Procrit Side Effects (Cont.)

Serious Procrit Side Effects

Some side effects with Procrit, while occurring infrequently, are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:
 
 
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Swelling or water weight gain
    • Cough
 
  • An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) or a sudden loss in heart function (cardiac arrest)
  • Heart attack, stroke, or blood clots
  • Increased growth of cancers
  • Seizures
  • Signs of an allergic reaction, including:
 
    • Unexplained rash
    • Hives
    • Itching
    • Unexplained swelling.
 
Serious Procrit side effects seem to be more common if treatment is too aggressive. A person's Procrit dosage should be calculated using a specific target for hemoglobin levels (a measure of anemia). The target hemoglobin level is 12 g/dL, and the target should be achieved gradually. If a higher hemoglobin target is used (or if hemoglobin is raised too quickly), serious side effects are more likely to occur.
 

Final Thoughts on Procrit Side Effects

You may experience some or none of the Procrit side effects listed in this article. Unfortunately, there is no way for your healthcare provider to know beforehand if you will have side effects from a medicine that you have never tried. Therefore, make sure to let your healthcare provider know if you develop any side effects while taking the drug or if something "just does not seem right." While it may not be a side effect of Procrit, your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose and treat the problem.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;