Antibiotic Effect on CML

[Guest guest]

I have been fighting an upper respiratory infection for the last 2 months

and it won't go away. I'm on my 3rd type of antibiotics before they throw me

in the hospital.

My visit in December with the Oncologist shows my WBC was at 11 and had

been running around 6. She didn't seem concerned when she learned I was

given steroids and taking breathing treatments as she says this would

increase my white count. I have been on 400mg Gleevec since July 06 and my

WBC responded back to normal in less than 3 months after starting my

treatment. My concern is how long can I continue this treatment for

respiratory infection without it causing my Gleevec to loose effectiveness?

I'm not sure I understand how I can take a medicine that keeps my WBC down

and take another medicine that increases it? Maybe some of your long timers

could help me understand this as I'm really concerned.

Thanks

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Hi Barbara,

You don't say which antibiotics you're on. Some do interact with

Gleevec while others don't. Some will actually increase the serum

level of Gleevec as opposed to making Gleevec less effective so don't

automatically worry that the antibiotics will make the Gleevec

ineffective, they may actually make it more potent.

Either way, you need to treat your respiratory infection so you

really don't have a choice in the matter. Are they sure it's a

bacterial infection and not a fungal infection? 2 months seems like

a long time to still be sick while on antibiotics.

The purpose of the steroids is to reduce inflammation, it's not given

so that your white count will increase. An increase in your white

count just happens to be a side effect of the steroids. The steriods

shouldn't really have much impact on your CML though. Many people

have been on steroids for a variety of reasons and it hasn't caused a

problem so try not to worry about that.

You're main concern right now is finding out what is causing the

infection so you can treat it with the right drug.

Goodluck and let us know how you're doing,

Tracey

>

> I have been fighting an upper respiratory infection for the last 2

months

> and it won't go away. I'm on my 3rd type of antibiotics before they

throw me

> in the hospital.

>

> My visit in December with the Oncologist shows my WBC was at 11

and had

> been running around 6. She didn't seem concerned when she learned

I was

> given steroids and taking breathing treatments as she says this

would

> increase my white count. I have been on 400mg Gleevec since July

06 and my

> WBC responded back to normal in less than 3 months after starting my

> treatment. My concern is how long can I continue this treatment for

> respiratory infection without it causing my Gleevec to loose

effectiveness?

> I'm not sure I understand how I can take a medicine that keeps my

WBC down

> and take another medicine that increases it? Maybe some of your

long timers

> could help me understand this as I'm really concerned.

>

> Thanks

>

> Barbara

>

>

>

>

>

>