Pazopanib and High Blood Pressure: What Users Say

• eki...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 22, 2013

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "On Votrient since 2010 after Sutent. Results were good. After six months - no sign of metastasis and have been in remission since 2012. Votrient had the effect of high blood pressure which was mitigated by Procardia. As of late, have lost weight and am having some digestive issues."

• Ble...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 18, 2017

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in May 2015. I had my right kidney removed due to a huge tumor. The cancer metastasized to my lungs. I tried several treatments that did not work. Finally, I was prescribed Votrient! It worked immediately. I have been using it for about 7 months. The only side effect I experienced was high blood pressure. I just had a scan a week ago, and the tumors are still shrinking or have gone away. I will continue to pray to God for your positive progress as well as mine. Stay positive and know that you will beat it!"

• All...
• June 5, 2013

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "I started on Votrient on May 4, 2013. I take it at bedtime, which has really helped. I took it for about 24 days back in December, during the day, and side effects were far worse. So far, the side effects are more tolerable than Sutent. I do have high blood pressure and low platelets, but the doctor is doing labs weekly. Some days the side effects are worse than others. I went up to 800 mg last week and have more fatigue. I pray it works for my lung tumors as I have heard it has for others."

• Plp...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 21, 2017

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "I have been taking Votrient since Fall 2015. Bilateral Renal cell carcinoma. Left total nephrectomy and partial right. Small spot on liver at that time. Remaining tumors on the right. Due to surgery complications after right kidney surgery, sepsis, heart attack, and stroke. I am now 59 years old. Votrient 800 mg daily for about 5 weeks was rough...but I would do it again. Vomiting, diarrhea, high blood pressure, body tired all the time. My hair has turned white, most people like my highlights! My oncologist has been wonderful and I have responded well to lower doses of Votrient which has helped my side effects. September 2016 I received great news! I am cancer-free. Continue on maintenance dose right now of 200 mg 3x/wk."

• ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 9, 2015

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "Began 800mg in May 2014, 10 months into treatment. No new mets at this time. High blood pressure began three weeks into treatment, a good sign in that it demonstrates the drug is working well. Hand-foot syndrome, initially intense pain, but now under control. Weight loss due to loss of taste and appetite, a nutritionist can help. White hair. This is considered the least toxic targeted therapy drug for mRCC, do all you can to stay with it. If it is working for the first year, you may continue to get excellent results for years to come. This is currently considered the first-line therapy for mRCC. Take at night to reduce the stomach discomfort."

• Dee...
• July 14, 2015

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "50-year-old male diagnosed with Stage IV mRCC on 1 May 2014. Radical nephrectomy of right kidney in June 2015. Tumour had invaded surrounding fat, IVC, and adhered to bowel. Metastases appeared in January 2015 (liver). Started 800mg Votrient in February 2015; side effects included white hair, gastric issues, loss of taste, high blood pressure, otherwise felt okay. After 1 month, high liver enzymes forced me to stop. After 4 weeks off, recommenced 400mg of Votrient. Side effects not as severe but similar to 800mg dose. Required a week off Votrient recently due to a bout of pneumonia. Liver metastases have shrunk from 20mm to 7.5mm since January, 400mg seems to be working, let's hope it stays that way."

• PAp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2015

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "Unfortunately, side effects for me have been horrific! I was on 800mg for 6 weeks. I wound up with nausea, extreme hoarseness, high blood pressure, fatigue with sleeping 18 to 22 hours a day. Took a turn for the worse and liver enzymes were high. Could not eat or drink water for 5 days and lost 30 pounds. I was off the Votrient for a month and just started back on half the dose, 400mg. So far so good, one evening of slight nausea. Other than a little more tired, it appears to be better."

• Key...
• February 22, 2013

For Soft Tissue Sarcoma "Started taking Votrient 800 mg last year. After 23 days, had to stop due to high blood pressure and got a fistula. 3 months later, started back on at 400 mg. Seems to be doing better and taking 2 blood pressure medications to control it. Normal side effects like the ones I read about on this site. Last CT showed no major growths of my Sarcomas."

• cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2016

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "Lost my first kidney 5 years ago. Two months ago, cancer was found in my remaining kidney. It had metastasized to my brain and lungs. Had gamma knife surgery on the brain tumor. Started Votrient about 1 month ago. Side effects include fatigue and high blood pressure. So far, doing well on 800 milligrams. Have lost about 45 pounds. I know now I need to eat regular meals in order to keep up my strength. This also helps with the fatigue. So far, lab work looks good, looking for the best results with Votrient."

