How are you managing Brukinsa side effects?

@loribmt My husband is on Brukinsa since January 2026, his WBC is 28 v. 210 before Brukinsa ( he was hospitalized in Jan.)however his hemoglobins in March was 7 so he had to have blood transfusion, now it’s 10, still low but better then before transfusion, his platelets are also low. He had some leg swelling but it’s OK now and he is feeling much, much better than before treatment. He also has some bruising on his hands.
Brukinsa does work and we hope it will keep his CLL steady.

I've been on it for 2year's and 3 months. I have light-headedness and some bruising. Other than that no problem. Good luck and sending prayers and great vibes.

Hi @sveta25 Thank you for the update! It’s a relief to hear your husband is really doing so much better while taking Brukinsa! It looks like he’s having a very positive response to the drug for his CLL with lowering his WBC while raising his hemaglobin back up…not quite to normal but a reading of 10 is much better than a 7! He had to really be dragging when his red blood count was down so low!
I hope you’re both enjoying a little more normalcy now. I know there’s still plenty of visits to the doctor but nothing urgent now. ☺️. How frequently does your husband have labs?

@loribmt after hospital stay in January it was every week but it’s once a month now. Keeping fingers crossed!!!

@sveta25 It’s always such an encouraging sign when ‘the leash gets a little longer’ between appointments! I’m happy for both of you…I know the feeling! ☺️

@loribmt thank you, we got lucky finding a new doctor in December 2025, the previous one ( also at FCS) could not care less.

On Brukinsa for nearly one year. Had mohs for SCC recently and discovered PNI so starting radiation shortly. No noticeable Brukinsa side effects other than more pronounced bruising expected with concurrent eliquis.

Hi @mnkevinb Let me officially welcome you to Mayo Connect. It looks like you’ve been a member for a couple of years so I’m really happy to see you out in the open. ☺️

Wishing you well with your upcoming radiation treatments. We do have other members in the group who have gone through similar for their prostate cancer. Here is a link to a quick search for similar conversations. Feel free to jump in anywhere if you want to ask questions! https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/

If you don’t mind sharing a little more. What led you to requiring Brukinsa treatments for the past year? Was this also for prostate cancer?

@loribmt just to clarify, no prostate cancer, the SCC is a skin cancer and PNI involves nerves—squamous cell carcinoma with perineural invasion—and thus radiation to treat it. Brukinsa is treating lymphoma (MZL) for which I’ve had several treatments during the past 23 years at Mayo. Sorry for the confusion.

@sveta25
Been on Brukinsa 2 years and my side effects are heavy bruising, petechiae and dry nails. However, it has worked great to bring my white blood cell count down. No intestinal issues. I only take one and a half pills in the morning every day rather than the 2 which are the normal dose.