Prostate Cancer Home > Emcyt Side Effects
If you are taking Emcyt and experience unexplained weight gain, numbness on one side of the body, or chest pain, contact your healthcare provider right away. Serious problems can occur with this medication, so it is important to know which reactions require immediate medical treatment. Some of the other possible side effects of Emcyt include breast tenderness, nausea, and diarrhea.
An Introduction to Emcyt Side Effects
As with any chemotherapy medicine, Emcyt® (estramustine phosphate) can cause side effects. In fact, most people will experience some type of reaction to this drug, and some side effects can be quite significant. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to prevent or lessen reactions to this medicine.(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Emcyt. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list with you.)
Common Side Effects of Emcyt
Emcyt has been studied extensively in clinical trials. In these studies, one group of people received Emcyt, while a similar group was given a different medicine. As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they occurred, and how they compared to the other medication.In these studies, the most common Emcyt side effects included:
- Breast tenderness -- in up to 71 percent of people
- Mild breast enlargement -- up to 64.5 percent
- An increase in certain liver enzymes, which could be a sign of liver problems -- up to 33.3 percent
- Swelling due to water retention (edema) -- up to 20.4 percent
- Nausea -- up to 16.1 percent
- Diarrhea -- up to 12.9 percent
- Shortness of breath -- up to 11.8 percent
- Minor stomach upset -- up to 11.8 percent
- Moderate breast enlargement -- up to 10.7 percent.
Other common reactions, occurring in 1.1 percent to 8.6 percent of people, included:
- Leg cramps
- Loss of appetite
- Extreme sleepiness or lack of energy
- A decrease in white blood cells, which could increase the risk for infections
- Easy bruising
- Changes in mood
- Insomnia
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blood clot in the vein
- Blood clot in the lungs
- Gassiness
- Itching
- Dry skin
- Abdominal (stomach) bleeding
- Vomiting
- Burning feelings in the throat
- Hoarseness
- Thirst
- Runny nose
- Rash
- Sudden warmth and redness of the face, neck, or chest (flushing)
- Peeling of the skin on the fingertips
- Thinning hair
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Chest pain
- Watery eyes
- A decrease in platelets, which could increase the risk for bleeding.