Dasatinib-Teva (Dasatinib)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Dasatinib-Teva Used For?
Dasatinib-Teva contains the active ingredient dasatinib, which is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat certain types of blood cancers in adults and children 12 months and older.
Primary Uses
Dasatinib-Teva is used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL). It can be used for newly diagnosed patients who haven’t received prior therapy, or for patients who are no longer benefiting from other treatments or experiencing severe side effects from other therapies.
How It Works
Dasatinib works by inhibiting the activity of proteins within leukaemia cells that are responsible for uncontrolled growth. By blocking these proteins, dasatinib kills the leukaemia cells in the bone marrow and allows normal red cell, white cell, and platelet production to resume.
Good to know: This medicine helps most people with chronic myeloid leukaemia by targeting the specific proteins causing the disease.
How to Take Dasatinib-Teva
Take Dasatinib-Teva exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The tablets should be taken consistently at the same time each day, either in the morning or evening.
Dosage Instructions
The usual starting dose for adults is 100 mg once daily (either as one 100 mg tablet or two 50 mg tablets). Some adult patients may require 140 mg daily (taken as two 70 mg tablets). For children, the dose is determined by body weight. Swallow tablets whole with water – do not break, cut, chew, or crush them. Take with or without food, but avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss your dose at the usual time, take your next scheduled dose at its regular time. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when scheduled. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Do not stop taking or reduce the dose without consulting your doctor first.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- headache
- dizziness
- numbness or tingling in arms, legs, fingers, or toes
- altered taste
- diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
- shortness of breath, cough
- infection, fever
- abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, constipation, indigestion
- high blood pressure
- mouth ulcers
- skin rash, dermatitis, dry skin, itching
- hair loss
- visual disturbances, blurry vision, dry eye
- fatigue
- swelling of liver, abdomen, hands, lower legs, feet, or face
- back pain, bone pain, joint pain, muscle aches
- weight decrease, appetite disturbance
- gout
- conjunctivitis
- tinnitus (ringing in ears)
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- changes in heart rhythm or faster heartbeat
- bleeding from gastrointestinal tract, eye, nose, gums, or excessive menstrual bleeding
- serious bruising
- infections (urinary tract, eye infection, difficulty breathing, coughing)
- fever
- painful rash with blisters
- swelling, weight gain, shortness of breath or chest pain
- swelling around eyes
- skin infections (folliculitis, herpes)
- shortness of breath and fatigue
- dark colored urine or yellowing of skin and eyes
- reduction in blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets)
Important Warnings
Before taking Dasatinib-Teva, it’s important to discuss your medical history and current medications with your doctor to ensure safe use.
Who Should Not Take Dasatinib-Teva
Do not take Dasatinib-Teva if you are allergic to dasatinib or any of the ingredients listed in the medication guide.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have any medical conditions or problems with your immune system, heart, or liver, are lactose intolerant, or have ever had a hepatitis B infection. Also inform your doctor about any allergies to foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Do not use Dasatinib-Teva if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, as it can cause harm to the unborn baby. Women taking this medication should not breastfeed. Men taking Dasatinib-Teva should use condoms to avoid pregnancy in their partner. Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking this medication.
Pregnancy Warning: This medication can cause serious harm to unborn babies. Use effective contraception and tell your doctor immediately if pregnancy occurs.
Drug Interactions
Several medications can interact with Dasatinib-Teva and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines, vitamins, and supplements you’re taking.
Grapefruit interaction: Do not take Dasatinib-Teva with grapefruit or grapefruit juice as it may increase medication levels in your bloodstream.
- Nizoral (ketoconazole), Sporanox (itraconazole), Norvir (ritonavir), Reyataz (atazanavir), E-Mycin (erythromycin), Klacid (clarithromycin) – may increase Dasatinib-Teva levels
- Maxidex (dexamethasone), Dilantin (phenytoin), Tegretol (carbamazepine), Rifadin (rifampicin), Phenobarbitone – may decrease Dasatinib-Teva levels
- Sandimmun (cyclosporin) – blood levels may be altered
- Blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin), aspirin, NSAIDs – may increase bleeding risk
- Oral diabetes medicines from glitazone family
- Stomach acid reducers like Tagamet (cimetidine), Pepcidine (famotidine), Zantac (ranitidine), Probitor (omeprazole) – should be avoided
- Antacids like Mylanta, Andrews Tums Antacid – can be taken 2 hours before or after Dasatinib-Teva
Alcohol & Driving
Be cautious with alcohol consumption and driving while taking Dasatinib-Teva, as it can cause dizziness and light-headedness.
Alcohol
Alcohol is not expected to interact directly with Dasatinib-Teva, but discuss alcohol consumption with your doctor to understand possible effects when combined with this medicine.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Dasatinib-Teva can cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people. Make sure you know how this medication affects you before driving, operating machinery, or doing anything that could be dangerous if you feel dizzy.
Storage
Store Dasatinib-Teva in a cool, dry place below 25°C, away from moisture, heat, and sunlight. Keep tablets in the original packaging until it’s time to take them. Store in a safe place away from children. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on windowsills.
Overdose Information
If you think you have taken too much Dasatinib-Teva, seek urgent medical attention immediately. Call the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your doctor will order routine laboratory tests to evaluate your blood counts to see how well Dasatinib-Teva is working. The timeline can vary between patients, so follow up with your doctor regularly to monitor your progress.
Yes, Dasatinib-Teva can be taken with or without food. However, avoid taking it with grapefruit or grapefruit juice as this may increase medication levels in your bloodstream.
Do not stop taking Dasatinib-Teva suddenly or reduce the dose without consulting your doctor first. Your doctor may need to adjust your dose gradually or temporarily discontinue the medicine based on your response and any side effects.
Alcohol is not expected to interact directly with Dasatinib-Teva, but you should discuss alcohol consumption with your doctor to understand the possible effects of combining alcohol with this medicine.
If you miss your dose at the usual time, take your next scheduled dose at its regular time. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
Yes, Dasatinib-Teva can be used in children 12 months and older. The starting dose for children is determined by body weight, and the entire prescribed dose should be taken at one time either in the morning or evening.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any bleeding or easy bruising, no matter how mild. This is especially important if you’re taking blood-thinning medicines, as Dasatinib-Teva may increase the risk of unwanted bleeding.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.