Health Information You Must Tell Your Doctor Before Taking Tivozanib

Health Information You Must Tell Your Doctor Before Taking Tivozanib

Before starting tivozanib, be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all your health conditions, including: whether you have high blood pressure, a history of heart failure, a history of blood clots in veins or arteries (such as stroke, heart attack, vision changes), bleeding problems, thyroid disease, liver disease, wounds that are not healing, and whether you plan to have surgery or have recently had surgery. Also, tell your doctor if you are allergic to FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) or aspirin.

Tivozanib Use in Special Populations

Tivozanib may harm an unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, your doctor should perform a pregnancy test before treatment. You must use effective contraception during treatment and for 1 month after your last dose. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor immediately. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 month after your last dose. Also, this medicine may cause fertility problems in both males and females, affecting your ability to have children.

Serious Side Effects to Watch For

Tivozanib may cause several serious side effects that require close attention:

High blood pressure: You may experience a sudden rise in blood pressure or even a hypertensive crisis. Monitor your blood pressure regularly. If you experience confusion, headache, dizziness, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, seek medical help immediately.

Heart failure and blood clots: Tivozanib may cause heart failure, heart attack, or blood clots in arteries or veins. Symptoms include shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles, chest pain, numbness on one side of the body, or difficulty speaking.

Bleeding problems: These include unusual bleeding from the gums, black stools, heavy menstrual bleeding, unexplained bruising, coughing up blood, blood in the urine, or vomiting blood.

Other serious risks: These include protein in the urine, gastrointestinal perforation or fistula, thyroid dysfunction, impaired wound healing, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (symptoms include headache, seizures, vision changes, confusion), and allergic reactions to tartrazine (especially in people allergic to aspirin).

Common side effects include fatigue, diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, hoarseness, low thyroid hormone levels, cough, mouth ulcers, low blood sodium and low blood phosphorus, and elevated blood lipase levels.