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What to Expect

Goals of treatment with Gleevec® include the following:

Taking Gleevec every day as prescribed helps you get the most from your therapy. Like any medicine, Gleevec may cause side effects. Gleevec is occasionally associated with serious side effects, including severe fluid retention in different parts of the body including the lungs and heart, heart failure, low levels of certain blood cells (including children), liver problems, abnormal bleeding, or skin blistering. There have also been reports, including deaths, from increased pressure on the heart or brain, swelling of the brain, swelling inside the eye, and holes in the walls of the intestinal tract. Your doctor will monitor you closely for these reactions to prevent more serious complications from occurring. Patients with heart failure or risk factors for heart failure should also be monitored carefully. Gleevec should not be used in patients with a known allergic reaction to Gleevec or any of its ingredients. The majority of patients who received Gleevec in clinical studies experienced side effects, but they were usually mild or moderate.

A majority of patients experience side effects at some time. Most side effects of Gleevec are mild to moderate in severity. Common side effects you may experience include fluid retention, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, muscle or bone pain, diarrhea, and rash. Be sure to tell your doctor and nurse if you have any side effects during your treatment with Gleevec. In some cases, mild to moderate side effects can be managed with the help of other medication and advice from your doctor so that the prescribed dose can be maintained whenever possible. For Gleevec to work, it is important that you continue to take it as directed unless your doctor tells you to stop treatment or changes your dose. See Side Effects and Safety Information for more.