Blood counts and dose of Gleevec

[Guest guest]

Dear Lilia

I had the same thing happen to me on Sprycel.  I couldn't tolerate Gleevec so I

was put on the recommended dose of Sprycel.  That proved way to strong for me

took about 4 weeks for the bone marrow to recover.  I then was started on the

lowest dose of sprycel 20mg bid and have been at a log 5 reduction for over a

year now.  So we are all different.   The doctors  sometimes have to play with

the doses a little until the correct dose is found.  They will straighten it

out.  This is a fabulous web site.  You will get alot of encouragement.  We are

all in the same boat.  I thank God that we are in the age of these wonder drugs

even though they are very expensive.  The leukemia society is also very helpful

if you ever have questions.

God Bless you

Carolyn

dx 11-05

[Guest guest]

--- In , " llokl_777 " <llokl_777@

> I'm newly diagnosed with CML and new for this website.

> I need your help in interpreting my blood counts. After taking

400mlg

> of Gleevec for four weeks, my blood counts dropped dangerously low:

WBC

> 1.3 and ANC 0.03. I was off Gleevec for three weeks and then was

told

> by my doctor to change my dose to 100mlg. He is going to perform

blood

> level test to identify optimum dose for me. In one week all my

counts

> were in normal range. In a little bit less than two weeks all my

counts

> stay in normal range besides platelets which are 459 (in previous

test

> it was slightly higher than norm 430). Can you explain me what does

it

> mean and if 459 is too high. Did anybody stay on low dose of

Gleevec?

> Thank you,

> Lilia.

>

Hi Lilia,

My wife Beth was diagnosed in Oct.07 and initially started Gleevec at

400mg. which is what she is still taking today. Her whites also

tanked initially but her Onc. felt it was a residual thing because

she had been on Hydroxuria before the Gleevec. After a couple of

weeks her whites came up and now she has nearly normal blood work.

After just six months on gleevec her blood work showed no detectable

traces of cml and she has remained that way since. Don't expect

normal blood work as long as you are on Gleevec and try not to obsess

over every little detail it will just make you crazy. I know it's

hard to imagine but eventually this will just be something you live

with and will move into the back ground, and life truely does go on.

Best wishes,

Ray