9 replies to this topic

[alc999]

After 7 weeks on 400mg Gleevec, my WBC has dropped from 220,000 to 1,800 and my ANC is .77. I'm feeling fine, besides a persistent rash, and my Onc isn't particularly worried. It seems like these numbers are normal and there's a chance that with time they will stabilize. Has anyone else experienced numbers like these and did they increase with time?
Thanks so much!

[Yougotafriend]

Yep sounds familiar. I've been on Gleevec now 10 months but I remember the first month They dropped below normal can't member the exact number but now 10 months later Everything has come back about normal except red blood count is still a little low but creeping back up slowly!

[gerry]

Try an antihistamine for the rash, I was on Periactin (an old fashioned antihistamine) for migraine and this helped with the rash.  

[Billie Murawski]

gerry, can an antihistamine help a headache, I never heard that. I know I can take benadryl!!!!!!

What is that beautiful flower on your ativar. So far all we have are fake flowers uggh!

[Billie Murawski]

Hi ALC,

Three weeks after my dx my wbc went down to 2000. I guess that must be okay, I'm the only one that panicked. I get rashes and I use cortisone cream or gold bond ulti-moisturizer. It doesn't smell as good as something from bath&body works but the itch goes away.

                                                                                                Billie

[gerry]

Hi Billie,

Doc put me on Periactin for migraines, it is an "old fashioned" antihistamine apparently and supposed to help with migraine http://www.headache-...prevention.html, but it also helped with the Gleevec rash.

[Billie Murawski]

Hi gerry,

  I'm going to go to my pcp for a check-up I'll ask her about that. my mom told me after menopause the headaches go away, she never said how long after menopause.

[gerry]

Hi Billie,

Depends if they were estrogen related or not. I don't get as many migraines as I used to, so that was one bonus.

[alc999]

For the rash, I've been taking benedryl and using cortisone creme, but truthfully, neither help much. My Onc put me on methylprednisolone in a reduced dosage pack - It worked fine the first few days where I took 6, then 5, then 4, 4 mg tablets, but now now that I'm down to less, the rash is back.

 

Glad to hear that the low WBC seems normal for now!

[gerry]

The rash disappeared for me after about a week, but it did make a lesser reappearance when I got sick while on holiday. I kept taking the Periactin and bought some antiseptic cream to use again with it. It disappeared after a couple of days. I never got it back again.