What is the most important information I should know about bexarotene?
nosun Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light
(e.g. sunlamps). bexarotene may increase the sensitivity of your skin
to sunlight. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when exposure
to the sun is unavoidable.
nopreg Do not take bexarotene if you are pregnant or if you could become
pregnant. bexarotene is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that
bexarotene will cause birth defects in an unborn baby. You must take a
pregnancy test and have negative results within one week before starting
treatment with bexarotene, and a pregnancy test should be repeated monthly
during treatment. bexarotene should be started on the second or third
day of a normal menstrual period. Also, you will need to use two reliable
forms of birth control at the same time for one month before starting
treatment with bexarotene, during treatment with bexarotene, and for at
least 1 month following the end of your treatment. If you become pregnant,
stop using birth control, or miss your menstrual period, immediately stop
taking bexarotene and notify your doctor. Men taking bexarotene with sexual
partners who are pregnant, possibly pregnant, or who could become pregnant,
must use condoms during sexual intercourse while using bexarotene and
for at least one month after the last dose of bexarotene.
nocrush Swallow each capsule whole. Do not chew them, dissolve them in
liquid, or allow them to dissolve in your mouth.

Your doctor will want to monitor the levels of lipids (triglycerides
and cholesterol) and thyroid hormones in your blood periodically during
treatment with bexarotene. Treatment may be necessary if your cholesterol
or triglyceride levels become elevated, or if your thyroid hormone levels
are low.
donot Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with bexarotene. The
interaction could have potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use
of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or
decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first
talking to your doctor.

What is bexarotene ?

The exact way bexarotene works is unknown, but it is believed to inhibit
the growth of tumor cells.

bexarotene is used to treat skin lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
(CTCL) in patients who have not responded to or not tolerated other therapies.

bexarotene may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this
medication guide.

Who should not use bexarotene ?
donot Do not take bexarotene without first talking to your doctor if you

* are allergic to other retinoids such as isotretinoin (Accutane), acitretin
(Soriatane), etretinate (Tegison), or tretinoin (Vesinoid);
* have or ever have had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
* have high triglyceride levels in your blood;
* have diabetes mellitus;
* have or ever have had gall bladder disease;
* have or ever have had liver disease;
* regularly drink alcohol;
* are taking gemfibrozil (Lopid);
* are taking any prescription medication especially for fungal infections,
bacterial infections, diabetes, or seizures; or,
* eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice.

You may not be able to take bexarotene, or you may require a dosage adjustment
or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions,
or are taking any of the medications listed above.
nopreg Do not take bexarotene if you are pregnant or if you could become
pregnant. bexarotene is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that
bexarotene will cause birth defects in an unborn baby. You must take a
pregnancy test and have negative results within one week before starting
treatment with bexarotene, and a pregnancy test should be repeated monthly
during treatment. bexarotene should be started on the second or third
day of a normal menstrual period. Also, you will need to use two reliable
forms of birth control at the same time for one month before starting
treatment with bexarotene, during treatment with bexarotene, and for at
least 1 month following the end of your treatment. If you become pregnant,
stop using birth control, or miss your menstrual period, immediately stop
taking bexarotene and notify your doctor. Men taking bexarotene with sexual
partners who are pregnant, possibly pregnant, or who could become pregnant,
must use condoms during sexual intercourse while using bexarotene and
for at least one month after the last dose of bexarotene.
nobrfeed It is not known whether bexarotene passes into breast milk. Do
not take bexarotene without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding
a baby.

How should I use bexarotene ?

Take bexarotene exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand
these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them
to you.
food Your doctor will tell you how many bexarotene capsules to take each
day. Take your daily dose of bexarotene all at once. Take bexarotene once
a day with or immediately following a meal.
nocrush Swallow each capsule whole. Do not chew them, dissolve them in
liquid, or allow them to dissolve in your mouth.
donot Do not take any bexarotene capsules after the expiration date printed
on the label.

If any bexarotene capsules are broken or leaking, do not touch the capsules
or the contents and notify your pharmacist immediately. If the contents
of a broken capsule get on your skin, immediately wash the area with soap
and water and notify your physician.

Your doctor will want to monitor the levels of lipids (triglycerides
and cholesterol) and thyroid hormones in your blood periodically during
treatment with bexarotene. Treatment may be necessary if your cholesterol
or triglyceride levels become elevated, or if your thyroid hormone levels
are low.

It may take many weeks of treatment to see the effects of this drug.
Do not stop taking bexarotene if you do not see results immediately. Some
patients treated with bexarotene see improvement within the first several
weeks of treatment, however most patients require several months or more
of treatment to improve.
rt Store bexarotene at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep
this product out of the reach of children.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose, with food, as soon as you remember. However, if
it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only
your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this
medication.

What happens if I overdose?
emt Seek emergency medical attention.

Symptoms of a bexarotene overdose are unknown.

What should I avoid while using bexarotene ?
nosun Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light
(e.g. sunlamps). bexarotene may increase the sensitivity of your skin
to sunlight. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when exposure
to the sun is unavoidable.

Vitamin A may increase side effects when taking bexarotene. Limit your
use of vitamin A supplements to not more than the recommended daily allowance
(RDA) of 4000 to 5000 International Units (IU) a day. If you take vitamins,
check the label to see how much vitamin A they contain. If you are not
sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
donot Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with bexarotene. The
interaction could have potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use
of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or
decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first
talking to your doctor.

What are the possible side effects of bexarotene ?
emt If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop
taking bexarotene and seek emergency medical attention:

* an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat;
swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives); or
* symptoms of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) such as persistent
nausea, vomiting, and abdominal or back pain.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue
to take bexarotene and talk to your doctor if you experience:

* an increase in fats in the blood (blood lipids) such as cholesterol
or triglycerides (blood tests will detect this);
* a underactive thyroid (blood tests will detect this);
* blood problems;
* headache;
* fatigue;
* weakness or loss of strength;
* swelling;
* rash;
* dry skin;
* infections;
* nausea; or
* diarrhea.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your
doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially
bothersome.

What other drugs will affect bexarotene ?

Vitamin A may increase side effects when taking bexarotene. Limit your
use of vitamin A supplements to not more than the recommended daily allowance
(RDA) of 4000 to 5000 International Units (IU) a day. If you take vitamins,
check the label to see how much vitamin A they contain. If you are not
sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
donot Do not take bexarotene without first talking to your doctor if you
are taking any of the following drugs:

* gemfibrozil (Lopid);
* ketoconazole (Nizoral) or itraconazole (Sporanox);
* erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, Ilosone, others);
* rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane);
* phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
* phenytoin (Dilantin, others); or
* a diabetes medicine such as insulin, glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide
(Diabeta, Micronase, Glynase), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolbutamide
(Orinase), tolazamide (Tolinase), glimepiride (Amaryl), rosiglitazone
(Avandia), pioglitazone (Actos), metformin (Glucophage), and others.

You may not be able to take bexarotene, or you may require a dosage adjustment
or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines
listed above.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with bexarotene.
Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter
medicines.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist has additional information about bexarotene written for
health professionals that you may read.

What does my medication look like?

bexarotene is available with a prescription under the brand name Targretin.
Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist
any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new
to you.

* Targretin 75 mg–off-white, oblong, soft gelatin capsule

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.

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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