16 replies to this topic

[JPD]

So, on the heels of my news that my numbers ticked up (see other thread) I am just wondering if my moderate... okay, lets be honest - moderatly heavy (binge) drinking could reduce the absorbtion/effectiveness of my Tasigna.

 

I know all about the liver problems - and have watched my liver panel closely (its perfect) but I have been hitting it hard lately (work stress, marriage stress, cancer stress... functioning alcoholic since I was 21).

 

Neither of my Oncs have ever told me/asked me about alcohol and the disease or my meds, but I thought Id throw it out here, too.  I know its dangerous, unhealthy, and all the rest - what Im asking about here is a direct link between my drinking and the possibility its harming the effectiveness of the drug.

 

 

 

 

 

* for the record, its decently easy for me to have periods of cessation with alcohol - so I am confident I stop altogether.  Its the moderation that has always been hard for me. 

 

 

[JPD]

Well... I guess either no one knows

 

or

 

no one wants to be the first for calling me an idiot for drinking too much while on TKIs

 

 

 

 

 

 

ps - make no mistake.  I am an idiot.

[Marnie]

There are plenty of us who enjoy a drink or two (or three).  I drink too much and have not noticed any connection with alcohol consumption and PCR numbers.  I think that as long as you monitor your CMP results, drinking is o.k. for many CMLers. 

 

Obviously it's important to acknowledge whatever risks come with consuming too much.  I've been working on moderation lately.  Some days are easier than others. 

 

Marnie

[JPD]

Marnie,

thanks - I figured as much, I suppose I was trying to find a link between my uptick and the drinking to give reason to the uptick.  I still gotta have a little sabatical from the drinking though - aint helping my depression/stress.  Waaaaahhhhh.

[jmoorhou]

My Onc's handout said alcohol "on occasion".  I asked her about it and she said it would increase chances of becoming anemic.

 

Be interesting to see if Trey has an answer.

 

I do have a glass of red wine a few times a week.

 

You might want to see if you can get an ativan prescription, gives you the same feeling as alcohol.  Or you might try an antidepressant, I take Wellbutrin and it takes the edge off.  

 

Ativan is very addicting, might take the edge off a few days per week tho.

 

I think it's a safe bet alcohal and TKI's don't mix well....

[gerry]

I usually have a couple of wines around 3 times a week and did the same while on the Gleevec. For me, alcohol can be a bit of a depressant, so have to watch how much I drink.

[Trey]

I doubt there is much impact on drug uptake.  

[Billie Murawski]

I doubt that alcohol had anything to do with with your increase in numbers, if it were only that simple. We could all just quit drinking and be cured. As they say it's probably just a bump in the road. Too bad it's such a bumpy road!  Good Luck Billie

[TeddyB]

No problems here (gleevec), but pcr a bit up and down if you can call it that.. (moderate to moderate+ alcohol consumption)

 

International Scale:         

 

               BCR-ABL1/ABL1        BCR-ABL/GUS

04.11.12     76%                         21%

06.14.12     17%                         10%

07.26.12     3%                           3%

10.24.12     0.10%                      0.08%

01.15.13     0.02%                      0.01%

04.11.13     0.03%                      0.01%

07.16.13     0.04%                      0.03%

09.12.13     0.01%                      0,02%

12.04.13     0.01%                      0,01%

03.05.14     0.01%                      0.02%

06.11.14     0.03%                      0.02%

09.12.14     0.01%                      0.02%

12.11.14     X.XX%                      0.03%

 

 

Cheers.

[reidzoo]

I've been on Gleevec for 13 yrs.  On an old CML support group board back in the day, it was recommended to wait at least 4 hours after (before and after) taking your medicine before drinking any alcohol because Gleevec filters through the liver.  So this has always been the rule that I've followed and it works for me.

[Terran]

Alcohol hasn't seemed to interfere with my sprycel. I've only had my dx since late December and my hematologic response seems complete. But my doc is switching me to tasingna, so what do I know. Hopefully on the new med my headaches won't be as bad. So your question is good because I took my sprycel in the morning and did my drinking at night. Tasigna is taken twice a day. Can I drink if I wait two hours?

[pammartin]

Until I started having horrid acid reflux I drank way too much wine on a regular basis with Sprycel.  I also like dark beer, one who likes dark beer never, ever has only one, or two.  My biggest problems with drinking on TKI was it seemed to hit me harder and took longer if I overindulged to recover.  That being said I was close to 50, so perhaps my body was telling me to stop being and idiot and not drink the bottle and enjoy the glass. 

 

Restaurants, it is all their fault.  You could never go for pizza, the special was pizza and beer.  Wings and Yuenglings (PA beer).  Pasta and wine.  Steak and Crown Royal.  Seafood and tropical cocktail. Add sangria, long island ice tea, sparkling wine, and apple moonshine it is no wonder I overindulge. 

[Billie Murawski]

Hi Terran, I don't know anything about tasigna, but I haven't heard anybody complain about having a drink while on T I know there is a time limit on food I don't know about alcohol. Are you going on T because of headaches, if you have been taking Sprycel since December and you are responding to it maybe you might give it a bit longer. Sprycel is notorious for headaches but they do go away. Is Sprycel the first tki you have tried, I went from Gleevac to Sprycel  and the headaches at first were horrendous but they did gradually ease up and then go away completely It was probably 2 or 3 months before they were gone. Five months is pretty extreme to still be getting the headaches, I'm sure someone else on the board who is new and started on Sprycel can help you. I took Gleevac for 3 years before I switched to Sprycel like I said I went through the headache stage but now I am so glad to be on S. Our bodys all react differently to the tkis,just make sure you want to go to another tki this soon. Good Luck Billie

[Billie Murawski]

Pammie, I gotta get out of the house more and try some of those (cocktails) no dark beer though, one glass of that and I'm flat on my arse, that stuff really has some clout! APPLE MOONSHINE Yahoo!!!!!!!!

[cwade61]

JPD - Not a frequent poster or reader, but a CML male in his 20's who still tries to party like a 21 year old time and again. I haven't had any side-effects from drinking. I drink a few times a month (mainly because the hangovers are hell), but haven't had any negative response health-wise. I take Tasigna 300mg x2 daily and drink mainly Michigan IPAs when I'm in the mood to catch a buzz.

[JPD]

Ha!  Wait until you turn 40 - hangovers become a week long event

[Woltanac]

From the two hematologists that I have seen, drinking in moderation is OK. I got smashed a few times while on Gleevec and more so while on Tasigna. I only had hangovers that were rough. On Iclusig, I cannot drink at all. A couple glasses of wine causes what seems to be the hell that is gout.