How Avastin Works and Its Side Effects

Avastin is administered intravenously as a solution by a doctor or a nurse by injecting it through a vein once in a two-week period for treatment of colon or colorectal cancer, glioblastoma or kidney (renal) cell cancer and one in three weeks for lung cancer treatment. However, wound healing may be complicated by the use of Avastin and could result in infection or internal bleeding in your intestines or brain. If you have symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, black or even bloody stools, sudden numbness or extreme pain in the side, slurred speech, intense headache, coughing up blood, vomiting, and problems with balance or vision while on Avastin, inform your doctor immediately. And should you undergo surgery, it is advised that you cease to take Avastin a month before your scheduled surgery. Relevant to this, you should not resume taking Avastin at least a month after surgery or until your incision heals, whichever comes first, or as you doctor sees fit.

And to ensure that Avastin is not in any way hazardous to your cardiovascular system, you should have your blood pressure checked frequently and your urine tested for protein levels. Some individuals have reported experiencing nausea, sweating, itchiness, rapid heartbeat, wheezing, chest pain, light-headedness, dizziness and chills while receiving an intravenous injection of Avastin. If these incidents should happen, inform your doctor so the intravenous infusion could be halted. In some rare cases, the use of Avistan caused headaches, extreme fatigue, convulsions, blurring of vision, fainting, confusion and blackouts. These are symptoms which could occur within a few hours after the initial administration of Avastin or they may not manifest until after a year of treatment. In either case, you should inform your doctor immediately. In women, Avastin could be the cause of more than three consecutive menstrual periods because of ovarian malfunction which may cause infertility.

Always Consult Your Doctor Regarding Its Use or Discontinuance of Use

Less intense side effects of Avistan can include:

• Occasional headaches;
• Sneezing or a runny nose;
• Watery or dry eyes;
• Loss of hair;
• Flaky or dry skin;
• Back pain;
• Blisters;
• Open sores;
• Increase in thirst;
• Pale complexion; and
• Changes in the sense of taste.

A side effect of Avistan may induce a coma but this is considered rare. Some side effects such as hoarseness, changes in the voice, severe weakness in the legs or arms, sudden nosebleeds, bloody mucus and intense chest pain have no known incidence but may present themselves initially but could be indicative of the body adjusting to Avistan medication. However, if these side effects persist and occur more frequently, you should immediately consult your doctor.

Before starting treatment with Avistan, you should inform your doctor about all the medications you are under, including both nonprescription and prescription medicines, herbal supplements, vitamins, and other nutritional products. Remember to include anti-coagulants or blood thinners such as warfarin; sunitinib; and irinotecan. And if you are currently taking chemotherapeutic drugs like anthracycline, be sure to tell your doctor so he or she would know how to adjust or change the dosage of the Avastin you are prescribed and to monitor any side effects that may manifest. Also, if you have undergone radiation therapy to your chest’s left side, have high blood pressure, any metastasized areas of the spine or brain, or any cardiovascular or blood vessel condition, you need to inform your doctor about them.

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