Busulfex Side Effects Center

What Is Busulfex?

Busulfex (busulfan) is a cancer (antineoplastic) medication used to treat the symptoms of chronic myelogenous leukemia (a type of blood cancer). Busulfex is not a cure for leukemia.

What Are Side Effects of Busulfex?

Busulfex may cause serious side effects including:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing,
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• fever,
• sore throat,
• burning eyes,
• skin pain,
• red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling,
• easy bruising,
• unusual bleeding,
• chills,
• tiredness,
• sore throat,
• cough,
• wheezing,
• coughing with bloody mucus,
• pale skin,
• cold hands and feet,
• vision problems,
• persistent cough,
• congestion,
• breathing problems that occur several months or years after using the medication,
• seizure,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• severe weakness,
• tired feeling,
• stomach pain,
• sharp chest pain,
• weight gain,
• stomach swelling or tenderness,
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice),
• muscle contractions,
• muscle weakness,
• leg cramps,
• irregular heartbeats,
• fluttering in your chest,
• increased thirst or urination, and
• numbness or tingling

Get medical help right away, if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

Common side effects of Busulfex include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• mouth sores,
• upset stomach,
• abdominal pain,
• dizziness,
• weakness,
• swelling of the ankles/feet/hand,
• flushing (warmth,
• redness, or tingly feeling),
• headache,
• trouble sleeping,
• swelling or irritation around the IV needle,
• missed menstrual periods,
• hair loss,
• darkened skin color, and
• fatigue.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Busulfex including:

• pale skin,
• lightheadedness,
• shortness of breath,
• trouble concentrating,
• easy bruising,
• unusual bleeding,
• purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin,
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, loss of appetite, weight loss, unusual weakness, mouth and throat ulcers, rapid and shallow breathing),
• weight gain,
• stomach swelling or tenderness,
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice),
• coughing up blood,
• stomach pain,
• sharp chest pain,
• trouble breathing,
• lower back pain,
• blood in your urine,
• urinating less than usual or not at all,
• confusion,
• jerking muscle movements,
• muscle tightness or contraction,
• overactive reflexes,
• muscle weakness or limp feeling,
• leg discomfort,
• numbness or tingly feeling around your mouth,
• fast/slow/uneven heart rate,
• weak pulse,
• confusion,
• fainting,
• seizures (convulsions),
• persistent cough,
• congestion, or
• low fever

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms such as fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in your chest; shortness of breath; and sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out;
• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors.

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

Dosage for Busulfex

The usual adult dose of Busulfex is 0.8 mg/kg of ideal body weight or actual body weight, whichever is lower, administered every six hours for four days (a total of 16 doses).

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Busulfex?

Busulfex may interact with acetaminophen, itraconazole, or phenytoin. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Busulfex During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Busulfex is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm a fetus. Discuss birth control with your doctor. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Because of the possible risk to the infant, breastfeeding while using this drug is not recommended.

Additional Information

Our Busulfex (busulfan) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• easy bruising, unusual bleeding, purple or red spots under your skin;
• fever, chills, tiredness, sore throat;
• cough, trouble breathing, chest pain, wheezing;
• coughing with bloody mucus;
• pale skin, cold hands and feet;
• vision problems;
• persistent cough, congestion, or breathing problems that occur several months or years after using busulfan;
• a seizure;
• adrenal gland problems--nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss and severe weakness or tired feeling;
• signs of a heart problem--stomach pain, vomiting, sharp chest pain, trouble breathing;
• signs of liver problems--weight gain, stomach swelling or tenderness, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); o
• signs of an electrolyte imbalance--muscle contractions, muscle weakness, leg cramps, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling.

Common side effects may include:

• fever, chills, headache, weakness;
• pain;
• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea;
• fast heartbeats;
• changes in your menstrual periods;
• blisters or ulcers in your mouth, red or swollen gums, trouble swallowing;
• dry mouth, nose, or throat;
• dry or thinning skin, darkened skin color;
• breast swelling;
• sleep problems (insomnia); or
• anxiety.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.