Hi Richard and thanks for the update. Did your platelets and or WBC increase on your Gleevec vacation? I hope you are better now. Blessings, Jeanie<3 In a message dated 3/23/2008 1:41:03 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi Richard, If I read correctly, it looks like you took a 2 month break from gleevec- right? I had similar side effects on it but was never transfusion dependent. All the other symptoms were the same. I took a 10 week break ( Druker and my oncologist suggested) and the same was true of my symptoms. It was from Feb. 15, 2006 - May 1, 2006. Within a week, many of them were non-existent and the weight dropped off remarkably. By the end of the break, it was heavenly. I resumed gleevec at 300 mg and within the month, all symptoms returned. Finally, I switched to Tasigna - 400 mg. and am doing well on it. The first month was an adjustment of dosage, side effects and management but now, I am on 400 mg and it suits me. Side effects are minimal and manageable. I am anxious to see how it does long term as the gleevec seemed to get worse with time. Thanks for your post. Although we all respond differently, it seems these side effects are somewhat common. Barb in AZ On Mar 23, 10:44 am, Richard H <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You are looking for someone brave enough to thake an extended Gleevec > Vacation and now you have found him. > > In Dec. 2006, Gleevec helped put me in Iron Deficient Anemia and 6 > months of transfusions for about every 3 weeks. Procrit is not > approved by insurance companies in Missouri unless you are intravenous > Chemo. I kept telling my ONC (he was a researcher at a teaching > hospital when he doing his cancer specialest degree) that I thought is > must be the Gleevec and I was willing to be his experiment for a > Gleevec Vacation. On May 23, 2007 after several consults with Dr. K > at Univ of Michigan, he finally agreed that was our best option to see > if it stopped the anemia. That is the last transfusion I have had. > After being closely monitered, in Nov. my QT-PCR indicated a rise in > Phillies but we elected to redue the test, My ONC did give me a chose > of how long 1 or 2 months, I chose 2 months to his suprise, but > expained that I felt we might get better results than inbetween > holidays because of the excitement of holidays and the people involved > wanting to catch a few days of family time. In Jan. 2007 the QT-PCR > had raised enough to end the test and I went back on Gleevec. In Feb. > the lab punched in the old pcr so the results of it was negative but > both Dr and I knew that wasn't accurate enough to satisfy either of us > so Tues. I will repeat the QT-PCR (with a new set of #'s to verify > that they are requesting the correct test). Now having said all that > here is the my findings ouside of stopping the Anemia for now. > > Much of the Gleevec fog disappeared, Aches, Pain, Joint tightnes > (swollen) disappeared, leg adema ( always about 1) was reduced. Water > weight decreased at least 25% but still under 50%, swelling around the > eyes decreased, ability to see clearly inproved, watery eyes > disappeared, of course nasal drainage decreased and sinus pressure > above the eyes decreased. After 2 months back on Gleevec all these > symtoms have returned to some degree and my weight is almost 5 lbs > over my highest weight before the Vacation and I did decrease about 5 > lbs during the vacation (a gain of 10 lbs in 2 months. Sorry to be so > long, but I know without the background it leaves many of us with > unanswered questions. Wishing all a happy blest holiday. > > Richard H. > dxd 2/03 > Gleevec 3/03 > PCR-U 11/03 **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
