abametapir
• Adenovirus Vaccine
• Aprepitant
• Atazanavir
• Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin Vaccine, Live
• Cholera Vaccine, Live
• Clarithromycin
• Cobicistat
• Darunavir
• Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine, Live
• Erythromycin
• Fedratinib
• Fexinidazole
• Fluconazole
• Fluoxetine
• Fosaprepitant
• Fosnetupitant
• Indinavir
• Influenza Virus Vaccine, Live
• Itraconazole
• Ketoconazole
• Lopinavir
• Mavacamten
• Mitomycin
• Netupitant
• Nirmatrelvir
• Omaveloxolone
• Phenobarbital
• Poliovirus Vaccine, Live
• Posaconazole
• Primidone
• Quinupristin
• Ritonavir
• Simeprevir
• Smallpox Vaccine
• Typhoid Vaccine, Live
• Ulipristal
• Voriconazole
• Yellow Fever Vaccine
• Zidovudine

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may increase the risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may adjust the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Tolterodine

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or certain types of food, as interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

Having other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have any other medical issues, especially:

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles)—Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Gout (history of) or
• Kidney stones (history of)—Vinblastine may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can lead to gout or kidney stones

• Infection—Vinblastine may reduce your body's ability to fight infection

• Liver disease—Effects may be increased due to slower removal of vinblastine from the body

Along with their needed effects, medicines like vinblastine can sometimes cause unwanted effects such as blood problems, hair loss, and other side effects. These effects are described below. Additionally, because of how these medicines work in the body, there is a chance they might cause other unwanted effects that may not show up until months or years after using the medicine. These delayed effects may include certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. Talk with your doctor about these possible effects.

Not all of these side effects may happen, but if they do, they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor right away if any of the following side effects happen:

More frequent

• Cough or hoarseness with fever or chills
• Fever or chills
• Lower back or side pain with fever or chills
• Painful or difficult urination with fever or chills

Less common

• Blood in urine or stools
• Pain or redness at the injection site
• Pinpoint red spots on the skin
• Unusual bleeding or bruising

Rare

• Black, tarry stools

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects happen:

Less common

• Joint pain
• Sores in the mouth and on lips
• Swelling of feet or lower legs

Rare

• Difficulty walking
• Dizziness
• Double vision
• Drooping eyelids
• Headache
• Jaw pain
• Mental depression
• Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
• Pain in fingers and toes
• Pain in testicles
• Weakness

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. Your healthcare professional may also have ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your healthcare professional if any of the following side effects continue, are bothersome, or if you have any questions about them:

Less common

• Bone or muscle pain
• Nausea and vomiting

This medicine often causes a temporary loss of hair. After treatment with vinblastine ends, or sometimes even during treatment, normal hair growth should return.

Other side effects not listed may also happen 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.

In the U.S.

• Velban

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antineoplastic Agent

Pharmacologic Class: Mitotic Inhibitor

Vinblastine is sometimes given together with certain other medicines. If you are using a combination of medicines, it is important that you receive each one at the proper time. If you are taking some of these medicines by mouth, ask your health care professional to help you plan a way to take them at the right times.

While you are using this medicine, your doctor may want you to drink extra fluids so that you will pass more urine. This will help prevent kidney problems and keep your kidneys working well.

Vinblastine sometimes causes nausea and vomiting. However, it is very important that you continue to receive the medicine, even if you begin to feel ill. Ask your health care professional for ways to lessen these effects.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

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