What Is Idarubicin and How Does It Work?
Idarubicin is a prescription medication used for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.
- Idarubicin is available under the following different brand names: Idamycin
What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Idarubicin?
Common side effects of Idarubicin include:
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- abdominal cramps,
- temporary hair loss,
- diarrhea, and
- headache
Serious side effects of Idarubicin include:
- hives,
- difficulty breathing,
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat,
- severe abdominal pain,
- mental or mood changes,
- confusion,
- numbness or tingling of arms and legs,
- rash,
- blisters on palms of hands or soles of the feet,
- unusual bleeding,
- easy bruising,
- pain or sores in the mouth or throat,
- itching,
- severe dizziness,
- small red spots on the skin,
- black or bloody stools,
- bloody urine, and
- vomit that looks like coffee grounds
Rare side effects of Idarubicin include:
- none
Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:
- Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
- Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
- Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out.
This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What Are the Dosages of Idarubicin?
Adult and pediatric dosage
Injectable solution
- 1 mg/mL
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Adult dosage
- Induction: 12 mg/m² IV every day over 10-15 min for 3 day with concomitant cytarabine
- Consolidation: 10-12 mg/m²/day IV for 2 days
Pediatric dosage
- 10-12 mg/m² IV every day for 3 days every 3 weeks
Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:
- See “Dosages”
What Other Drugs Interact with Idarubicin?
If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.
- Idarubicin has severe interactions with no other drugs.
- Idarubicin has serious interactions with the following drugs:
- adenovirus types 4 and 7 live, oral
- cyclophosphamide
- deferiprone
- erdafitinib
- influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent, adjuvanted
- influenza virus vaccine trivalent, adjuvanted
- lasmiditan
- paclitaxel
- palifermin
- ropeginterferon alfa 2b
- sotorasib
- tepotinib
- trastuzumab
- trastuzumab deruxtecan
- Idarubicin has moderate interactions with at least 27 other drugs.
- Idarubicin has minor interactions with no other drugs.
This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.
What Are Warnings and Precautions for Idarubicin?
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity
- Serum bilirubin above 5 mg/dL [more than 85.5 umol/L]
Effects of drug abuse
- None
Short-Term Effects
- See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Idarubicin?”
Long-Term Effects
- See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Idarubicin?”
Cautions
- Vesicant-avoid extravasation
- Risk of myocardial toxicity leading to potentially fatal CHF; pre-existing heart disease and previous therapy with anthracyclines at high cumulative doses or other potentially cardiotoxic agents are co-factors for increased risk of cardiac toxicity; benefit to risk ratio of idarubicin therapy in such patients should be weighed before starting treatment
- Monitor cardiac function during treatment in order to minimize risk of cardiac toxicity of the type described for other anthracycline compounds
- Prior radiation treatment to mediastinal-pericardial area & prior anthracyclines increases cardiotoxic risk
- Cumulative doses of more than 150 mg/m² associated with decreased ejection fraction
- Possibility of injection site reactions
- Use caution in hepatic/renal impairment; dose reduction may be necessary
- Not for administration to patients with pre-existing bone marrow suppression induced by previous drug therapy or radiotherapy unless the benefit warrants the risk
- Due to the increased risk of cardiotoxicity, avoid concomitant use until cardiotoxic agent has been discontinued for at least 5 half-lives; specifically avoid therapy for up to 7 months after stopping trastuzumab
- Avoid pregnancy
Pregnancy and Lactation
- There is no conclusive information about therapy adversely affecting human fertility or causing teratogenesis; there has been one report of a fetal fatality after maternal exposure to drug during second trimester
- There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women; drug should be used during pregnancy only if potential benefit justifies potential risk to fetus
- If drug is to be used during pregnancy, or if patient becomes pregnant during therapy, patient should be apprised and informed of potential hazard to fetus
- Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid pregnancy and advised to use effective contraception during treatment and for at least 6.5 months after the last dose
- Men with female partners of childbearing potential should be advised to use effective contraception during treatment and for at least 3.5 months after last dose
- Both men and women should seek advice for fertility preservation before treatment and/or seek genetic counseling after treatment
- Lactation
- Not known whether drug is excreted in human milk; because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from drug; mothers should discontinue nursing prior to taking drug and do not breastfeed during treatment and for 14 days after last dose