Most effective way to take hydroxyurea

I have been on Hydroxycarbamide 7 months 500gm per night with 500mg every second morning. My platelets are going down but very slowly. Currently 606. March was 652. Would love to know anything to get it down sooner.

sylvann, that's an excellent question.

It will be interesting to hear others' experience.

May I suggest the best answer will come from your oncologist?

lynnebgraham, am I remembering correctly that you are triple negative?

It would be interesting to hear from others with triple negative ET.

If this is your diagnosis, how quickly has HU lowered the platelet count?

I am TN ET. I started HU in March my platelets were 460,000 by early July. I seemed to respond to it almost immediately, but symptoms like neuropathy, blurry eyesight continued. In the last couple of weeks those symptoms have improved.

My oncologist seems to prefer a more aggressive approach to lowering platelets. Although I did not start taking HU until they were 800k. 500 daily for 3 weeks. 1000 daily for 2 weeks. Now on 1500 HU daily and my platelets are finally moving in the right direction at 650k. Luckily most of my side effects are well managed. I am followed closely, but platelets were high and climbing for 2 years before I was diagnosed with ET.

I am triple negative. The hydrea has brought my platelets down but since I started it 10 years ago I cannot remember how fast that was. At this point in my life we cannot get my platelets under 550,000 without lowering all of the other values of my blood to dangerous levels. My local oncologist and oncologist at Mayo both agree that that is what I will have to live with as I am not a candidate for the other treatments due to my genetic pharmacological testing which revealed that I do not metabolize them in a normal way. I have had this for 23 years so far and feel well. I hope I continue to for many more years because I feel like a young 71yo. 🙂

Hi Lynne, my platelets were 652 in March now 606, so going down slowly. fatigue also have diabetes so some symptoms are very similar. Pins and needles feet and hands, night sweats. It is what it is, one day at a time. 🙃🙃

Hi, have had ET for over 17 years. On Hydroxycarbamide since Jan. 606 last report July, going down slowly. Specialist doesn't want to increase dosage at this time.

ET CALR+. Took me a year to get from 800 to 600 on 500mg HU every night. Then platelets stalled there. Doc added another 500mg Mon, Wed, Fri, and got to 400s in another few months. So, it's slow sometimes.

Hi, It just amazes me that when I was on Anagrelide, my platelets only took a month or two to get back to normal levels. Hopefully the hydroxy will get there eventually, I know patience is a virtue. Other than fatigue, neuropathy, night sweats, I am doing well. Hope all is well with you.