Temporary stop of Hydroxyurea (HU)

Posted by juelie @juelie, Jan 26 9:06am

4 years ago during routine blood work they found my platelet count was 1200. I have been taking 1000mgs of HA every day which has kept my count in the 500 range. I am one of those people for which there is no diagnosed reason for this. I need to have MOHS surgery and my doc has suggested I go off HA one week before and the week after to help the healing process. Of course I’m concerned about going off the med and what will happen to my count and how easily will my count go back down once I start up again. Has anyone had experience with this?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Blood Cancers & Disorders Support Group.

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Jan 26 1:00pm

Hi @juelie Stopping Hydroxyurea (HU) cold turkey is generally not recommended without first speaking with your hematologist/oncologist.
There are other members in the forum who have had take a ‘hydroxy holiday’ however, and have shared their experiences in this discussion.

Hydroxy holiday
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hydroxyurea-holidays-how-long-have-you-paused/
Hopefully you’ll be able to get some valuable insights with reading through the conversations. Feel free to pop in anywhere to ask questions.

Wishing you a quick recovery from the MOHs surgery. We also several discusses with other members who have had this surgery for melanoma/skin cancers. Here is a link to the search results where you can tap into a relevant conversation.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/
Is this you first experience with this surgery?

juelie | @juelie | Jan 26 5:16pm

In reply to @loribmt "Hi @juelie Stopping Hydroxyurea (HU) cold turkey is generally not recommended without first speaking with your..." + (show)

@loribmt Thanks Lori. I should have been more clear. It was my hematologist/ontologist who suggested I take myself off HA during that time. Thanks for the MOHS link. Yes, this is my first experience.

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Jan 27 9:54am

In reply to @juelie "@loribmt Thanks Lori. I should have been more clear. It was my hematologist/ontologist who suggested I..." + (show)

@juelie Since the directions to ‘take a break from the hydroxyurea’ came from your hematologist that’s all the validation you need. It’s only for two weeks and then you’ll pop right back into treatment. Since HU may weaken the immune system, being off for that period before and after the MOHS surgery will give the important neutrophils a chance to do their job in supporting a more robust anti-infection/healing process. Good luck with your surgery.

Please sign in or register to post a reply.