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Idelalisib may cause serious or life threatening liver damage. Tell your doctor if you have or ever have had liver disease. The risk of liver damage may be increased in people taking other medications known to cause liver damage, and in people who already have liver disease. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about the medications you are taking so they can check whether any of your medications may increase the risk that you will develop liver damage during your treatment with idelalisib. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: extreme tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, unusual bleeding or bruising, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark yellow or brown-colored urine, pale stools, or pain in the upper right part of the stomach.
Idelalisib may cause diarrhea, colitis (swelling of the large intestine), or holes in the stomach or intestine. Tell your doctor if you have diarrhea or if you have ever had colitis or other conditions that affect your stomach or intestine. The risk of diarrhea may be increased in people taking other medications known to cause diarrhea. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about the medications you are taking so they can check whether any of your medications may increase the risk that you will develop diarrhea during your treatment with idelalisib. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: if your number of bowel movements in a day increases by 6 or more, stomach cramps or pain, chills, fever, nausea, or vomiting.
Idelalisib may cause serious or life threatening pneumonitis (swelling of the lungs). Tell your doctor if you have lung disease or breathing problems. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: new or worsening cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
Idelalisib may cause serious or life threatening infections. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, or if you have or have ever had cytomegalovirus (CMV; a viral infection that may cause symptoms in patients with weak immune systems). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: fever, sore throat, chills, painful, frequent, or difficult urination, or other signs of infection.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests to check your body's response to idelalisib.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking idelalisib.
WHY is this medicine prescribed?
Idelalisib is used along with another medication rituximab (Rituxan) to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) in people whose cancer came back after receiving other cancer treatments. It is also used to treat certain types of follicular lymphoma (FL; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL:a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) in people whose cancer came back after being treated with at least 2 other cancer treatments. Idelalisib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps stop the spread of cancer cells.
HOW should this medicine be used?
Idelalisib comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food twice a day. Take idelalisib at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take idelalisib exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Swallow the tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them.
Your doctor may decrease your dose of idelalisib or tell you to stop taking the medication for a time or permanently if you experience serious side effects during your treatment. This depends on how well the medication works for you and the side effects you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment. Continue to take idelalisib even if you feel well. Do not stop taking idelalisib without talking to your doctor.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.
Are there OTHER USES for this medication?
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?
Before taking idelalisib,
What SPECIAL DIETARY instructions should I follow?
Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication.
What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?
If you miss a dose of idelalisib by less than 6 hours, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and then take the next dose at the scheduled time. However, if you miss a dose by more than 6 hours, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
Idelalisib may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:
Idelalisib may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at http://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from light, excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).
Dispose of unneeded medications in a way so that pets, children, and other people cannot take them. Do not flush this medication down the toilet. Use a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist about take-back programs in your community. Visit the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for more information.
Keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant. Always lock safety caps. Place the medication in a safe location - one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org
What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
Keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements you are taking. Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital. You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies.
This report on medications is for your information only, and is not considered individual patient advice. Because of the changing nature of drug information, please consult your physician or pharmacist about specific clinical use.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. represents that the information provided hereunder was formulated with a reasonable standard of care, and in conformity with professional standards in the field. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to such information and specifically disclaims all such warranties. Users are advised that decisions regarding drug therapy are complex medical decisions requiring the independent, informed decision of an appropriate health care professional, and the information is provided for informational purposes only. The entire monograph for a drug should be reviewed for a thorough understanding of the drug's actions, uses and side effects. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. does not endorse or recommend the use of any drug. The information is not a substitute for medical care.
AHFS® Patient Medication Information™ Copyright, 2025. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Selected Revisions: April 15, 2018.