Vincristine

Vincristine is a prescription medication used to treat Acute Leukemia and used in Combination Therapy for certain cancers. 

• Vincristine is available under the following different brand names:

Adult and pediatric dosage

Injectable solution

• 1mg/mL

Acute Leukemia

Adult dosage

• 1.4 mg/m2 IV once weekly

Pediatric dosage

• 2 mg/m2 IV once weekly
• Children weighing less than 10 kg: 0.05 mg/kg dose IV once weekly
• Children weighing 10 kgs or over: 1.5-2 mg/m2/dose

Combination Therapy

Adult dosage

• Hodgkin’s Disease, Non-Hodgkin’s Malignant Lymphomas, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Neuroblastoma, and Wilm’s Tumor.  
• Consult guidelines for use in multidrug regimens. 

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”.

Common side effects of Vincristine include:

• nausea, 
• vomiting, 
• weight loss, 
• diarrhea, 
• mouth sores, 
• dizziness, 
• temporary hair loss, and 
• headache

Serious side effects of Vincristine include:

• hives, 
• difficulty breathing, 
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, 
• fever, 
• chills, 
• persistent sore throat, 
• cough, 
• painful or difficult urination, 
• change in the amount of urine, 
• joint, back, or muscle pain, 
• numbness, tingling, burning, or pain in the feet or hands, 
• weakness, 
• difficulty walking, 
• loss of coordination, 
• poor balance, 
• inability to move the muscles (including the face), 
• drooping eyelids, 
• hoarseness, 
• trouble speaking, 
• vision changes, 
• hearing changes, 
• mental or mood changes, 
• depression, 
• hallucinations, 
• confusion, 
• easy bleeding, 
• unusual bleeding, 
• severe tiredness, 
• seizures, 
• chest pain (may include the jaw and left arm), 
• dark urine,
• persistent nausea, 
• vomiting, 
• stomach pain, 
• yellowing eyes or skin (jaundice), 
• shortness of breath, 
• rash, 
• itching, and
• severe dizziness

Rare side effects of Vincristine include:

• none 

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

• Vincristine has severe interactions with no other drugs.
• Vincristine has serious interactions with at least 29 other drugs. 
• Vincristine has moderate interactions with at least 98 other drugs. 
• Vincristine has minor interactions with at least 58 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 drug, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome (demyelinating form), intrathecal (IT) administration

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Vincristine?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Vincristine?”

Cautions

• Bone marrow depression, neuropathy, neuromuscular disease, neurotoxic agents, ototoxic agents, pulmonary disease, hepatic impairment, potential CYP3A4 interactions, avoid extravasation
• Withhold if neurotoxicity develops-usually reversible
• Potential for jaw/parotid pain, hoarseness, and dysphagia due to cranial neuropathy
• Vesicant
• Avoid pregnancy
• Risk of paralytic ileus

Preparation in IV infusion bag only

• On January 15, 2021, FDA alerted that vinca alkaloids should be prepared in IV infusion bags only
• Intrathecal (IT) administration will result in severe neurological injury and/or death
• The label update is to reduce the potential for unintended IT administration

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Use in LIFE-THREATENING emergencies when no safer drug is available during pregnancy.
• Lactation: Not known if excreted in breast milk, do not nurse.