Let's take a minute to talk about your medication.

This is Imbruvica. It helps treat certain types of lymphoma and leukemia. It also treats graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow or stem cell transplant. This medicine may have other uses, too.

Imbruvica is often taken once a day, at the same time each day. You should take it exactly as your doctor tells you to. Imbruvica is available as both capsules and tablets. You should swallow the capsules or tablets whole with a glass of water. 

Many people will have side effects with this medicine. Diarrhea is common, and it can cause dehydration. You should drink plenty of fluids to help avoid this. Other common side effects include nausea, bruising, or tiredness. You should talk to your health care team about which symptoms to watch for, and when to report them. They will help you manage them. Also, you should wait until you know how this medicine affects you before you do activities that require you to be alert, like driving.

As with any medicine, more serious side effects could occur. You should read the patient information sheet for more information. For example, bleeding is a common problem, but it could also be serious. You should tell your doctor right away if you have bleeding that is unexpected or severe. To help keep this medicine safe for you, your doctor will order blood tests, check your blood pressure, and follow your condition closely. 

You should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other medicines. Also, you should not eat grapefruit or Seville oranges, and you should not drink their fruit juices.

This medicine can harm unborn babies. Both MEN AND WOMEN who take Imbruvica must use effective birth control.

For best results with Imbruvica, ask about helpful support services for patients that are available.