6 replies to this topic

[princess44]

We found out on Christmas that my husband has leukemia and on New Year's Eve that he had CML.  He has been doing well with his treatments until now.  Back on Feb 19th had to take him back to hospital for running a fever.  They in turn had him on 4-5 different antibiotics.  We got past the 2 different infections he was fighting.  But one of the medicines caused some temporary damage to the kidneys and those are starting to recovery.  He actually got to come home on March 2nd.  While he was in there, they switched his diet to a Renal diet, however, he tries to eat but lucky to get 3-4 bites.   I am wandering if anyone else has experienced this and if so, what did you do to get your appetite back?

 

Thank you for any help you can offer.  It is greatly appreciated.  

 

[Trey]

It is usually an enlarged spleen which pushes on the stomach making it smaller in volume.  As the TKI drug works to lower the white blood counts the spleen will reduce in size and the appetite will return naturally.

[snowbear]

I went through loss of appetite, change in taste, upset stomach and nausea for a few weeks after I started Gleevec.  My Onc said it was from the medication working on my spleen and it did go away after a few weeks.  My stomach issues have gone back to normal and I've even gained a few unwanted pounds since then.

 

Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.

[carrie]

Oh how I wish I had a loss of appetite, then I could lose weight.

 

With Gleevec I have a weight gain. I think I eat more because I feel tired and I think that food will give me more energy, which it does.

 

I also need to put something in my stomach before taking Gleevec, so that I do not feel sick.

 

I wonder if other TKI's help to keep the weight off, like is there one medication that does not put weight on a person?

[rcase13]

At first I wasn't hungry on Tasigna. Now I am back to normal. If it is near me I eat it... Hungry all the time.

[Gail's]

Anyone else find eating meat difficult? It sits in my stomach like a rock for hours! Pretty much doing soups. Meat tastes good but my stomach doesn't really like it.

[princess44]

Thank you everyone for your replies!!  My husband is feeling much better and his kidneys are recovering like they should.  They have actually taken him off the Renal diet.  He has his appetite back.  And his strength is building back up again as well.