RE: Dividing Gleevec tablets?

[Guest guest]

Hi Danny,

When I first started on Gleevec my ONC did not understand how it worked. He

panicked when my wbc dropped. He was constantly stopping my Gleevec,

starting it again and giving me small doses. The minimum therapeutic dose is

400mg. Many onc today who are not CML specialists often fall into the

pattern of dropping the dose. That is what they have to do with traditional

chemo because of its toxicity. However, this is not how Gleevec works. I'm

sure others will speak up here too about this. You may need to get yourself

another onc, one who specializes in CML. I don't want to libel your doctor,

but this does not sound right. I strongly suggest taking your test results

and getting a second opinion!

Troxel

dx 2/2003

Gl 3/2003

On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 9:16 PM, ddobrzenski <ddobrzenski@...> wrote:

>

>

> Hi all-

>

> My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the

> only problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already. He

> said I can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy more.

> (to take 3@ 100mg each)

>

> Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done

> this, or heard of anyone doing this?

>

> Thanks,

> Danny

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, I email Dr. Druker directly and he said " yes, the pills can be split. "

Tammy

_____

From: ddobrzenski [mailto:ddobrzenski@...]

Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 12:17 AM

Subject: [ ] Dividing Gleevec tablets?

Hi all-

My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the

only problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already. He

said I can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy more.

(to take 3@ 100mg each)

Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done this,

or heard of anyone doing this?

Thanks,

Danny

[Guest guest]

Danny,

I was instructed to cut my gleevec in half when I was taking them.I had no ill

effects that I am aware of.Just the usuall Gleevec stuff.

HTH

SHaronS

>

> Hi all-

>

> My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the only

problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already. He said I

can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy more. (to take

3@ 100mg each)

>

> Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done this,

or heard of anyone doing this?

>

> Thanks,

> Danny

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Danny,

Your doctor is wrong. You can definitely cut the pills in half. In fact the

manufacturer has scored the pill to make it easy to break in half.

The best way to achieve taking 300 mg daily is to take a 400 mg pill one day

and a 200 mg pill (half) the next day.

The reason this works is because Gleevec has a long half life. In stays in

your body for a long time. So after several days of following this routine

it is as if you were taking 300 mg daily.

Zavie

Zavie (age 71)

67 Shoreham Avenue

Ottawa, Canada, K2G 3X3

dxd AUG/99

INF OCT/99 to FEB/00, CHF

No meds FEB/00 to JAN/01

Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)

CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club

2.8 log reduction Sep/05

3.0 log reduction Jan/06

2.9 log reduction Feb/07

3.6 log reduction Apr/08

3.6 log reduction Sep/08

3.7 log reduction Jan/09

3.8 log reduction May/09

3.8 log reduction Aug/09

4.0 log reduction Dec/09

e-mail: zmiller@...

Tel: 613-726-1117

Fax: 613-482-4801

Cell: 613-282-0204

ID: zaviem

Tel in FL: 561-429-5507

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

ddobrzenski

Sent: February-11-10 12:17 AM

Subject: [ ] Dividing Gleevec tablets?

Hi all-

My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the

only problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already. He

said I can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy more.

(to take 3@ 100mg each)

Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done this,

or heard of anyone doing this?

Thanks,

Danny

[Guest guest]

I have cut these in half myself. While it is a pain it worked fine for

me.

Chemo-Sabi

Romero

27 year old male in Santa , California

DX-10.22.09

Hydroxeuya-10.22.09-10.29.09

Gleevec 400MG-10.29.09-11.06.09

Gleevec Reduction 200MG-11.06.09-01.04.10

Gleevec increase 300MG-01.05.10-01.13.10

BCR-ABL-126% or 0.2637

0.6 Log Reduction 02.05.10

Gleevec increase 400MG 01.14.10-Present

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Zavie

Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 9:11 AM

Subject: RE: [ ] Dividing Gleevec tablets?

Hi Danny,

Your doctor is wrong. You can definitely cut the pills in half. In fact

the

manufacturer has scored the pill to make it easy to break in half.

The best way to achieve taking 300 mg daily is to take a 400 mg pill one

day

and a 200 mg pill (half) the next day.

The reason this works is because Gleevec has a long half life. In stays

in

your body for a long time. So after several days of following this

routine

it is as if you were taking 300 mg daily.

Zavie

Zavie (age 71)

67 Shoreham Avenue

Ottawa, Canada, K2G 3X3

dxd AUG/99

INF OCT/99 to FEB/00, CHF

No meds FEB/00 to JAN/01

Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)

CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club

2.8 log reduction Sep/05

3.0 log reduction Jan/06

2.9 log reduction Feb/07

3.6 log reduction Apr/08

3.6 log reduction Sep/08

3.7 log reduction Jan/09

3.8 log reduction May/09

3.8 log reduction Aug/09

4.0 log reduction Dec/09

e-mail: zmiller@...

Tel: 613-726-1117

Fax: 613-482-4801

Cell: 613-282-0204

ID: zaviem

Tel in FL: 561-429-5507

_____

From: <mailto:%40> [mailto:

<mailto:%40> ] On Behalf Of

ddobrzenski

Sent: February-11-10 12:17 AM

<mailto:%40>

Subject: [ ] Dividing Gleevec tablets?

Hi all-

My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the

only problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already.

He

said I can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy

more.

(to take 3@ 100mg each)

Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done

this,

or heard of anyone doing this?

Thanks,

Danny

[Guest guest]

Absolutely you are so right! With Gleevec, it is inviting and encouraging your

body's resistance to the drug when you drop the dosage or skip doses repeatedly

according to my oncologist/hematologist. This is one drug you NEVER EVER want to

miss a dose of, if humanly possible.

Vicki

>

> >

> >

> > Hi all-

> >

> > My onc is going to be moving me down from 400mg of Gleevec to 300mg, the

> > only problem is that I have almost 2 full bottles of 400mg tabs already. He

> > said I can't cut the pills to use the ones I have,that I'd have to buy more.

> > (to take 3@ 100mg each)

> >

> > Does anyone know if the pills can be cut to save me money? Anyone done

> > this, or heard of anyone doing this?

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Danny

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>