Pain in Upper Left Abdomen

Hi @kapow. While you’re waiting for other members taking hydroxy to Essential thrombocythemia can also impact the spleen, which is in the upper left quadrant of your abdominal area. https://www.verywellhealth.com/splenomegaly-enlarged-speen-4068974

There are an number of members sharing their excperience with Hydroxy in this discussion:

~What are most common side effects when starting HU (Hydroxyurea)?

When you press on the area on your upper left side, just under the rib cage, does it feel tender? Do you feel more full after eating?

Yes, it hurts when I press on it, but not as much as when I breathe deeply. And I find my appetite is less than usual....not really sure if a feeling of fullness.

I’m not sure that’s a side effect of the Hydroxy or not. You’re having good success with the HU, so that’s encouraging. The tenderness in the spleen area might be something to talk about with your doctor or NP. Especially if it becomes more concerning when you inhale deeply. It’s not an alarming issue, just one that you want to bring up with your doctor. How often do you have followup appointments?

I don't see my hematologist again until mid April (which is 6 months from the last) I have bloodwork done every 4 weeks now and I received a call yesterday but wasn't home. They left a message and asked me to call on Monday because they want to adjust my meds again. I will mention it when I talk with the NP then.

This sounds like something you should ask your doctor about - it could be many things and could be related to HU. Or not.

If your condition results in the production of excess blood cells that puts a strain on your spleen due to it processing those excess cells out of your system. I have PV and my blood tests always show a higher than normal level of blood cells and platelets. I have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow for my doc to determine the size of my spleen. I’m on hydroxy 500mg 4x week. No symptoms or pain and so far no bad reactions to the med.

Hi there,

I have MDS/MPN overlap. I have the JAK2 mutation and have been on 500 mg Hydroxyurea daily for the last year. I have elevated Platelets - they reached 1.2 million last March. They are in the lower 500s now.

I absolutely do get pain under my left rib. It goes from aching to kind of stabby. It hung around all last Summer, then went away during the Fall. Now it's back.

I have had my Spleen checked several times (sonogram) and it's always fine. I have an appointment with my Hematologist/Oncologist in a couple of weeks where I will bring it up again.

I'm sorry you're going through this, but it is also a relief to know someone else is experiencing this!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I went to the ER and they did a myriad of tests including an ultrasound, ECG, bloodwork, and urinalysis. Turns out the doctor believes that I have a kidney infection so was given pain meds and first dose of antibiotics intravenously. I was relieved that it was not an enlarged spleen, which is what I thought it might be. The hardest part of this was getting the IV in….it took 4 unsuccessful tries and 3 different nurses before they were finally able to find a vein.

Hi @kapow. Well, that was good news for you! Thank you for the update. It’s more reassuring to have these things checked out than to sit worrying and guessing. 😉 I’m glad it’s nothing major and hopefully the antibiotics bring you some relief.

You doctor will palpate you to see if he can feel your spleen. The symptoms you describe sound like the same as I had when my spleen was enlarged. When I started taking Vonjo, it shrank very quickly.