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Best time to take 20 mg Srycel?

I'm switching from 150 mg/day Tasigna to 20 mg/day Sprycel and would appreciate any general input but more specifically any recommendations on the best time of the day to take the medication.  I have been taking Tasigna at 0800 every day.

Also, how many days should I wait after I stop taking Tasigna to begin the Sprycel?

Thanks

Hi, I take mine at night when I go to bed or around the same time ish if I am having a late night .Hopefully then you will sleep thru any side effects .For the first few mornings you might wake up with a headache but I found by the time I had a milky coffee and some breakfast it was gone .Being on only 20 mg hopefully you will feel fine .When I changed from Imatinib to Dasatinib I didn't wait just changed the next day .Hope that helps .Good Luck, Denise.

I suspect that the time of day should be consistent but is otherwise of no great concern provided that you do not take anti acid medication such as lansoprazole.

In my case I take my lansoprazole at 8 AM and I take the Sprycel at 1 PM giving a good time separation between the two drugs.

Your daily dosage is tiny compared with mine.

 

Your doctor can tell you if they want you to wait a while to start dasatinib, after stopping nilotinib. The half-life of nilotinib is about 17 hours which means that in about 3-4 days there would only be a tiny amount left in your system. 

David.

Hi Cmljax,
 

Just for my curiosity what is the reason you want to switch ??  I am also on Tasigna and due to fasting period I often think I should also discuss with my physician for possible switch to Dasatinib .

 

regards
Naj 

I am switching because after almost 4.5 years on Tasigna, 3.5 years of which have been on the current low dose, I still have a number of side effects including ectopic heart beats (these resolved when I tried TFR this past summer so I know it's the Tasigna), mild dry mouth, and more recently the progression of peripheral neuropathy from stage 1 to stage 2.  Stage 1 started about 1.5 years into treatment with Tasigna. Since I have none of the other causes of peripheral neuropathy, I'm pretty sure it's the Tasigna that's causing it.

If my side effects are worse on Sprycel and/or if I lose response, I will switch back to Tasigna.  

I would never consider switching just because of the fasting protocol.  I have been able to manage around that fairly easily. Nevertheless, you should discuss that with your doc.

Cmljax,

Thank you for your reply .I hope your side effects will be much better with Sprycel.

 

regards
Naj

I second taking it a bedtime.  I take it between 8 and 9.  I've got about an hour before I start feeling the side effects increase I get after taking it.  By morning all is generally settled.