Fluoxymesterone

Other Names: Halotestin®, Ora-Testryl

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About this drug

Fluoxymesterone is used to treat cancer. This drug is given by mouth.

Possible side effects (more common)

Some females may have increased facial hair, increase in size of the clitoris, increased sexual drive, and deepening of the voice.
Some males may have excessive breast development and excessive frequency and duration of penile erections.
Acne
Depression
Anxiety

Possible side effects (less common)

Changes in your liver function. Your doctor will check your liver function as needed.
Nausea
Headache
Patchy hair loss (male pattern baldness). Usually hair loss is temporary; your hair should grow back when treatment is done.
Salt (sodium) and water retention. This may worsen signs of congestive heart failure if you have known heart, liver, or kidney disease. You may feel short of breath. Your arms, hands, legs and feet may swell.
Electrolyte changes. Your blood will be checked for electrolyte changes as needed.
Generalized sensation of prickling, tingling, or creeping on the skin

Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions to this drug are rare, but may happen in some patients. Signs of allergic reaction to this drug may be a rash, fever, chills, feeling dizzy, trouble breathing, and/or feeling that your heart is beating in a fast or not normal way. If this happens, do not take another dose of this drug. You should get urgent medical treatment.

Treating side effects

Ask your doctor or nurse about medicine to help stop or lessen nausea.
Drink 6-8 cups of fluids each day unless your doctor has told you to limit your fluid intake due to some other health problem. A cup is 8 ounces of fluid. If you throw up or have loose bowel movements you should drink more fluids so that you do not become dehydrated (lack water in the body due to losing too much fluid).
Use effective methods of birth control during your cancer treatment.
Speak with your doctor or nurse if you plan to have children. Ask for information on sperm or egg banking.
Talk with your doctor or nurse if you feel you need help with moods, such as anxiety or depression.
Talk with your doctor about treatment for acne and increase in facial hair.

Important information

Swallow the medicine whole. Do not chew, break or crush it.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take it if it is close (within 12 hours) of your next dose. Just take the next dose at your normal time. Do not take more than 1 dose at a time.

Food and drug interactions

There are no known interactions of fluoxymesterone with food. This drug may interact with other medicines.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the medicines and dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbs and others) that you are taking at this time. The safety and use of dietary supplements and alternative diets are often not known. Using these might affect your cancer or interfere with your treatment. Until more is known, you should not use dietary supplements or alternative diets without your cancer doctor's help.

When to call the doctor

Call your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms:

Wheezing or trouble breathing
Rash or itching
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Feeling that your heart is beating in a fast or not normal way (palpitations)
Nausea that stops you from eating or drinking
Feeling confused or agitated
Swelling of legs, ankles, or feet
Signs of liver problems: dark urine, pale bowel movements, bad stomach pain, feeling very tired and weak, unusual itching, or yellowing of the eyes or skin

Call your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if any of these symptoms happen:

Nausea not relieved by prescribed medicines
Headache that does not go away
Sensation of prickling, tingling, or creeping on the skin
Enlargement of the clitoris
Sexual dysfunction
Acne
Increase in facial hair
Deepening of voice in females
Excessive development of the breasts in males
Excessive frequency and duration of penile erections
Changes in menstrual cycle

Sexual problems and reproduction concerns

Infertility warning: Sexual problems and reproduction concerns may happen. In men and women both, this drug may affect your ability to have children. This cannot be determined before your therapy. Talk with your doctor or nurse if you plan to have children. Ask for information on sperm or egg banking.

In men, this drug may interfere with your ability to make sperm, but it should not change your ability to have sexual relations.
In women, menstrual bleeding may become irregular or stop while you are getting this drug. Do not assume that you cannot become pregnant if you do not have a menstrual period.
Women may go through signs of menopause (change of life) like vaginal dryness or itching. Vaginal lubricants can be used to lessen vaginal dryness, itching, and pain during sexual relations.
Genetic counseling is available for you to talk about the effects of this drug therapy on future pregnancies. Also, a genetic counselor can look at the possible risk of problems in the unborn baby due to this medicine if an exposure happens during pregnancy.

Pregnancy warning: This drug may cause very harmful effects on an unborn child and should never be used by women who are pregnant or who could become pregnant while taking the drug. Even 1 dose taken by a pregnant woman can cause these very harmful effects. Your healthcare team will talk to you and give you written information about this risk.
Breast feeding warning: It is not known if this drug passes into breast milk. For this reason, women should talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits of breast feeding during treatment with this drug because this drug may enter the breast milk and badly harm a breast feeding baby.