Diagnosed with MDS: What is Paradox Effect with azacitidine (Vidaza)?

Posted by jonkerri @jonkerri, Jan 28 9:27am

After 6 months of treatment with Vidaza it appears that according to my doctor I may be experiencing a Paradox Effect. This effect is shown when the white blood cells do not return to a normal level after treatment with Vidaza. The doctor is skipping a treatment of Vidaza in hopes of isolating whether or not Vidaza is working. Has anyone heard of this Paradox Effect and if Vidaza is no longer effective then what are the alternatives? Thank you for any responses to this.

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joeliliacv | @joeliliacv | Mar 10 9:42pm

I have MDS, Myelodysplastic syndrome, refractory anemia with ring sideroblast.
SF3B1 mutation positive. I receive Epoetin weekly and my weekly CBC shows erratic HGB readings between 8.8 and 10.6.

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Mar 11 1:24pm

In reply to @joeliliacv "I have MDS, Myelodysplastic syndrome, refractory anemia with ring sideroblast. SF3B1 mutation positive. I receive Epoetin..." + (show)

Hello @joeliliacv Welcome to Connect. MDS can impact the production of certain blood products such as red/white cells and platelets. With your anemia it appears your red blood cell levels aren’t able to remain steady without help. Epoetin is a medication that can help stimulate production of red blood cells. In my experience it’s not unusual for hemoglobin or other cell numbers to fluctuate with blood cancers when on some of these treatments.
What does your doctor say about the fluctuations? How long ago were you diagnosed with MDS?

justmeb5 | @justmeb5 | 4 days ago

What is Epoetin vs. Livaza?

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | 4 days ago

In reply to @justmeb5 "What is Epoetin vs. Livaza?" + (show)

Hello @justmeb5 Did you mean Vidaza and not Livaza?
From my understanding, epoetin and Vidaza aren’t really drugs that you can compare. They each have a seperate function.
Vidaza is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. It’s used to treat certain types of bone marrow cancers and blood cell disorders.

Epoetin alfa is a man-made protein that helps your body produce red blood cells. It is used to treat anemia.

Have you been diagnosed with a blood cancer where these drugs are being offered for treatment?

justmeb5 | @justmeb5 | 3 days ago

Diagnosed with MDS. I am very interested if there are other drugs than Vidaza? And if they work and the side effects.

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | 3 days ago

In reply to @justmeb5 "Diagnosed with MDS. I am very interested if there are other drugs than Vidaza? And if..." + (show)

Hi. Yes, there are other potential medications than Vidaz used to treat MDS. Though Azacitidine (Vidaza) and Decitabine (Dacogen) appear to be the frontline treatment plans, from conversations with members in the forum.
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) is used for patients with specific genetic abnormalities in MDS.
Medications such as Epoetin Alfa are used to stimulate red blood production. But they don’t destroy cancer cells.
There are blood and platelet transfusions and growth factors to manage symptoms.
In some cases, traditional chemotherapy may be used for more aggressive forms of MDS.
And at this time the only potential cure for MDS is a Stem cell transplant.
However, your hematologist oncologist will determine the best option for the type/subtype of MDS associated with your diagnosis.
Any medication can have side effects. Every person is different and not everyone experiences side effects. The goal is to control the proliferation of disease.
How long ago were you diagnosed? Do you know if there are any specific mutations associated with your MDS?

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