8 replies to this topic

[Justine]

Hi

Recently my mother in law has been diagnosed with CML - she has started her treatment yesterday (via tablet form). I would just like to know (may sound a silly question), when they say to drink plenty of water with the tablet, what counts as plenty of water - is a glass enough, or 1/2 litre. Also they say to take it with a meal (again another silly question), can a meal be simply a few slices of toast in a morning, or a sandwich rather than a massive plate of food. Any advice, tips or feedback would be greatly appreciated as we are all very new to this.

Many thanks

[tazdad08]

Which TKI is she taking. There are only a few, but some have different instructions.

[0vercast]

An 8-12 oz glass of water with the pill should be enough, but asking her to raise her level of daily water intake would also be a good idea. It's widely accepted that women should shoot for two liters of healthy fluids per day, and men should do three liters, almost regardless of meds or disease. Raising my water intake is one of the best things I've ever done, health-wise. I feel a lot better.

The meal is just meant to cushion the blow to the stomach. Some people get instant diarrhea if they take TKIs on an empty stomach, and I can't imagine it's good for the gastric walls either. If she's taking her TKI with a couple pieces of toast and not having any GI issues, then a few pieces of toast is all that's needed.

[Marnie]

Hi, Justine. . .if your mother-in-law is taking Tasigna, then the pill/food schedule is very important.  If she is on Gleevec or Sprycel, then she can do what works best for her.  When I was on Gleevec, it worked best for me to take my pill in the evening with dinner.  I had G.I. issues, so I preferred to deal with that in the evening rather than during the day.

I am now on Sprycel, and I can take it at any time with or without food, with no adverse affects.  So if your mother-in-law is on either of those two medications, the amount of food or water isn't critical, and she can play around with it to see what works best for her.  Tasigna is a different story, though her doctor would have been very specific with dietary instructions, so I'm guessing that is not her medication.

Best of luck.  Have her introduce herself on this forum when she's ready.  This is a great group of people, and an wonderful source of information and support. 

Marnie

[Justine]

Many thanks Marnie

She is taking gleevec so we will do trial on error with her food and water etc

Thank you for taking time to respond. It's really helpful

[Justine]

She is taking gleevec.

[TeddyB]

I drink about 2.5 dl of water with my pill, and i take it with 2 slices of bread each morning.

Usually take my pill at around 9, but some times later in the weekends, and especially after a night out, but always before 12.

Same routine for 2 years now, works pretty well for me

[GerryL]

Having food with your Gleevec is more to try to control any nausea. I initially started out with having a big meal at dinner time, but I switched taking the Gleevec to the morning due to fluid retention issues at night. I just had my Gleevec with a bowel of cereal. I also had anti nausea tablets on hand if I felt a bit squeamish from the Gleevec. I think you are probably advised to take it with a glass of water so it doesn't get stuck on the way down. Apparently it tastes pretty bad when it loses its coating, it can also cause heartburn for a lot of people. 

[TeddyB]

Oh it tastes bad indeed, i should know, i drank it the first 5-6 months