| Carboplatin | 91.0000000000000 | Carboplatin | Carboplatin | C | English | Pharmacy | NA | NA | NA | Drugs and Supplements | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2008-03-25T04:00:00Z | | Elaine Lau, BScPhm, PharmD, MSc, RPh | | | | 59.0000000000000 | 8.00000000000000 | 0 | | Drugs (A-Z) | Drug A-Z | <p class="akh-article-overview">Your child needs to take the medicine called carboplatin.</p> | <p>Your child needs to take the medicine called carboplatin (say: KAR-boe-pla-tin). This information sheet explains what carboplatin does, how to give it, and what side effects or problems your child may have when they take this medicine. </p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <h2>What is carboplatin?</h2>
<p>Carboplatin is a medicine used to kill cancer cells. It stops the cells from growing and making new cells. You may hear carboplatin called "carbo" or by its brand names, Paraplatin or Paraplatin-AQ. Carboplatin comes in injection form. </p> | <h2>Before giving carboplatin to your child</h2>
<p>Tell your doctor if your child has ever reacted badly to carboplatin, cisplatin, or any other medications, foods, preservatives, or colouring agents. </p>
<h3>Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if your child has any of the following conditions. Precautions may need to be taken with this medicine if your child has: </h3>
<ul><li>an infection or recent exposure to infection (for example chickenpox) </li>
<li>hearing problems </li>
<li>a history of kidney problems </li></ul> | <h2>How will your child get carboplatin?</h2>
<p>Carboplatin is a clear liquid a nurse will give by needle into your child's vein (intravenously or IV). Your child will get this medicine in the hospital clinic or on a nursing unit. </p>
<p>Your child's doctor may want your child to drink plenty of liquids on the day they get carboplatin. This will help prevent kidney problems. Your doctor will tell you how much your child needs to drink. </p> | | | <h2>What are the possible side effects of carboplatin?</h2>
<p>Your child may have some of these side effects while they take carboplatin. Check with your child's doctor if your child continues to have any of these side effects, and they do not go away, or they bother your child: </p>
<ul><li>upset stomach and throwing up </li>
<li>feeling tired or weak </li>
<li>diarrhea (watery or loose stools) </li>
<li>constipation (trouble having a bowel movement) </li>
<li>loss of appetite </li>
<li>hair loss </li></ul>
<p>Call your child's doctor during office hours if your child has any of these side effects:</p>
<ul><li>pain, redness or swelling where the needle was put in </li>
<li>numbness or tingling in fingers or toes </li>
<li>unusual tiredness or weakness </li>
<li>blurred vision </li>
<li>ringing in ears or changes in hearing </li>
<li>sores in the mouth or on the lips </li>
<li>swelling of feet or lower legs </li>
<li>urinating less often </li></ul>
<h3>Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem. Call your child's doctor right away or take your child to Emergency if your child has any of these side effects: </h3>
<ul><li>rash or itching of the skin </li>
<li>swelling of the face or lips </li>
<li>tightness in the throat or difficulty breathing </li>
<li>black, tarry stools </li>
<li>blood in urine or stools </li>
<li>cough or hoarseness </li>
<li>fever or chills </li>
<li>lower back or side pain </li>
<li>painful or difficult urination </li>
<li>pinpoint red spots on skin </li>
<li>seizures </li>
<li>unusual bleeding or bruising </li></ul> | <h2>What safety measures should you take when your child is using carboplatin?</h2>
<p>Your child's doctor will order blood and hearing tests to check for problems while your child is getting carboplatin.</p>
<p>Your child will get some medicine to prevent an upset stomach and throwing up caused by carboplatin.</p>
<p>Your child may lose their hair. It will grow back once treatment with carboplatin stops. Its colour and texture may change. Use a gentle shampoo and a soft brush on your child's hair. </p>
<p>Carboplatin may cause sores in the mouth. Rinse your child's mouth with a mouthwash made from baking soda to help keep it clean. Your nurse or pharmacist can review this with you. Avoid store-bought mouthwash, as it may sting and cause dry mouth. </p>
<p>Carboplatin can lower the number of white blood cells in the blood temporarily, which increases your child's chances of getting an infection. Your child can take the following precautions to prevent infections, especially when the blood count is low: </p>
<ul><li>Avoid people with infections, such as a cold or the "flu." </li>
<li>Avoid places that are very crowded with large groups of people. </li>
<li>Be careful when brushing or flossing your child's teeth. Your doctor, nurse or dentist may suggest different ways to clean your child's mouth and teeth. </li>
<li>You/your child shouldn't touch your child's eyes or inside their nose without washing you/your child's hands first. </li>
<li>Your child should not receive a permanent tattoo or any kind of body piercing. </li>
<li>Your child's nurse and doctor will review with you what to do when you child has a fever. </li></ul>
<p>Carboplatin can lower the number of platelets in the blood, which increases your child's risk of bleeding. You can take the following precautions: </p>
<ul><li>Be careful not to cut your child when using a razor, fingernail scissors or toenail clippers. </li>
<li>Be careful when shaving or waxing. </li>
<li>Your child should avoid contact sports where bruising or injury could occur. </li>
<li>Before your child has surgery, including dental surgery, or any emergency treatment, inform the doctor or dentist that your child is taking carboplatin. </li></ul>
<p>Your child should not receive any immunizations (vaccines) without your child's doctor's approval. Your child or anyone else in your household should not get oral polio vaccine while your child is being treated for cancer. Tell your child's doctor if anyone in your household has recently received oral polio vaccine. Your child should avoid contact with anyone who has recently received this vaccine. Other live vaccines that your child should not get include measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and chickenpox vaccine. </p>
<p>There is a chance that carboplatin may cause birth defects if it is taken at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. If your child is sexually active, it is recommended that they use some kind of birth control while receiving carboplatin. Tell the doctor right away if your child may be pregnant. </p>
<p>After receiving carboplatin, your child may not be able to have children or have more difficulty having children. Your child's doctor will discuss this in more detail with you/your child. </p>
<p>Check with your child's doctor or pharmacist before giving your child any other medicines (prescription, non-prescription, herbal or natural products). </p> | <h2>What other important information should you know about carboplatin?</h2><ul><li>Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to the doctor or pharmacist.</li><li>Do not share your child's medicine with others and do not give anyone else's medicine to your child.</li><li>Do not keep any medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicines.<br></li></ul> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/ICO_DrugA-Z.png | Carboplatin | Carboplatin | | | |