• PH ...
• May 17, 2017

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "I was diagnosed with RCC in my left kidney in May 2012. I thought I was cancer-free, but a chest X-ray in February revealed tumors in both lungs. I was started on Votrient 600 mg initially for 4 weeks and stopped taking the drug for 3 weeks due to elevated liver enzymes. For the past 2 weeks, I have been taking 400 mg. I have scans in 4 weeks and am hoping for success. I now have fairly severe back and flank pain, weakness, and elevated BP. I have labs repeated in a couple of days and hope my enzymes are near normal. I guess this is the price we pay for trying to stay alive. Best of luck to everyone."

• Joh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 5, 2020

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "I was diagnosed with stage 4 RCC in December 2018. Began 800 mg Votrient in January 2019. In 6 weeks, my tumor had decreased in size by 40%, and lesions on my lungs had receded. At 11 weeks, my blood pressure went very high, and I ended up in the emergency room due to the high blood pressure. Dosage was decreased to 400 mg, and now at 12 months, I am stable. My hair is very white, and I have diarrhea many days, but I feel good and can work every day. I feel blessed to have been treated with Votrient. I hope you all can respond as well as I have to this immunotherapy. My prayers are with you all."

• G-G...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 1, 2017

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "Had a partial nephrectomy of the right kidney in 2005. The tumor was papillary renal cell. In Jan. 2016, the cancer reoccurred in several locations in the omentum. Surgery in June 2016 removed a portion of the frontal omentum including papillary renal cell tumors. Multiple nodules still remain in the omentum on both sides of my body. Have been taking 600 mg of Votrient since Nov. 2016, now 8 months. Shrinkage by as much as 50% has occurred in some tumors. None have increased in size during the period. Some initial side effects, hypertension, nausea, and weakness, have improved during the period; others, diarrhea, taste, and poor appetite, remain. At the age of 87, I am trying to stay active. Praying for improvements for all of us."

• Anonymous
• May 8, 2016

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "My husband has renal cancer. He did a partial nephrectomy on his right kidney in 9/2010. Many tumors appeared later in small sizes in both kidneys. Now he is on Votrient 800 mg 35 days ago. He has high blood pressure treated. Rare weakness and bad taste. A little bit of problems in the stomach. Pain in leg. His hair started to be white. We are looking for a positive result. Hope this treatment can shrink or remove the total tumors."

• Kid...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 28, 2016

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "My husband was diagnosed with right renal cell cancer in May 2014. A brain tumor was found on an MRI that same month, along with small spots on the lungs. Gamma Knife procedure done in May 2014. Right nephrectomy in June 2014. Brain tumor removed in September 2014. He didn't start Votrient 800 mg until December 2015 due to a small spot they found on the left kidney during a routine CT scan. Since taking the medication, his hair has turned from red to white. Other side effects include high blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, and being tired. He was on blood pressure medication prior to taking Votrient. Now he is on three blood pressure meds, and now the blood pressures are within a normal range. Spots may or may not be cancer. So far, tolerating the med well."

• Cle...
• April 25, 2020

"I started on Votrient in mid-January for neuroendocrine tumor and have been on it for a little over 3 months at 600 mg a day. It was rough at first. Felt bad, upset stomach, diarrhea, mouth sore, food tasted bad, and all my hair turned white. Lost weight as well. My blood counts were not affected and only slightly raised my blood pressure. I have toyed with when I take the medicine to try to mitigate symptoms. A couple of times I've stopped for 4-5 days due to horrible diarrhea. It would clear up after 24-48 hours of stopping the medicine. My taste would return as well. After 3 months, I now take the medicine around 3 AM or when I wake up to use the restroom in the night, when my stomach is most empty. This made a huge improvement. I always take 2 Imodium before breakfast, 1 before lunch, and 1 before dinner. This leveled out the diarrhea. Other than my white hair, all other symptoms have mostly subsided and I am able to carry on as normal. CT scan coming up next month."

• Bre...
• December 21, 2010

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "This is my husband's second month on Votrient. He had a CT today, and it shows significant shrinkage in the tumors in his lungs. The only side effect he is experiencing is high blood pressure."