Temodar

Temodar treats certain types of brain cancer. Avoid contact with this medication other than when swallowing the capsules.

Temodar Overview

Updated: 

Temodar is a prescription medication used to treat brain cancer tumors in adults. Temodar belongs to a group of drugs called alkylating agents, which slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.

This medication comes in capsule and injectable forms. The capsules are taken once daily, with or without food. Swallow Temodar capsules whole, with a full glass of water. The injection is given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare provider.

Common side effects of Temodar include nausea, headache, vomiting, and hair loss. 

How was your experience with Temodar?

First, a little about yourself

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What tips would you provide a friend before taking Temodar?

What are you taking Temodar for?

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  • Other
  • Astrocytoma
  • Melanoma

How long have you been taking it?

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  • Less than a week
  • A couple weeks
  • A month or so
  • A few months
  • A year or so
  • Two years or more

How well did Temodar work for you?

Did you experience many side effects while taking this drug?

How likely would you be to recommend Temodar to a friend?

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Temodar Cautionary Labels

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Uses of Temodar

Temodar is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with certain brain cancer tumors. Temodar may decrease the size of certain brain tumors in some patients.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Manufacturer

Temodar Drug Class

Temodar is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Temodar

Common side effects with Temodar include:

  • nausea and vomiting. Your doctor can prescribe medicines that may help reduce these symptoms.
  • headache
  • feeling tired
  • loss of appetite
  • hair loss
  • constipation
  • bruising
  • rash
  • paralysis on one side of the body
  • diarrhea
  • weakness
  • fever
  • dizziness
  • coordination problems
  • viral infection
  • sleep problems
  • memory loss
  • pain, irritation, itching, warmth, swelling or redness at the site of infusion
  • bruising or small red or purple spots under the skin

Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Temodar Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take a medicine that contains valproic acid (Stavzor, Depakene).

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Temodar Precautions

Temodar can cause serious side effects.

  • Decreased blood cells. Temodar affects cells that grow rapidly, including bone marrow cells. This can cause you to have a decrease in blood cells. Your doctor can monitor your blood for these effects.
  • Decreased neutrophils. White blood cells are needed to fight infections. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that helps prevent bacterial infections. Decreased neutrophils can lead to serious infections that can lead to death. Other white blood cells called lymphocytes may also be decreased.
  • Low platelet counts. Platelets are blood cells needed for normal blood clotting. Low platelet counts can lead to bleeding. Tell your doctor about any unusual bruising or bleeding.
  • Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP). PCP is an infection that people can get when their immune system is weak. Temodar decreases white blood cells, which makes your immune system weaker and can increase your risk of getting PCP. All patients taking Temodar will be watched carefully by their doctor for this infection, especially patients who take steroids. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of PCP infection: shortness of breath and/or fever, chills, dry cough.
  • Secondary cancers. Blood problems such as myelodysplastic syndrome and secondary cancers, such as a certain kind of leukemia, can happen in people who take Temodar. Your doctor will watch you for this.
  • Convulsions. Convulsions may be severe or life-threatening in people who take Temodar.

Your doctor will check your blood regularly while you are taking Temodar to see if these side effects are happening. Your doctor may need to change the dose of Temodar or when you get it depending on your blood cell counts. People who are age 70 or older and women may be more likely to have their blood cells affected.

Do not take Temodar if you:

  • have had an allergic reaction to DTIC (dacarbazine), another cancer medicine.
  • have had a red itchy rash, or a severe allergic reaction, such as trouble breathing, swelling of the face, throat, or tongue, or severe skin reaction to Temodar or any of the ingredients in Temodar. If you are not sure, ask your doctor.

Female patients and female partners of male patients should avoid becoming pregnant while taking Temodar.

Temodar Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Temodar, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Temodar.

Inform MD

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:

  • are allergic to DTIC (dacarbazine) or have had a severe allergic reaction to Temodar
  • have kidney problems
  • have liver problems
  • are pregnant
  • are breastfeeding. It is not known whether Temodar passes into breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will breastfeed or take Temodar. You should not do both without talking with your doctor.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take a medicine that contains valproic acid (Stavzor, Depakene).

