Hi everyone.
I am a 63 year old male with a history of Ischaemic Heart Disease (4xMI, 3 after 4xCABG), numerous "interventions", and so many stents that I am almost magnetic! Also fitted with a "reveal device", which is like a pacemaker, but just monitors the ventricular activity.
I was diagnosed with CML 9 years ago, treated with 400mg Glivec daily, and my bloods come back as "normal", except that my Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) count has been rather high, indicating hypothyroidism.
My haematologist told me, last week, that the TSH is now fairly normal, but I am taking 50mcg Levothyroxine every morning. He then went on to explain that there is an empirical, observable perturbation in the TSH count in some cases of Glivec treatment. The mechanism is, he tells me, unknown at present, but the TSH level should be monitored whilst taking the drug.
With my heart problems, I cannot increase the dose of Levothyroxine any more (it is contra-indicated), and now I am discovering that the list of tablets I am taking are increasingly contra-indicated with Glivec. One is especially worrying, which is Metoprolol, as Glivec increases the plasma concentration in the blood, thus making it more effective. I already take a minute dose, so small that they don't manufacture that size, but it would explain why I keep being "light-headed", and falling about.
It's not the booze!
Regards
Richard