6 replies to this topic

[LivingWellWithCML]

Although I am past that stage (3 kids was enough for us!!), I have been chatting with some other men on Gleevec who are in the family planning stages.  What's the latest stance for men who are on Gleevec and are considering children?  Women taking a Gleevec holiday while trying to conceive is well-documented, but I am not as sure about what men should do.  Is staying on Gleevec (at any dose) considered safe?  Do men need to take a holiday like women do?  Should they reach a certain response for a period (e.g., PCRU for 1-2 years?) before considering?

Different experts seem to say different things - the recommendations are inconsistent.

Thoughts?

[CallMeLucky]

Everything that I have read (and there was something just recently, although I can't remember where to site it, maybe that presentation that i posted that was taken down by the board admins for copyright issues) stated there were no issues with men fathering children while on Gleevec.

[BPilgrim]

Hey there.  I fathered two boys while on Gleevec and without taking a break from it.  Boys are 4-years-old now and perfectly healthy.  There may be some issues with sperm count and motility though, in which case a fertility clinic may be necessary.

Come to think of it, my boys do have one problem.  Very, very bad aiming skills in the bathroom.  Only a 60% accuracy rate getting pee-stream into the toilet.  Probably not Gleevec's fault though.

[LivingWellWithCML]

Ha!  Yeah, my boys are about 60% too, so it's definitely not Gleevec. <grin>

This is really helpful, and what a great success story.  Congratulations BP!

(Thanks for the feedback folks)

[Cliffee]

New to CML and on Gleevac, I had an appt with Dr. Druker at OHSU this January and asked that exact question.

He said the testicles are very good at filtering things out and Gleevac was not a problem. Neither was Tasigna.

He did say Sprycel is a problem.

[0vercast]

Has anybody here had their sperm count tested after treatment with Hydroxyurea?  I was told that it might make me infertile, but I haven't been tested.

[JennGirl81083]

My boyfriend is 25 yrs old currently on 400mg 1x per day of Gleevec, i did tons of research when i found out i was pregnant but there really wasn't much to go on except for everyone else and their experiences. I'm happy to say we now have a healthy 9 1/2 month old baby boy. I hope this helps =)