Geftinat 250 mg

What is GEFTINAT? 

Geftinat(Gefitinib) 250 mg, which belongs to a category of medicine called 'anticancer,' is an efficient medicine used to treat non-small cell lung cancer majorly. It is a famous chemotherapy agent. Patients who have experienced the spread of this cancer to their other body parts are mainly advised to take up its dose. Such people have some abnormal epidermal growth factor receptor genes or EGFR genes, significantly who have never had a cancer treatment ever earlier.

What precisely does this medicine Geftinat (Gefitinib) treat?

Well, the use of this medicine is limited to this purpose only. However, Gefitinib is used in various clinical trials for several other cancer types too! Geftinat (Gefitinib) is a targeted therapy drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, i.e., NSCLC, that has reached locally advanced surrounding tissues.

How does the Geftinat medicine work?

Geftinat works by hindering the growth of cancer cells. This chemotherapy agent essentially blocks the action of a specific substance that might be responsible for the cancer cell multiplication process. Gefitinib thereby prevents the cancer cells from reaching the other parts of the patient's body, where certain tumors are present.

The protein that is mainly helpful for this action is essentially an enzyme called tyrosine kinase. Thus, the drug Geftinat is too known as a kinase inhibitor.

What are some side effects of the Geftinat tablet?

Experts say there are some side-effects for Geftinat, which could be significantly seen within a few days or a week of consuming the drug. However, You could notice the actual cure of the medicine after a couple of weeks or even months. The person must not stop taking Geftinat medication or consume any other mixture without consulting the doctor to lower the side effects. 

Following are the list of some common side-effects which one might experience while being on the Geftinat dosage:

• Dry eye.
• Diarrhea.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Dry mouth.
• Fever.
• Acne. 
• Any nail disorders.
• Inflammation of one's skin with blisters.
• Weight loss and hair loss.
• Dry skin, rashes, and itching.
• Canker sores.
• Generalized weakness. 

There are a bit of infrequent or severe side effects that a person might experience while consuming Geftinat. They are listed as follows:

• High levels of bilirubin in the blood.
• Lazy eye.
• High levels of aspartate transaminase.
• Bleeding.
• Trouble in breathing.
• Dehydration.
• Some fluid retention in one's arms, hands, legs, and feet.
• High levels of alanine transaminase.

How must a person consume this medicine?

Geftinat 250 mg is a tablet to be consumed via the mouth, usually once a day. It could be either taken with or without one's food. Usually, it is taken empty stomach, i.e., one to two hours before the meal. It is highly advised for every patient who doses on it to consume the dose same time daily. As long as the doctor suggests stopping the dosage, one must continue to take up the Geftinat tablets every day and how the doctor has prescribed it.

As the doctor prescribes, a necessary caution for consuming Geftinat is to swallow this medicine with a glass of water. The tablet must not be crushed, inhaled, chewed, or injected. After consuming, one must make sure to let it sit for a minute or two. 

What are some essential precautions to keep in mind while being on a Geftinat dosage?

Some precautions must always be taken care of while consuming such an important medicine as Gefitinib daily. These precautions help to get cured sooner and efficiently and prevent most complications during the treatment procedure.

The precautions are as follows:

• Geftinat medicine might cause a potential hazard to the fetus. Pregnant ladies might consult the doctor regarding the same!
  
  
• Before the doctor finalizes the prescription with Geftinat, one must tell him about the previous and ongoing medicines he takes. Be it any herbal drugs, over-the-counter pills, vitamins, remedies, or food supplements, and the patient must verify the use of any ongoing medicine with the Geftinat drug. 
  
  
• If a person uses any contraceptive method, it is most likely that the contraception might not be effective due to Gefitinib (Geftinat 250mg).
  
  
• Taking any vaccination or immunization must be first and foremost be consulted by the doctor if a person is undergoing or planning to start chemotherapy or takes Geftinat doses.
  
  
• Suppose ever the person had been on a Geftinat dosage or been on any chemotherapy. In that case, the person must consult the doctor about the safest time for conceiving a child.
  
  

FAQ's

Is itching common while being on a Geftinat dosage?

Dry skin and itching are pretty common complaints from the patients who were observed consuming Geftinat. The reason might be getting treatment with an EGFR inhibitor! Not only this, specifically, there is blepharitis, perineal dryness, and vaginal dryness and itching were too reported by the patients.

Does the Geftinat drug lead to hair loss?

Other than experiencing skin rashes and some itching, patients too have faced hair loss in the scalp. As per the majority of cases, the scalp lesions appeared much similar to the erosive dermatosis of the scalp. 

What happens in case of overdosage of Geftinat tablet?

One must not increase the dose for this medicine without the prescription of the doctor. This will not give a faster relief instead, it might lead to a greater risk of side effects or severe complications. 

Who should not take Geftinat medicine?

• Pregnant ladies.
• A person has a type of lung inflammation called interstitial pneumonitis.
• A person is experiencing any liver issues.
• People who have undergone severe levels of renal impairments.
• If a person falls under the condition where pulmonary fibrosis is formed (fibrous tissues in the lungs).

Which foodstuff must one avoid while taking Geftinat 250 mg?

Even if the foodstuff were eaten by the people with no problems or complaints in the past, still they need to be avoided the following food items while being on a Geftinat medicine dose:

• Smoked fish.
• Unpasteurized cider or fruit juices.
• Raw or cooked fishes contain high levels of mercury.
• Uncooked meat.
• Soft boiled, poached, over easy, and undercooked eggs.
• Raw sprouts.
• Alcohol and beverages contain even low amounts of alcohol.
• Uncooked or dry-cured salami.
• Caffeine products.

Can a person start or continue nursing while taking up regular Geftinat dose or chemotherapy?

Women who are breastfeeding must avoid the same in case she is starting or continuing chemotherapy, including the use of Geftinat medicine. It might prove to be harmful to the baby to nurse on the mother who undergoes chemotherapy.

What are some drug interactions of Geftinat?

There are some medicines with which Geftinat doesn't fix as a match and might cause potential risk to health, or even death! Following are such medicines, which interact adversely with Geftinat:

• Vinorelbine.
• Antifungals.
• Blood thinners or anticoagulants.
• Phenytoin (Dilantin) or Rifampin.
• Cimetidine or ranitidine.

While consuming any medicine belonging to the class as mentioned above, along with the Geftinat (Gefitinib), there either might occur a condition of overdose, or the person might end up consuming ineffective Geftinat doses.