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What are most common side effects when starting HU (Hydroxyurea)?

Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (146)
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@gigi05

That's good information. Good question to ask: Will the test change anything.
I know what you mean. Shocking to hear the diagnosis. I too am never sick, did not even have an aspirin in the house!, nothing, because I do not take or need to take any medicines. I am eating largely organic, and very health focused, cooking meals daily with fresh non-processed not even frozen ingredients. Everything from scratch. No additives, no food coloring. The whole prospect of a medicine for life, with dyes at that, and maybe even no control over whether to eliminate the coloring, a toxin in my mind -- shocking. I am diagnosed with ET, possibly changing into PV.

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Replies to "That's good information. Good question to ask: Will the test change anything. I know what you..."
janemc | @janemc | 5 days ago

"Shocking" is the perfect word for an MPN diagnosis.

And nobody wants to take a chemo medicine every day.

Unfortunately, our bone marrow doesn't care how shocked or reluctant we are. It just keeps churning out too many blood cells, pushing itself towards depletion.

Before HU began to rein in my ET, I woke up with a blinding headache that lasted all day. I was exhausted all the time. I had to pause just walking up a flight of stairs.

For me, HU has really been helpful. From hating those capsules, I'm now grateful for them.

This is not to ignore the problem the dye in the capsules may pose.

Please ask your oncologist for her or his suggestion. HU is in wide use, for sickle cell anemia and some types of mouth cancers as well as for MPNs. With so many people using it, I have to hope it can be dispensed in a form other than the pink and green capsules.

Would you please share what you learn, so others with the dye allergy can benefit?

To me, the pharmacist's "advice" to open up the capsules and mix the HU into applesauce borders on malpractice! NO, NO, NO.

I am so sorry for your diagnosis, gigi05.

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