Children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a kind of malignancy of the white blood cells, aged 1 to 21 who have already undergone at least two different treatments, are treated with clofarabine. The drug clofarabine belongs to the group of drugs known as purine nucleoside antimetabolites. It functions by eradicating already-existing cancer cells and preventing the growth of more cancer cells.

Clofarabine is sold as an injection-ready solution. A doctor or nurse must administer clofarabine. It is typically administered once day for five days straight. Depending on how well you respond to the medication, this dose cycle may be repeated once every two to six weeks.

You will get each dose of clofarabine over the course of at least 2 hours. Immediately let your doctor or another healthcare professional know if you experience any anxiety or restlessness while taking the drug.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before using clofarabine,

• If you have an allergy to clofarabine or any other drug, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Mention the drugs you take for heart disease and high blood pressure. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you have kidney or liver problems now or in the past, let your doctor know.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. The foetus could suffer from clofarabine. To avoid getting pregnant while receiving clofarabine therapy, use birth control. Discuss the various birth control methods that will work for you with your doctor. Call your doctor right away if you get pregnant while taking clofarabine.
• Inform your doctor if you are nursing a baby. While receiving therapy with clofarabine, breastfeeding is not recommended.
• Inform the surgeon or dental surgeon that you are taking clofarabine if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• Clofarabine may result in the skin disease known as hand-foot syndrome, which you should be aware of. The hands and feet may tingle if you have this ailment, and the skin on your hands and feet may then become red, dry, and flaky. Ask your doctor to suggest a lotion that you might use on these places if this occurs. You must use a soft hand when applying the lotion and avoid vigorously rubbing the affected areas. Also, your doctor might recommend medicine to treat these symptoms.

Throughout your clofarabine treatment, be sure to stay hydrated, especially if you experience diarrhoea or vomiting.

The drug clofarabine may have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Reduced appetite
• Slim down
• Interior of the mouth and nose swelling
• White patches in the mouth that hurt
• Headache
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Irritability
• Back, joint, arm, leg, or other pain
• Drowsiness
• Uncomfortable, scratchy, or dry skin
• Flushing

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:

• Rapid heart rate
• Rapid respiration
• Breathing difficulties
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Fainting
• Less urinations
• Infection symptoms such a sore throat, cough, fever, chills, and others
• Light skin
• Extreme fatigue
• Weakness
• Confusion
• Significant bruising or bleeding
• Nosebleed
• Bluish gums
• Urinary blood
• Little dots under the skin that are red or purple
• Eyes or skin that have a yellow tint
• Itching
• Swelling, heated, irritated, and painful skin
• Body part shaking that is uncontrollable

Further adverse effects of clofarabine are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right once.

The hospital will have this medication on hand.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• Eyes or skin that have a yellow tint
• Vomiting
• Rash

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to clofarabine, your doctor will request specific lab tests.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.