Dabrafenib

Common side effects include:

• Dry skin, rash and itch
• Moisturize your skin daily.
• Avoid too much exposure to the sun as it may make the rash worse. Use sunscreen and covered clothing if you need to be under the sun for a long period of time.
• Diarrhea
• Drink plenty of clear fluids to replace those lost (2 litres everyday).
• Avoid oily or spicy food and milk or dairy products.
• Nausea (especially when taken together with Trametinib)
• Take small, frequent meals throughout the day.
• Feeling tired and lack of energy
• Do not drive or operate machinery when you feel tired.
• Joint or muscle ache
• Apply a warm compress to the area that aches.
• Mild fever
• Drink more water to help cool your body down.
• Place a cold towel on your forehead.
• Hair loss

Rare but serious side effects include:

• Fast heartbeat, chest pain, or unusual weakness, tiredness or light-headedness
• Sudden onset of cough or shortness of breath
• Fever of 38°C and above, especially with chills, pain or difficulty in passing urine
• Unusual bleeding, bruising or black sticky stools
• Dark urine or light coloured stools, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain, yellowing of your eyes or skin
• Very bad pain around the stomach area
• Changes in eyesight or eye pain
• New skin lesions
• Redness, swelling, tenderness or peeling of skin on hands or feet

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication
• You or your partner becomes pregnant or is planning for pregnancy
• You should use effective birth control during and for 2 weeks after stopping Dabrafenib (or 4 months if used in combination with trametinib).
• You are breastfeeding
• Do not breastfeed during and for 2 weeks after stopping treatment (or 4 months if used in combination with trametinib).
• You have any other medical conditions such as heart problems, diabetes or G6PD deficiency.

​Avoid taking grapefruit when you are taking this medication as grapefruit may interact with your medication and increase the risk of side-effects.

​You may refer to the following website if you need more information: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/