How do you take Kisqali?

Take the dose of Kisqali (ribociclib) your doctor orders at about the same time each day, preferably in the morning. Swallow Kisqali tablets whole with water. Do not crush, split, or chew the medicine or take any tablets that look broken or damaged. Do not change your dose or stop taking Kisqali unless your healthcare provider directs you to do so.

If you miss a dose of Kisqali or vomit after taking a dose of Kisqali, do not take another dose on that day. Skip that dose and take your next dose at your regular time.

If you overdose or take too much Kisqali, call your doctor right away, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Avoid eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while you are taking Kisqali. The drug interaction between Kisqali and grapefruit can increase the amount of Kisqali in your blood and may cause or worsen side effects.

Also avoid taking St. John's Wort while you are being treated with Kisqali. Combining these medications may lower the blood levels of Kisqali, which may make the medication less effective in treating your cancer.

Be sure to have your doctor or pharmacist check for drug interactions with your prescription medicines, over-the-counter, herbal and vitamin products before and during treatment with Kisqali.

The recommended dose of Kisqali (ribociclib) is 600 milligrams (mg) taken orally once daily for 21 days in a row, followed by 7 days without Kisqali treatment, to complete a cycle of 28 days. Kisqali can be taken with or without food. Your doctor will tell you how to take all of your medicines, Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly.

Related: Kisqali dosage information (in more detail)

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What type of breast cancer does Kisqali treat?

• Kisqali is a prescription medicine used to treat pre / perimenopausal or postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer.
• Kisqali is used when the cancer has progressed or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).
• Kisqali is normally taken in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (for example: letrozole or anastrozole) or fulvestrant, based on your previous treatments.
• It is not known if Kisqali is effective in children.

What does it mean to be perimenopausal?

Perimenopause is the time of natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years for a woman.

Menopause is the decrease in production of reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. Be sure to inform your doctor if you are premenopausal (before menopause) or perimenopausal (“around the time menopause”) before you start Kisqali.

The postmenopausal phase occurs when it has been 12 months since your last menstrual cycle. Once you've gone through 12 months in a row without a menstrual period, you've officially reached menopause, and the perimenopausal period is over.

This is not all the information you need to know about Kisqali (ribociclib) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the full Kisqali information here, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.