hydroxyurea

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

Using hydroxyurea may increase your risk of developing other types of cancer, such as leukemia or skin cancer. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen when you are outdoors.

What is hydroxyurea?

Hydroxyurea is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, ovarian cancer, and certain types of skin cancer (squamous cell cancer of the head and neck).

Hydroxyurea is also used to reduce pain episodes and the need for blood transfusions in people with sickle cell anemia. Hydroxyurea will not cure sickle cell anemia.

Hydroxyurea may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking hydroxyurea?

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
• liver disease;
• a wound or ulcer on your leg;
• HIV or AIDS (especially if you take antiviral medicine);
• high levels of uric acid in your blood; or
• treatment with an interferon, chemotherapy, or radiation.

Using hydroxyurea may increase your risk of developing other types cancer or leukemia. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk.

• If you are a woman, keep using birth control for at least 6 months after your last dose of hydroxyurea.
• If you are a man, keep using birth control for at least 1 year after your last dose (6 months if you took Siklos).
• Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using this medicine.

This medicine may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men. However, it is important to use birth control because hydroxyurea may harm the baby if a pregnancy does occur.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.

How should I take hydroxyurea?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Hydroxyurea is usually taken once per day at the same time of day, with or without food. Swallow the pill whole with a glass of water.

If any powder from a broken pill is spilled, wipe it up at once with a damp paper towel and throw the towel away in a sealed plastic bag where children and pets cannot get to it.

Your doctor may also want you to take a folic acid supplement. Follow dosing instructions very carefully.

Hydroxyurea can lower your blood cell counts. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.

This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using hydroxyurea.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

What happens if I overdose?

Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, mouth sores, and swelling with pain and purple discoloration in your hands and feet.

What should I avoid while taking hydroxyurea?

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using hydroxyurea, or you could develop a serious infection. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

What are the possible side effects of hydroxyurea?

• numbness, tingling, or burning pain in your hands or feet;
• skin numbness or purple discoloration;
• skin ulcers or open sores;
• sudden chest pain, wheezing, dry cough, feeling short of breath;
• low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, mouth sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed; or
• signs of liver or pancreas problems --loss of appetite, upper stomach pain (that may spread to your back), nausea or vomiting, fast heart rate, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Common side effects may include:

• loss of appetite, nausea;
• constipation, diarrhea;
• low blood cell counts;
• bleeding; or
• mouth sores.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect hydroxyurea?

Other drugs may affect hydroxyurea, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about hydroxyurea.

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.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 12.02. Revision date: 3/24/2020.