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Temodar and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category D. Temodar may cause birth defects. Male and female patients who take Temodar should use effective birth control. Female patients and female partners of male patients should avoid becoming pregnant while taking Temodar.

Temodar and Lactation

It is not known if Temodar crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Temodar.

Temodar Usage

  • Temodar may be taken by mouth as a capsule at home, or you may receive Temodar by injection into a vein (intravenous). Your doctor will decide the best way for you to take Temodar.

There are two common dosing schedules for taking Temodar.

  • Some people take Temodar for 42 days in a row (possibly 49 days depending on side effects) with radiation treatment. This is one cycle of treatment. After this, you may have "maintenance" treatment. Your doctor may prescribe 6 more cycles of Temodar. For each of these cycles, you take Temodar one time each day for 5 days in a row and then you stop taking it for the next 23 days. This is a 28-day maintenance treatment cycle.
  • Another way to take Temodar is to take it one time each day for 5 days in a row only, and then you stop taking it for the next 23 days. This is one cycle of treatment (28 days). Your doctor will watch your progress on Temodar and decide how long you should take it. You might take Temodar until your tumor gets worse or for possibly up to 2 years.
  • Your dose is based on your height and weight, and the number of treatment cycles will depend on how you respond to and tolerate this treatment.
  • Your doctor may modify your schedule based on how you tolerate the treatment.
  • If your doctor prescribes a treatment regimen that is different from the information provided here, make sure you follow the specific instructions given to you by your doctor.

Oral:

  • Take Temodar capsules exactly as prescribed.
  • Temodar capsules come in different strengths. Each strength has a different color cap. Your doctor may prescribe more than one strength of Temodar capsules for you, so it is important that you understand how to take your medicine the right way. Be sure that you understand exactly how many capsules you need to take on each day of your treatment, and what strengths to take. This may be different whenever you start a new cycle.
  • Talk to your doctor before you take your dose if you are not sure how much to take. This will help to prevent taking too much Temodar and decrease your chances of getting serious side effects.
  • Take each day's dose of Temodar capsules at one time, with a full glass of water.
  • Swallow Temodar capsules whole. Do not chew, open, or split the capsules.
  • If Temodar capsules are accidentally opened or damaged, be careful not to breathe in (inhale) the powder from the capsules or get the powder on your skin or mucous membranes (for example, in your nose or mouth). If contact with any of these areas happens, flush the area with water.
  • If you vomit Temodar capsules, do not take any more capsules. Wait and take your next planned dose.
  • The medicine is used best by your body if you take it at the same time every day in relation to a meal.
  • To lessen nausea, try to take Temodar on an empty stomach or at bedtime. Your doctor may prescribe medicine to prevent or treat nausea, or other medicines to lessen side effects with Temodar.
  • See your doctor regularly to check your progress. Your doctor will check you for side effects that you might not notice.
  • If you miss a dose of Temodar, talk with your doctor for instructions about when to take your next dose of Temodar.
  • Call your doctor right away if you take more than the prescribed amount of Temodar. It is important that you do not take more than the amount of Temodar prescribed for you.

Injectable

  • You will receive Temodar as an infusion directly into your vein. Your treatment will take about 90 minutes.
  • Your doctor may prescribe medicine to prevent or treat nausea, or other medicines to relieve side effects with Temodar.

Temodar Dosage

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

  • the condition being treated
  • other medical conditions you have
  • other medications you are taking
  • how you respond to this medication
  • your weight
  • your height
  • your age
  • your gender

Newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme: 75 mg/m2 for 42 days along with radiotherapy followed by starting maintenance dose of 150 mg/m2 once daily for Days 1–5 of a 28-day cycle of Temodar for 6 cycles.

Refractory anaplastic astrocytoma: Starting dose of 150 mg/m2 once daily for 5 consecutive days per 28-day treatment cycle.

Temodar Overdose

If you take too much Temodar, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Other Requirements

  • Store Temodar capsules at 77°F (controlled room temperature). Storage at 59° to 86°F (15° to 30°C) is permitted occasionally.
  • Store Temodar injection under refrigeration at 2–8°C (36–46°F). After reconstitution, store reconstituted product at room temperature (25°C or 77°F).
  • Keep Temodar capsules out of the reach of children and pets.