What to Expect Before, During, and After Treatment With DARZALEX FASPRO®
Your healthcare provider will give you medicines before each dose of DARZALEX FASPRO® and after each dose of DARZALEX FASPRO® to help reduce the risk of serious allergic reactions and other reactions due to the release of certain substances by your body (systemic).
It is important to pay attention to how you feel and let the healthcare staff know about any discomfort during or after treatment, especially during the first and second injection. It could mean you may be having a reaction to the treatment.
If this is the first time you’re receiving an injection of DARZALEX FASPRO®, you may have some questions about what it’s like and what you need to do to prepare. Here is some information that may help.
Preparing for the injection
Dress for comfort
Wear comfortable clothing that is loose around the waist: DARZALEX FASPRO® is injected about 3 inches to the left or right of the belly button.
Set aside enough time
For the first few injections, your healthcare provider may want you to stay afterward to monitor for any reactions to the injection.
Before your injection
You will be given medicines to help reduce the risk of side effects, such as:
- Antihistamines to prevent an allergic reaction
- Corticosteroids to prevent inflammation
- Acetaminophen or similar medicine to reduce fever
You will be given a quick physical exam before the injection, including checking your pulse and blood pressure.
Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to match your blood type before you start treatment with DARZALEX FASPRO®.
DARZALEX FASPRO® can affect the results of blood tests to match your blood type. These changes can last for up to 6 months after your final dose of DARZALEX FASPRO®. Tell all of your healthcare providers and blood transfusion center personnel that you are being treated with DARZALEX FASPRO® before receiving blood transfusions.
During the injection
Your healthcare provider will prepare the syringe
Your healthcare provider will determine where to inject and prepare the chosen area, rotating injection sites in the stomach each time you receive an injection.
The injection takes about 3 to 5 minutes to be given.* The medicine is injected into the subcutaneous tissue (the tissue under the skin) of the stomach.
*This refers to the injection administration time and does not account for all aspects of treatment.
After the injection
Pay attention to how you feel and let the healthcare staff know about any discomfort during or after treatment, and especially during the first and second injections. It could mean you may be having a reaction to the treatment.
Do not receive DARZALEX FASPRO® if there is a history of a severe allergic reaction to daratumumab, hyaluronidase, or any of the ingredients in DARZALEX FASPRO®.
Your healthcare provider may want you to remain in the office to watch for any side effects, serious allergic reactions, and other severe injection-related reactions. Serious allergic reactions and reactions due to release of certain substances by your body (systemic) that can lead to death can happen with DARZALEX FASPRO®. Your healthcare provider may temporarily stop or completely stop treatment with DARZALEX FASPRO® if you have a serious reaction. Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you get any of these symptoms during or after an injection of DARZALEX FASPRO®.
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Dizziness or lightheadedness (hypotension)
- Cough
- Wheezing
- Heart beating faster than usual
- Low oxygen in the blood (hypoxia)
- Throat tightness or irritation
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headache
- Itching
- High blood pressure
- Eye pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Fever
- Chest pain
- Blurred vision
Injection site reactions
Skin reactions at or near the injection site (local), including injection site reactions, can happen with DARZALEX FASPRO®. Symptoms may include:
- Itching
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Pain
- Rash
- Bleeding
- Redness of the skin
These reactions sometimes happen more than 24 hours after an injection of DARZALEX FASPRO®.
Post-medication
Following the injection, you will also be given oral corticosteroids to reduce the risk of delayed reactions due to the administration of DARZALEX FASPRO®.