Small doses

[Guest guest]

Dear Carolyn,

You are one of those patients who can take lower doses and still maintain

your remission. I was on 20 mg., too, but the doctors wanted me in another

trial, as my numbers fell flat. I was willing to stay as long as it took and

gradually ramp it up, but with the history of Pleural and Pericardial effusions,

they decided to put me in the SKI trial. I am on a low dose on that one, too.

It was found that I responded to the higher Spryycel dose, but the side effects

were too severe. Like you, I get the palpatations and my head feels woozy at

times, as I have never been able to tolerate high doses of anything. Just call

us " unique " . If you are doing well on that dose and being monitored, then I

would have fewer worries, they are keeping the dragon in check.

I don't think there will ever be one drug that fits every patient, but some

will really come to full bloom with a combo. These may have the ability to

select the specific cells that cause CML and eradicate them; therefore they

could not replicate themselves. Between us, it would seem that if not now, in

the near future, Bristol Myers Squibb and all the other big pharmas would send

out advisements to all doctors to give them complete information containing all

the data that is pertinent to their patients that would allow them to put your

history into their data bases and come up with a viable plan for you

specifically. Oncology has made giant strides, but we are still subjected to

trial and error in the process.

Blessings and peace,

Lottie