Side effects
Tyroin kinase inhibitors are highly potent drugs. Their use can lead to side effects that do not necessarily occur in every patient. In some cases, these can be serious to life-threatening, which is why a doctor should be consulted immediately.
In general, treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors requires close monitoring of symptoms and laboratory results. Patients should be given detailed information about the therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors belong to the group of chemotherapeutic drugs and cause fewer side effects than classic chemotherapeutic drugs due to their targeted action.If you are interested in the general side effects of chemotherapy, we recommend our page on: Side effects of chemotherapy
- When taking tyrosine kinase inhibitors, non-specific side effects are possible, such as loss of appetite, dizziness, hair loss, joint pain, indigestion, nausea, dry mouth, numbness or discomfort, as well as numerous others.
These side effects are to be expected to a certain extent, but if they occur to a large extent, a doctor should also be informed. If you fear hair loss during chemotherapy, you should read the following page: Accelerate hair growth after chemotherapy
- Common side effect of treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is increased water retention, edema and weight gain.
- Infections can also occur more frequently, signs of which include fever, chills or sore throats. This is due to the reduced number of white blood cells, which weakens the immune system.
- Bruising and bleeding may also occur, as blood clotting may be disturbed.
- In addition, the number of red blood cells may also be reduced, which can be noticeable by paleness, tiredness and shortness of breath.
- Occasionally, treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors can cause heart and lung problems associated with chest pain, coughing or difficulty breathing.
- Blood pressure can also be low, which can lead to dizziness or fainting.
- Other side effects are skin problems
- Further side effects are intestinal problems with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Severe side effects of the drug are liver damage, kidney damage, or muscle pain, which may be manifested by discoloration of urine, decreased urine volume, or yellowing of skin and sclera. If these side effects occur during treatment, a doctor must be notified immediately as they can be up to life-threatening.
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