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Essential thrombocythemia (ET): When to start hydroxyurea (HU)?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Nov 18, 2025 | Replies (113)Comment receiving replies
Are you taking any meds yet?
If your oncologist advises a low-dose aspirin, purchase it in coated form. Low-dose aspirin makes our platelet-heavy blood more fluid, protecting us from clots and strokes.
If your oncologist advises hydroxyurea (HU), please be aware that starting at a low dose may be helpful. At first, I took just one 500-mg capsule each week. Then the dose was gradually increased. I believe this is why I've never suffered any ill effects from HU.
You can wander through the threads and learn so much. You can also use the search bar at the top to focus your search.
Having your questions ready for your appointment is crucial, because oncologists are busy people.
Replies to "Are you taking any meds yet? If your oncologist advises a low-dose aspirin, purchase it in..."
There's a lot of good info here - thanks to all who have shared. My first visit with the Oncologist resulted in a diagnosis of Essential (hemorrhagic) Thrombocythemia and he started me on HU (one 500-mg pill a day to start). I will have another blood test in a week and will likely step up to 2/day. Good to learn that it can be monitored and kept under control.
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Thanks for the info. I've been taking low-dose asprin and blood thinners since a stroke in 2016. I'll know more when I see the oncologist next week. I have a lot of test results to discuss with her!