Re: Re: Loss of Skin Pigment

[Guest guest]

Well, my hair's thinner and grayer everyday, would have been nice

though ;-) Actually it is true that what didn't grey yet is darker

than my previous blondish color. I didn't have the skin problem, no

patches and I tan as much as I used too. I (and others) also noticed

a small difference in eye colors.

Marcos.

On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 4:01 PM, Tracey <traceyincanada@...> wrote:

> Hi ,

>

> Welcome to the group!

>

> Loss of skin pigment (hypopigmentation) is a well documented and

> common side effect of Gleevec. Here is just one of many articles

> outlining the issue. In this article, they found the side effect

> occurred in 40.9%

>

> http://tinyurl.com/dc54c6

>

> The reason for the change in skin colour is because of Gleevec's

> effect on an enzyme called c-kit. C-kit plays a role in melanocyte

> production and melanocytes are responsible for giving us our skin

> colour.

>

> While some lose skin colour evenly all over (generalized), others

> will lose it in patches (localized). Interestingly while many have

> lost pigment in their skin, a small number have actually found an

> increase in pigment in their hair which has returned their previously

> grey hair to its natural colour.

>

> For me personally, I lost skin pigmentation generally all over giving

> me a very pasty white complextion. I also found that my hair got

> darker which prompted me to finally get highlights.

>

> Take care,

> Tracey

>

>

>>

>> My name is and I am 19 years old. I was diagnosed with CML

> in

>> October and have since been started on Gleevec and responded well.

>> However, as of recent I have developed a strange new symptom that

> has

>> even perplexed my oncologist. On my forearms I have quarter sized

>> spots where my skin has lost pigment. I was wondering if anyone

> else

>> has experienced such symptoms.

>>

>

>

--

Marcos Perreau Guimaraes

Suppes Brain Lab

Ventura Hall - CSLI

Stanford University

220 Panama street

Stanford CA 94305-4101

650 614 2305

650 468 9926 (cell)

marcospg@...

montereyunderwater@...

www.stanford.edu/~marcospg/