Introduction About TAGUCIL CAPSULE

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is a combination of Tegafur and Uracil which belongs to the group of medicines called Thymidylate synthase inhibitors. It is used with calcium folinate to manage metastatic colorectal cancer which is a type of cancer that begins in the colon or rectum and spreads to other parts of the body and characterized by symptoms such as rectal bleeding, narrow stools, persistent abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss.

Along with this management, your doctor might advise you for a liver function test to assess the function of your liver. TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment, bone marrow suppression from previous radiotherapy or dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency disease (a severe neurological disease marked by seizures).   

Before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE, inform your doctor if you have heart, kidney or liver disease. TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in pregnant and breastfeeding women and it is also not recommended for use in children and adolescents (aged below 18 years).  

This medicine should be used with caution in elderly patients (aged 75 years or above) with age-related impaired kidney, liver or heart function and other concomitant medications or diseases.

The most common side effects of taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE are nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, headache, dizziness and dry skin. Consult your doctor if any of the side effects get worse.

Uses Of TAGUCIL CAPSULE

• Manage metastatic colorectal cancer (in combination with calcium folinate)

How TAGUCIL CAPSULE Works

TAGUCIL CAPSULE helps in managing the spread of colorectal cancer cells, where tegafur works by converting into fluorouracil or 5-FU in the liver which causes destruction of cancer cells and uracil works by managing the degradation of 5-FU which results in the prolongation of its stay in the cancer cells thus resulting in the destruction of colorectal cancer cells and managing its spread to other parts of the body.

How to use TAGUCIL CAPSULE

Always take this medicine as directed by your physician. Swallow the medicine as a whole and do not crush or chew the medicine. Your doctor will decide the correct dose for you depending upon your age and disease condition.

Side Effects Of TAGUCIL CAPSULE

How To Manage Side Effects

Diarrhea:

Drink lot of fluids such as water to keep yourself hydrated. Try to avoid taking any medicine on your own to manage diarrhea and consult your doctor if the symptom gets worse.

Constipation:

Try to eat more high-fiber foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals and drink plenty of water. Try doing exercise regularly (going for a daily walk or run). If this does not help, inform your doctor for receiving alternate managements for constipation.

Nausea and vomiting :

Try to take TAGUCIL CAPSULE with or just after a meal or a snack. Stick to simple meals. Avoid eating oil rich, fried or spicy food. Consult your doctor if the symptom gets worse.

Abdominal pain:

Rest and relax. Eat and drink slowly or try to have smaller and frequent meals. Keep a heat pad on your stomach. Do not self-manage on your own and consult your doctor if the symptom did not improve on its own.

Dry mouth:

Sip water regularly and other sugar free liquids. Do not use mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they can make your mouth dry, use mouthwash that is used only for dry mouth. Limit your caffeine intake. Avoid smoking or using tobacco products. Consult your doctor if the symptom does not improve.

Warning & Precautions

Pregnancy

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in pregnant women or those who are attempting to become pregnant. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Breastfeeding

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Driving and Using Machines

TAGUCIL CAPSULE should be used with caution while driving or operating machines since it might cause confusion. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Alcohol

Avoid or limit consumption of alcohol while taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Kidney

TAGUCIL CAPSULE should be used with caution in patients with impaired renal function. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Liver

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment and deficiency of hepatic gene called CYP2A6 (gene responsible for drug metabolism). It should be used with caution in patients with mild to moderate liver dysfunction. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Allergy

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use if you are allergic to 5-FU (flouroracil), tegafur, uracil or any other ingredients of this medicine.

Heart Disease

TAGUCIL CAPSULE should be used with caution in patients with heart disease such as myocardial ischaemia (low blood flow to heart), angina (chest pain) or myocardial infarction (heart attack). Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

Interactions

A. Drug-Drug Interactions:

Before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE, inform your doctor, if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• medicines that inhibit dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (an enzyme responsible for breaking down thymine and uracil which forms a structure of gene) Ex. brivudine
• cytotoxic agents such as cyclophosphamide, busulfan and bleomycin (used to manage cancer)
• warfarin (used to manage blood clotting)
• phenytoin (used to control certain type of seizures during or after surgery)
• coumarin (used in the management of prostate cancer, kidney cancer)
• methoxypsoralen (medicine used to manage psoriasis and vitiligo)
• medicines used to manage fungal infections Ex. clotrimazole, ketoconazole and miconazole

Overdosage:

If you or anyone else accidentally takes too much of TAGUCIL CAPSULE, consult your doctor immediately or visit the nearby hospital. Overdose symptoms of TAGUCIL CAPSULE are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, bleeding and bone marrow suppression (a condition of low blood cells).

Synopsis

More Information

• Keep the medicine out of reach of children
• Store TAGUCIL CAPSULE at room temperature

FAQs About TAGUCIL CAPSULE

What is TAGUCIL CAPSULE used for?

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is used with calcium folinate to manage metastatic colorectal cancer which is a type of cancer that begins in the colon or rectum and spreads to other parts of the body and characterized by symptoms such as rectal bleeding, narrow stools, persistent abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss.

What happens if you take more TAGUCIL CAPSULE than your required dose?

If you or anyone else accidentally takes too much of TAGUCIL CAPSULE, consult your doctor immediately or visit the nearby hospital. Symptoms of overdose are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, bleeding and bone marrow suppression (a condition of low blood cells).

Who should avoid taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE?

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in patients with severe liver impairment, bone marrow suppression (a condition of low blood cells) from previous radiotherapy (a cancer therapy that uses radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency disease (a severe neurological disease marked by seizures).

Is TAGUCIL CAPSULE safe to use in children?

No, TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in children and adolescents (below 18 years of age). If TAGUCIL CAPSULE is accidentally ingested by a child or adolescent, go to the hospital immediately and consult the doctor for further management.

Can TAGUCIL CAPSULE be used in patients with liver problems?

TAGUCIL CAPSULE is not recommended for use in patients with severe hepatic impairment and deficiency of hepatic gene called CYP2A6 (gene responsible for drug metabolism). It should be used with caution in patients with mild to moderate liver dysfunction. Consult your doctor before taking TAGUCIL CAPSULE.

References

1. KD. Tripathi. Anticancer Drugs. Essentials of medical pharmacology. Seventh edition. 2013. Page – 864

2. Translational Research Center for Medical Innovation, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Tegafur-Uracil or Observation in Treating Patients with Stage II Colorectal Cancer That Has Been Completely Removed by Surgery. NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov. [Revised in September 2016] [Accessed on 16th May 2022] https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00392899

3. Alejandro Recio-Boiles; Burt Cagir. Colon Cancer. NIH National Library of Medicine, National center for biotechnology information. January 2022 [Accessed on 16th May 2022] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470380/

4. Bristol-Myers Squibb (Pty) Ltd. UFT Capsules. [Revised in July 2001] [Accessed on 16th May 2022] https://hemonc.org/docs/packageinsert/uraciltegafur.pdf

5. Merck Serono Limited. Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). [Revised in August 2010] [Accessed on 16th May 2022] https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/LicenseSPC_PA0654-017-001_09082010151841.pdf

Useful Diagnostic Tests

• Colonoscopy
• Biomarker testing of the tumor