Which side effects can be seen after taking Imatinib?

Posted by susanwoodward @susanwoodward, Apr 15 7:41am

Hi members,
I have a family member who is taking Imatinib 400mg twice a day since 2-3 month. She is experiencing side effect like dizziness, constipation, no taste of foods. Is that normal? Anyone faced similar?

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Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Apr 15 8:39am

Hi Susan, I’m sorry to hear that a member of your family has cancer. While it’s never news anyone wants to receive we’re lucky enough to live in an age where we have treatment options to help irradiate the cancer from our bodies and move forward. It’s not easy going through treatments but the outcomes can make it worth the effort. So I hope your relative is seeing some positive results after being on the Imatinib for a couple of months.

However, there can be some unpleasant side effects from any the meds used to treat cancer. Imatinib is a targeted cancer drug that blocks the growth of different types of cancer cells.
The side effects you mentioned for your relative are all listed as potential issues. Constipation and loss of taste are less common but still on the list. I’ve posted to links below, one that discusses the drug, the second shows the list of potential side effects.
https://www.drugs.com/imatinib.html
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/imatinib-side-effects.html
Having taken some similar meds, to mitigate side effects it’s important to drink large amounts of water daily to help flush toxins. For the constipation, eating a cup of yogurt daily with a teaspoon of ground flax really helped me keep my innards happy, even though it was rough to eat the yogurt some days. Prunes can be helpful as well. There are also gentle laxatives on the market.

Your relative should be reporting side effects to their doctor. Some people aren’t able to cope with certain meds and may be able be switched to a more tolerable treatment option.

What type of cancer does your relative have?

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 17 6:09pm

Hi @susanwoodward, I'm tagging a few members like @dmmurph @vkartsona @johnra @craighatescancer, who have experience with imatinib and can share their tips.

I echo @loribmt's question. May I ask what type of cancer your relative has?

craighatescancer | @craighatescancer | Apr 17 7:09pm

I’ve been taking Gleevec (have also taken Imatinib) for CML since early 2020 and fortunately haven’t had any major issues. Maybe some GI stuff but can’t say for sure. I take one 400 mg pill daily and have had good results so far.