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

This is Velcade. It is a chemotherapy which helps treat certain cancers, like multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. Velcade helps stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. Sometimes, the benefits are seen in the first few months, but other times the benefits take much longer. Velcade is given as an injection under the skin, or as an infusion into a vein. 

It is normal to have side effects. Your doctor will help you manage them. You could feel tired or dizzy. You should wait until you know how this medicine affects you before doing activities that require you to be alert, like driving. You could also have a fever, stomach upset, loss of appetite, and either diarrhea or constipation. These effects are normal if they are mild and should go away. Still, you must report these or other unusual changes to your doctor right away. 

Velcade can cause low blood pressure. To avoid this, you should drink enough fluid, check your own blood pressure, and tell your doctor when readings are low or high. Patients with diabetes should also report unexplained changes in blood sugar results. 

As with any medicine, more serious side effects can occur. With Velcade, this includes low blood counts, nerve pain, and problems with your heart, lungs, liver and brain. To help keep this medicine safe for you, your doctor will follow you closely and explain which symptoms you should watch for. 

You should ask your doctor about ways to protect against getting a rash called shingles. 

Women must take extreme care to prevent pregnancy. 

For best results with Velcade, follow your doctor's advice on ways to eat and drink that will help reduce stomach upset. Also, ask about patient support programs that are available.