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Flu-like symptoms every 1.5-2months

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Hello everyone,

I am on dasatinib 100mg, since diagnosed 1.5 years ago. I am doing really well an I reached the "undetectable" goal within 9-12 months.

Something strange that occurs the last 6-8 months and every 1.5-2 months is that I get a flu like symptoms with a very high fever (39.5C) and headache. I have been done numerous blood test and many other medical tests and everything seems to be normal. Doctor says that it might be a strange side effect of dasatinib.

Has anyone else on a TKI experienced something similar?

Thanks you in advance.

L.

Hi Lampros
What is your vitamim d level?
I f you make a small research in the forum you will find so much important is vitamin D level for out immune system!!

Hi, could be your body screaming out saying 100 mg is too high too toxic now you are undetectable .Discuss with your doctor about reducing your dose ,to 50 40 or even trying 20 mg .I started on 50mg no way would I agree to 100 mg so my doc gave in ,how surprised  doc was when I reached undetectable.In discussion now about lowering to 20 mg but I have a fight on my hands ,I will keep trying tho ,Good Luck .

Hi Labros,

I find your posting very interesting and topical.

I am coming up for 15 years on imatinib and still doing well.I have noticed that on occasions especially if I dont take the drug with a good meal or with certain foods it can give me nausea and a nasty headache-generally I dont get fevers.I have however noticed however  that these symptoms are more persistent during this Covid period.I have a view that unless we isolate ourselves completely all of us are being exposed to some viral shedding from others.I live on my own but I really cannot isolate like I did in the first three months of Covid commencing last March.Hence I do get out and about but take a lot of precautions but no doubt there are risks.

I did mention my symptoms to my specialist and he said I should have sought a Covid PCR test but initially these were very difficult to find certainly in the UK where I live.

My other view is that from lab studies of SARS1 2003 and MERS  there is evidence of the efficacy of using imatinib and dasatinib as a prophylactic to prevent major viral infection;results from some of the academic papersthat  I have read suggested that taking a tki prior to infection is up to 50 times more effective than taking it as treatment after one has been infected.Current trials worldwide using both imatinib and dasatinib to treat Covid in intensive care situations to cope with pulmonary inflammation have I believe not come up with any useful results yet.

So I am hopeful that being on  a tki might be offering some protection-the science is not there yet to link the lab studies to murine (mouse) studies and then to humans and how does one trial using a tki as a Covid prophylactic. I also use a nasal spray and a Listerene alcohol based mouthwash which might or not be helpful.

Has anyone else on a tki  experienced mild Covid symptoms?

Regards

John

That’s really interesting John.

My wife had Covid a couple of weeks ago and my daughters and I isolated away from her. I used first defence nasal spray everyday twice a day as their is some evidence that it’s effective at catching viruses in the nasal passage, I also use a mouth wash and read that both have some evidence to suggest it helps against infection.

My daughters and I managed to avoid catching Covid so if nothing isolation 100% works. Luckily the wife only had cold symptoms none of the typical symptoms that you can get a test for ironically.

Merry Xmas to you.

Alex

Wow, Alex, bullet dodged!  Good work on all your family's parts.  What a world we are living in.  Here's to 2021!

Your immune response can be slightly weakened on TKIs esp since you're relatively newly diagnosed.

Most adults have whole family of viruses dormant in their system from Epstein Barr to Cytomegalovirus to a bunch of other things from the herpes family. They all present with flu like symptoms.

Usually your body keeps them in check. It might be that being on TKIs is reducing your abily to keep them in check. In time your body might adapt.