Key takeaways

  • Avastin (bevacizumab) is a prescription drug used to treat certain types of cancer in adults. Mild side effects of the drug include nosebleeds, headache, and dry skin.
  • Serious side effects that are possible with Avastin include blood clots, heart failure, and serious bleeding.
  • Certain health factors may increase your risk of side effects from the drug. Examples include whether you’ve had a heart attack, stroke, or whether you’re 65 years or older.

Avastin is a biologic drug prescribed for use in adults to treat certain forms of the following types of cancer:

Avastin is a biologic drug (a drug made using living cells). Avastin is most often used with chemotherapy. Whether it’s used with chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer being treated. The active ingredient in Avastin is bevacizumab.

This article covers the common, mild, and serious side effects that Avastin can cause.

Some people may experience mild or serious side effects during their Avastin treatment. Examples of Avastin’s more commonly reported side effects include:

  • bleeding, such as nosebleeds or serious bleeding (see “Side effects explained” for details)
  • headache
  • high blood pressure
  • dry skin
  • runny or stuffy nose

Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with Avastin include:

To learn more about some of these side effects, see the “Side effects explained” section.

In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed, too. But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or that bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And do not stop using Avastin unless your doctor recommends it.

Avastin may cause mild side effects other than the ones listed in this section. See the Avastin prescribing information for details.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Sharing your experience helps make medication safer for everyone by giving doctors and researchers more information about how the drug works in real life. If you develop a side effect during treatment with Avastin and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch or call 800-FDA-1088.

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Serious side effects that have been reported with Avastin include:

To learn more about some of these side effects, see the “Side effects explained” section.

If you develop serious side effects while using Avastin, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Allergic reaction

For some people, Avastin can cause an allergic reaction. But it’s not clear whether this side effect occurred in the drug’s studies.

In general, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should continue Avastin treatment.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Avastin, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Avastin’s side effects.

How long do Avastin side effects last? Are any long term?

Most mild side effects of Avastin tend to improve in a few days or a couple of weeks. If you have side effects that last longer than this or are troublesome, talk with your doctor.

Some serious side effects of Avastin, such as infusion-related reactions, can get better quickly with treatment. But others may last a long time, even after stopping Avastin and receiving treatment for the side effects.

In some cases, certain side effects, such as heart failure, kidney problems, or early menopause, may be long term.

Exactly how long the side effects may last will depend on how they respond to the treatments you may have for them. If you have questions or concerns about how long Avastin side effects may last, talk with your doctor.

How long does Avastin stay in your system? Does this affect how long the drug’s side effects last?

Not necessarily. Avastin can stay in your system for about 4 months after you stop using it. But its levels decrease steadily over that time. And how long it stays in your system doesn’t always affect how long side effects may last.

Some of Avastin’s side effects may lessen while you continue Avastin treatment. This can happen because your body gets used to the medication.

After you stop treatment, some side effects may last for as long as Avastin stays in your system. Others may ease sooner than this, especially if you receive treatment for them. But in some cases, certain side effects may last even after Avastin is completely gone from your system.

If you have questions or concerns about how long Avastin side effects may last, talk with your doctor.

My doctor recommends Avastin to treat my wet AMD. What side effects are related to eye injections of Avastin?

Avastin is sometimes used off-label to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Off-label use refers to using a medication for a purpose that hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although not approved for wet AMD, Avastin can be effective for helping to prevent vision loss due to this condition.

To treat wet AMD, a healthcare professional injects Avastin into your eye. They’ll numb your eye first. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, eye injections of Avastin may cause the following mild side effects:

Serious side effects of these eye injections may include:

  • eye infection
  • detached retina (your retina, a layer of eye tissue, has separated from the back of your eye)
  • cataracts (a cloudy area that forms in your eye lens)

To find out more about the possible side effects of Avastin when used for wet AMD, talk with your doctor.

I’m receiving Avastin for brain cancer. Does my condition raise my risk of certain side effects of the drug?

It’s not likely to. In studies of Avastin for treating brain cancer, reported side effects were similar to those that occurred when Avastin was used to treat other types of cancer.

If you’re concerned about your risk of certain side effects with Avastin, talk with your doctor.

Learn more about some of the side effects Avastin may cause.

Infusion-related reaction

You’ll receive Avastin by intravenous (IV) infusion, which is an injection into a vein that’s given over a period of time. Some people may have an infusion-related reaction to Avastin, but this isn’t common.

Infusion-related reactions can cause symptoms throughout your body. These may include:

Infusion-related reactions are usually mild, but on rare occasions, they can be severe and require immediate treatment.

What might help

A healthcare professional will monitor you for symptoms of an infusion-related reaction while you’re having an Avastin infusion. Be sure to tell them right away if you have any symptoms of an infusion-related reaction.

If your symptoms are mild, your healthcare professional may slow down the infusion. This can help your body tolerate it better.

But if your symptoms are more severe, they may stop the infusion until your symptoms lessen or recommend a different treatment that works better for you. Severe symptoms may need to be treated with medications, such as epinephrine, corticosteroids, IV antihistamines, bronchodilators (drugs that open your airways), and oxygen.

Joint pain

Some people may have joint pain during treatment with Avastin. In some studies, joint pain was commonly reported in people who took Avastin with chemotherapy.

Joint swelling and stiffness may also occur alongside joint pain.

What might help

If you have joint pain while using Avastin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the best way to manage this. They may recommend some of the following remedies:

  • performing gentle exercise, such as swimming
  • applying hot or cold packs to affected joints
  • using relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises or meditation

If you have troublesome joint pain, your doctor or pharmacist may also recommend using over-the-counter pain relievers. Examples include acetaminophen (Tylenol) and anti-inflammatory gels, such as diclofenac (Voltaren).

However, you should only take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) if your doctor says it’s safe for you to do so. This type of pain reliever may increase the risk of serious side effects with Avastin, such as bleeding (see “Serious bleeding” section).

Bleeding

People receiving Avastin commonly experience bleeding, especially if they’re also having chemotherapy. This bleeding is usually minor, such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums, but it can also be more serious. For example, serious bleeding can happen in your stomach, intestines, lungs, or brain.

Symptoms of serious bleeding can include:

Before starting Avastin, tell your doctor if you’ve recently coughed up blood. In this case, Avastin may not be safe for you, and your doctor will likely recommend a different cancer treatment.

What might help

To help avoid minor bleeding, be gentle when blowing your nose and brushing your teeth. You should also take extra care to protect yourself from cuts and scrapes.

To stop a nosebleed, tip your head forward and pinch the soft part of your nose just above your nostrils for a few minutes. To prevent bleeding in your mouth, try rinsing it with icy water. If the bleeding does not stop, call your doctor right away.

If you have symptoms of severe bleeding, call your doctor right away. But if your symptoms feel life threatening, call 911 or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room. If you have severe bleeding, your doctor will likely have you stop treatment with Avastin.

Before taking Avastin, discuss your health history with your doctor. Avastin may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. Be sure to talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:

  • recent or upcoming major surgery
  • high blood pressure
  • previous heart attack or stroke
  • ages 65 years or older
  • previous allergic reaction to this or a similar drug
  • pregnancy
  • breastfeeding
  • alcohol consumption

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.