Adriamycin Side Effects

Although most people do not experience any problems when taking Adriamycin, side effects can occur during treatment with the medicine. Some of the most common side effects of Adriamycin include hair loss, vomiting, and weight gain. Some of the more serious Adriamycin side effects include seizures, blood in the stool, and difficulty breathing. If you experience these or other serious side effects, let your healthcare provider know right away.

 

An Introduction to Adriamycin Side Effects

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Adriamycin® (doxorubicin hydrochloride). However, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
 
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Adriamycin. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Adriamycin side effects with you.)
 

Common Adriamycin Side Effects

Adriamycin has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug are documented. In these studies, the most common side effects of Adriamycin when it was used in combination with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®, Neosar®) included:
 
  • Hair loss -- in up to 92 percent of people (see Doxorubicin and Hair Loss)
  • Vomiting -- up to 71.2 percent
  • Nausea (without vomiting) -- up to 15.5 percent (see Chemotherapy and Nausea)
  • Weight gain -- up to 14.4 percent (see Doxorubicin and Weight Gain)
  • Weight loss -- up to 8.6 percent
  • Leukopenia (low levels of certain white blood cells called leukocytes) -- up to 3.7 percent.
     
Adriamycin often causes discoloration of the urine, which may look like blood in your urine. However, this is normal and is not dangerous.
 
(Adriamycin Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;