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Essential thrombocythemia (ET): When to start hydroxyurea (HU)?

Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 17 hours ago | Replies (89)
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Thank you so much for input and your support!
It is scary and weird! I guess I have really no other choice but to start taking it. I have a friend of mine that has the same thing and her doctor told her to start at a certain number of platelets.
Also, some mentioned HU is very toxic and not to touch it and this person filled their mouth with water then throws in the pill and swallows it, that way the pill doesn’t touch the inside skin of the mouth ?!? That sounds so scary . Thanks again Ana

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Replies to "Thank you so much for input and your support! It is scary and weird! I guess..."
eileen11108 | @eileen11108 | Apr 11 7:10am

Hi Ana, I have been swallowing my pill the same way for a few years and so far no mouth sores! Eileen

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janemc | @janemc | Apr 11 8:40am

anavleek, I hope it's helping you to hear from us! We're living proof that HU works.

Your pharmacist may not know much about HU, because you may be the first person who's ever asked for it. MPNs are really rare. In my little town, neither the pharmacist nor my primary care physician knows anything about ET or HU.

Take your capsule in the way that YOU are most comfortable with. You've gotten some great suggestions already.

I guess I'm a risk-taker! While I always fill my mouth with milk before popping in the capsule, I do take the capsule out of the bottle with my ungloved hands. I've been doing this for 18 months and so far, my fingertips seem fine -- no glowing in the dark.

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