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Dasatinib Side Effects and any suggested remedies or counter agents?!?

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Question for the group - thank you in advance!

I am only 3 months into this diagnosis (Aug 2019) so perhaps its too early to ask but... curious about the side effects of Sprycel/Dasatinib - I was switched over from initial treatment of 400mg Imatinib a month and half ago due to severe bone/muscle pain - Doctor put me on 50mg, but within the week I started having chest/muscle pains and itching (really bad) all over... we cut the pills (literally) in half even though it warns not to he gave me the go ahead, so now I'm on 25mg a day.  Side effects are lessening but still around.. as well as shortness of breath.  Hematological test results seem to be good so far, responding etc. 3 month test for Molecular response end of October.

A. Did anyone experience similar side effects on similar dose?

B. if yes, does anyone understand what the root cause might be?

C. And if yes again, are there remedies you have found for countering the side effects that have worked for anyone?

I have found that movement and stretching actually helps the chest pains and muscle pains... they don't go away but you get temporary relief.

One last point - I found that the more involved/busy/pre-occupied I am with work/family/other activities the less I seem to notice the side effects... 

 

Thanks very much for any shared experiences or insights!

I was having unexplained breathlessness even on 25mg.  I have since been taken off them but the problem although not as bad is still present.  Currently investigating for the possibility of pulmonary hypertension a know side effect of Dasatinib.

Breathlessness on dasatinib warrants a couple of checks ... firstly, you want to rule out pleural effusion, so that would be a quick chest x-ray to rule that out. Secondly, PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension) would be a concern but that would be unusual just 3 months after starting. An ECG and an echocardiogram can look at that. 

I’m on dasatinib and have had a few episodes of similar symptoms. Worrying, because PE and PAH are not good side effects. But in each case it’s been something else. Just in the last month some post-viral symptoms had me feeling short of breath and a bit tachycardiac but that has settled on its own with a clear ECG.

So I would urge you not to worry, but at the same time keep on top of this and make sure your doctor is fully aware of your symptoms and advocate for yourself. If you have shortness of breath continually, without exertion you need at a minimum a chest x-ray.

David.

Thank you David for your response... I plan to speak with my doctor on both suggestions.  Any ideas about what you or others have done for the muscle/chest pains or the itching?  I keep thinking that if I "tough it out" and power through this for a while the symptoms will just diminish or go away... something tells me that's likely not a realistic outcome.  

This site is outstanding FYI, its turned my outlook around 180 degrees from doom and gloom to very optimistic! Reading everyone's experiences reinforce that this is a disease - if the body responds to the TKIs - can be managed.

Muscle pains ... magnesium cream or oil can help if it’s a crappy sort of pain. Personally, I find a long hot bath very helpful and often combine that with magnesium flakes. You can get a kilo for £3 or £4.

Some people say tonic water helps with cramped muscles, due to the quinine content. But my understanding is that this must be placebo because there isn’t nearly enough quinine in tonic water for this - or so I’m told.

The last thing I do for muscle pains / stiffness is stretching as much as possible. I try to get to a yoga class when I can which I find very beneficial.

Iching - you can use an emollient like diprobase or doublebase to moisturise the skin. Something like HC45 has a little bit of steroid (hydrocortisone) in it which could help, but I’m not sure if you can use that vaguely long-term. You’d need to ask a pharmacist but it’s available over the counter (here in the UK, anyway).

I’m pleased you’ve found this site useful. Comments like that make running it so worthwhile. Thank you.

David.