Hi @karla987
I just started taking Hydroxyurea (HU) on April 9. I was also afraid to take it, but since I am diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera (PV), didn’t want to mess around. I have very high RBC counts. I am also taking aspirin and starting a phlebotomy regime. There are some other threads here I have been following about HU side effects, although those folks have different diagnoses. So far, I have none, other than some thirst, which is good for my hydration anyway. Also some fatigue, but that seems to have gone away. It sounds like a lot of people tolerate it very well, although I see some mention of longer term side effects, but not sure what those have been. I don’t know what lupus anticoagulant is (my daughter has lupus, so I will look it up!), but I would ask your doctor to outline your risks/benefits to help you feel more comfortable taking it or look at options. I personally need to get my blood numbers under control to avoid a clot, so have gotten over my anxiety about it for now. Hope all goes well for you.