Re: Today's doc visit ...

[Guest guest]

Gale answering your question of taking off gleevec.I have been on 400 mg of

gleevec for z years and experience same side effect Edema,fatigue,weight gain

and GI problems my onc suggested to go down in dosage for a break. So I took 300

mg for 3 month I did good And count stayed put.Than he instruct me to be on 200

mg for 3 month which had less side effect. Although I felt better I start to

loose log reductions, I went from 0.001 to 0.03. Joint pain started again. Now I

am back on 400 mg and my number now is 0.014 and waiting for another QTY PCR

results. Now. my ONC don't want to switch me to other drug as long as Gleevec is

doing the trick. I would suggest you be monitored when you are off Gleevec. God

Bless

T

Dxd 2/03

#764

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

[ ] Today's doc visit ...

Had a visit with my onc today and told him about all my recent symptoms:

infections that won't go away (even after several rounds of antiobiotics), extra

edema and fatigue, some GI problems, and my more recent bout with car sickness

(dizziness when I'm a passenger - feel like I'm falling forward, no matter what

the car speed). Sometimes the dizziness hits while driving myself - but

changing the car speed seems to help. I've been having chronic ear infections,

so I'm wondering if that is related to the car sickness as ears effect

equilibrium.

Anyway, my blood work looked ok, with a slightly elevated wbc - 8.2, and I'm

running a slight fever, so that wbc count was expected. He recommended I go to

an eye, ear, nose throat specialist AND he wants me to go down to 300mgs Gleevec

for 6 weeks and see how I feel.

I've been on amoxicillen off and on for the last 9 months - and each round I

feel better, then this ear problem bounces back.

Also talked about possibly switching to another drug, like Tasigna, but he's

never prescribed it. As I'm getting such good results on Gleevec - he does not

want to switch me - guess I can't blame him. Part of me wants to switch to

something else now - after 9 years on Gleevec.... and lose some weight, and lose

some fatigue... ah well... will see what this lower dose will do.

Not sure if Gleevec is lowering my ANC and I'm now getting more low grade

infections, or if this is a sign that Gleevec is not working anymore - hard to

tell. Will get today's blood report in a couple of days.

I'm also in the middle of a tooth implant. Actually, I was a bit concerned that

the implant wouldn't graft - due to Gleevec, but it is grafting - but taking

it's time.

Is there anyone out there on Gleevec experience any type of dizziness or motion

sickness?

Anyone taken a complete break from Gleevec for awhile and then started back up

with success?

Thanks,

Gale