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Hydroxyurea side effects lessen over time?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Mar 31, 2023 | Replies (36)Comment receiving replies
Yes!! My platelets were at 777 in the beginning. After four weekly phlebotomies and four weeks of 500 mg daily of HU, they dropped to 220? Stopped the HU for four weeks and my platelets jumped back to just over 600. Back on HU now 5days on 2 days off. After 7 doses my platelets dropped 220 points with no recent phlebotomies. Hematocrit jumped to 48 so I just had one last week. I’m seeing the platelets drop about 100 after a phlebotomy, so I’m waiting to see how this plays out. I was just diagnosed in January this year. Honestly, I’d rather do monthly phlebotomies than take the meds and do them bimonthly or every 6 weeks. I’m just 56 and have no other health issues. I’ve read it takes several months to get some sort of normalcy, if that’s a thing. I’m grateful I’m on a low dose but let’s see how this plays out at my next labs next week. Doing them every two weeks currently. KIT
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I first found out about my high platelet count during my annual Medicare checkup last fall; it was 1.2 million. Around the same time, I found that I have celiac disease and I am anemic. My oncologist put me on a daily baby aspirin and 500 mg daily of Hydrea. I have my blood tested weekly to monitor results. My platelet count (PC) dropped quickly (down to around 600k). Then she started me on iron tablets to address the anemia. My PC count went back up to almost 1 million, so she said stop taking the iron. My oncologist has tried to manage the PC by adjusting how many days per week I take Hydrea. Since then (about 3-4 months ago) my PC has ranged from the upper 400k's to the upper 900k's. I had two surgeries during this time, which did cause some fluctuations in platelet, white and red blood cell counts (for one week only and then back to pre-surgery levels). This approach seemed like it was working, and we got to the point where one 500 mg Hydrea 6 days a week was showing a slow decline in PC (still above 500k until two weeks ago when it started climbing again. So now I'm back to taking Hydrea 7 days a week. The saga continues. I see my oncologist next week to see what happens next.
I have never suffered any side effects from the Hydrea, and after seeing the range of reactions that people are having, I consider myself quite lucky. Thankfully I have no other obvious symptoms due to PC at this time.
I am on otherwise healthy 68 year old guy that still plays hockey 3 days a week (when I'm not recovering from surgery). Finally, are you having a phlebotomy to reduce your PC, and it works? My doctor has not mentioned this as an option. Forgive me but that sounds so 17th century.