Nilutamide (By mouth)
nye-LOO-ta-mide
Treats prostate cancer.Belongs to a class of drugs called antiandrogens.
Drug classes
Antiandrogen (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Nilutamide is used with surgery to treat metastatic prostate cancer (cancer that has spread) in men. Nilutamide belongs to the group of medicines called antiandrogens. It works by blocking the effects of testosterone (a male hormone), which helps stop the growth and spread of cancer cells. .
This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Tablet
Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to take and how often. Take this medicine exactly as your doctor ordered.
Nilutamide is given as part of a treatment for prostate cancer that includes surgery. Your doctor may want you to start taking this medicine on the day of your surgery or the day after surgery.
You may take the medicine with food or on an empty stomach.
Do not stop taking this medicine or skip any doses unless you have talked with your doctor.
If a dose is missed:
This medicine needs to be taken on a regular schedule. If you miss a dose, call your doctor for instructions.
How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine:
Store the tablets at room temperature away from heat, moisture and direct light.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking phenytoin (Dilantin®), theophylline (Theo-Dur®, Slo-Bid®, and others), or Coumadin®.
Alcohol taken with nilutamide can cause dizziness, low blood pressure, or facial flushing. If you have these reactions, avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine.
When Not To Use
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to nilutamide. Check with your doctor before taking nilutamide if you have liver disease or severe breathing problems.
Warnings
This medicine may cause liver damage. Signs of liver problems are yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, dark brown or amber-colored urine, stomach pain (especially on the right upper side of your stomach), nausea, and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, call your doctor right away.
Some patients taking this medicine developed pneumonia. If you have trouble breathing or a breathing problem that gets worse, a cough, fever, or chest pain, call your doctor right away.
This medicine may make it harder for your eyes to adjust from light to dark. If you are driving at night or through tunnels, wearing sunglasses or tinted lenses may help.
Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to their doctor before taking this medicine.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
Yellowing of skin and eyes
Dark or amber-colored urine
Extreme tiredness
Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain
Trouble breathing
Cough, fever, chest pain
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Stomach upset, appetite loss
Swollen breasts
Dizziness
‘Hot flushes‘ (redness in your face, warmth, and sweating)
Trouble seeing in the dark or other changes in your eyesight
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
Nilandron
There may be other brand names for this medicine.