Busulfan Injection

Conditions Treated

Busulfan injection is used to treat a certain type of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; a type of cancer of the white blood cells) in combination with other medications to destroy bone marrow and cancer cells in preparation for a bone marrow transplant. Busulfan is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Busulfan may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• constipation
• sores in the mouth and throat
• dry mouth
• headache
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• feeling unusually anxious or worried
• dizziness
• swelling of the face, arms, hands, feet, ankles or lower legs
• chest pain
• joint, muscle or back pain
• rash
• itching and dry skin
• darkened skin
• hair loss

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:

• black, tarry stools
• red urine
• vomiting
• stomach pain
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• difficulty breathing
• seizures

Busulfan may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while receiving 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 [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Busulfan comes as a solution (liquid) to be given intravenously (into a vein) over 2 hours by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. It is usually given every 6 hours for 4 days (for a total of 16 doses) before bone marrow transplant. Busulfan injection may cause seizures during therapy with the medication. Your doctor will give you another medication to help prevent seizures before and during therapy with busulfan injection.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before receiving busulfan injection, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to busulfan, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in busulfan injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetaminophen (Tylenol); clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo); cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Gengraf, Neoral); itraconazole (Sporanox); medications for mental illness and nausea; or meperidine (Demerol). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with busulfan, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list. tell your doctor if you have previously received radiation therapy or other chemotherapy or have ever had seizures or a head injury.