Xeloda
Xeloda is a capecitabine chemotherapy tablet, 500mg, used to treat bowel cancer and breast cancer and taken twice a day after food.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500mg | 10 tablets | $263.70 | $26.37 |
| 500mg | 20 tablets | $422.20 | $21.11 |
- Category
- Oncology Support
- Active ingredient
- Capecitabine
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 500mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Colorectal cancer · Breast cancer
- Therapeutic Class
- Antineoplastic
- Pharmacological Class
- Antimetabolite
- Minor Side Effects
- Nausea, Fatigue, Abdominal pain
- Moderate Side Effects
- Diarrhoea, Hand-foot syndrome, Stomatitis
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Roche
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature in a dry place, away from direct sunlight.
- Drug Interactions
- Warfarin, Phenytoin, Folinic acid
What you will receive
Xeloda is the originator brand name, made by Roche. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Xeloda.
- The same active ingredient (Capecitabine) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Xeloda come in?
Xeloda tablets come in 500mg, in packs of 10 or 20 tablets. The pack contains generic capecitabine, not the original Xeloda.
How does Xeloda reach Hong Kong?
Xeloda ships by tracked courier, which takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. If a parcel does not arrive within that window or arrives damaged, it is sent again free, or refunded if that is not possible. Support answers 24/7 in English and Cantonese by live chat.
What other names is capecitabine sold under?
Xeloda is a brand name of capecitabine. Here, capecitabine can be bought online as generic Xeloda, and also as Capnat. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is Xeloda the same as capecitabine?
Yes. Capecitabine is the active ingredient and Xeloda is one brand name for it. The 500mg tablets sold here contain capecitabine, and the same medicine is also sold under other brand names such as Capnat.
Can I crush or split Xeloda tablets?
No — swallow them whole with water. A broken tablet releases powder that can irritate the eyes and skin, and contact with it may bring on nausea, a headache or tingling in the hands. Keeping the tablets intact also makes it easier to know exactly how much you have taken.
What is hand-foot syndrome?
It is redness, soreness, swelling or peeling on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, and it is one of the most common effects of capecitabine. It usually begins with tingling or a patch of redness before the skin becomes painful or starts to flake.
How long does a course of Xeloda last?
Treatment runs in cycles: a set number of days taking the tablets, then a rest period before the next cycle starts. How many cycles you have depends on the cancer being treated and how well it responds, so courses range from a few months to much longer.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Xeloda?
Drinking alcohol can make the nausea, diarrhoea and tiredness of capecitabine harder to manage, so keeping it to a minimum while you are taking the tablets makes sense.
About Xeloda
What Xeloda is used for
Xeloda is an oral chemotherapy medicine whose active ingredient is capecitabine. It treats bowel cancer — cancer that starts in the colon or rectum — and breast cancer, and it also has a place in pancreatic, stomach and oesophageal cancer. The tablets sold here are 500mg. Swallowing chemotherapy rather than having it through a drip means treatment can carry on at home between appointments.
What the tablets do in the body
Capecitabine is a pro-drug. It is swallowed in an inactive form and converted in the body into 5-fluorouracil, the same chemotherapy drug that is often given intravenously. 5-FU passes itself off as one of the building blocks cells need to copy their DNA. Cancer cells take it up, the copying goes wrong, and the tumour's growth slows. The last step of that conversion happens more readily in tumour tissue than in healthy tissue.
Two doses a day, around meals
Take one dose in the morning and one in the evening, about 12 hours apart, each within half an hour of finishing a meal. Swallow the tablets whole with water — they should not be split, chewed or crushed. Powder from a broken tablet can irritate the eyes and skin, and may bring on nausea, headache or tingling in the hands. Keeping to the same times each day helps you stay in the routine. If a dose comes back up, wait for the next one rather than taking an extra.
What to watch for
Red, sore or peeling skin on the palms and soles — hand-foot syndrome — is the effect people notice most. Diarrhoea, nausea, mouth soreness, tiredness, appetite loss and lower blood counts are also common. Some problems need urgent treatment: a fever with chills or a sore throat, chest pain, confusion, or new trouble with walking and balance. Diarrhoea that becomes severe or will not stop also needs attention. Black tarry stools, blood in the urine or unexplained bruising can mean internal bleeding, and the risk is much higher if you also take a blood thinner such as warfarin, which capecitabine makes work more strongly. A blood test before treatment checks for DPD deficiency, an inherited shortage of the enzyme that breaks capecitabine down; low levels mean it can cause severe reactions.
Xeloda or Capnat?
Capnat is the other capecitabine tablet sold here, also 500mg, so the two differ in brand name rather than in strength or form. Both are swallowed whole twice a day after food. Capnat has its own page if you want to compare them directly, and the capecitabine page covers the medicine they share.
Sources
- Capecitabine: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Capecitabine | Macmillan Cancer Support — macmillan.org.uk