Is itching a normal side effect when taking Hydroxyurea?

I’m also on 500 mg/day since the first of April. I also experienced a lot of itching for the first 2 weeks. I’m over that now.I had my first blood test last week since starting HU. My counts are now just slightly over the high normal range.

@a10sgal
Hello, try to diminish (or to stop) sugar consumption as pastries, cakes, chocolates, etc. This will perhaps diminish itching. Best regards.

I think itching is more a symptom of ET than HU. Benadryl or anti-itching creams can help. Cool water compresses or soaks and showers can help. I have itching and burning on the soles of my feet at night. I put a hot water bottle with cold tap water at the foot of my bed.

sanlee7, you're starting with a lot of extra platelets. Those rascals crowd our blood vessels and can even set off our bodies' immune response, causing itching and congestion.

Please try norht4me's excellent suggestion. Take an antihistamine and see if that brings relief. Be patient! It may be several days before you see the benefit.

I use generic loratadine, which is the active ingredient in Claritin. It's cheap and easy to find at Walmart or even dollar stores. And my oncologist's nurse assured me that this was OK to take.

I have also learned to substitute sponge baths for the long showers or baths I used to love. It's helpful to avoid drying out our sensitive skin.

Please let us know how you're doing.

I too have itching issues. My count is in 700’s and I take 9 pills each week (500 mg Hydroxyurea). My head will itch like crazy—i just give my whole head a good scratch! And the hard to reach places on my back require a back scratcher. I use Neutrogena Body Oil to help my skin. It is always nice to read what others experience and their solutions.

Not in my experience it isn't, and I've been taking Hydroxyurea for 12 years. However, I do have constant itching, but this dates from the 1970s, when, as a photolab techician in the Air Force, my hands were exposed daily to caustic chemicals that got into the wounds on my hands that were caused by the chemicals. So, I have had itching ever since.

@garyr443 you’ve been taking it for 12 years? Did you ever have fatigue when they up’d your dose? They up my dose and it just wipes me out.

No, never did. It took about two years or more, at first, to get the dosage right. We worked it out to a schedule of 1 dose per day for two consecutive days, followed by 2 doses for one day and then back to 1 dose. So it's 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, etc. During the 12 years, I've continued my paleo diet and I have actually experienced having more energy than I did 12 years ago, oddly enough. Now, however, my sleep cycle has become abnormal, so I find myself taking a nap when needed. I do strret photography whenever the sun is cooperating, and I go out on foot and spend a couple of hours walking around shooting pictures. I'll be 74 in October and I look like 60, but that's been the story of my life, i.e, I have always looked younger than I am. When I was 64, people thought I was 35!

Gabapentin helped me with it.

Thankful for all of your input!! After 3 weeks of 500mg once a day my count has dropped from 1 million to 750…thank you Jesus!! The itching has slowed down and Benadryl did help.