I picked this up from the US Leukemia and Lymphoma Society forum and thought it may be some use here.
John
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There are a lot of side affects that come with taking Gleevec. The majority of them seem to go away after a couple of months. It seems I have had most side affects that come with Gleevec. Here is some information that I found and has been very helpful to me in fighting the different side affects that come up.
Bone Pain
+ Ibuprofen or other pain relievers
+ Exercise
+ Stretching
Jaw Pain
+ Ibuprofen, Motrin and other pain
relievers.
Facial Swelling
+ Keep your head elevated when you sleep,
perhaps by using extra pillows or
sleeping slightly propped up.
Swelling around your eyes
+ Sleep on extra pillows to keep your head
elevated
+ Do not sleep on your stomach or side
+ Preparation H around the eyes (do not get
in your eyes!)
+ Tea bags
Muscle Cramps (Or Spasms)
+ Slow, regular stretching
+ Over-the-counter pain relievers
+ Application of cold compresses
+ Application of heat compresses
+ Massage
+ Clench and unclench your hand
+ Curl your toes inward or try to point
them upward, alternating
+ For cramping in your calves, try to get
up and walk around
+ Increase intake of potassium
+ Tonic water containing quinine (or a prescription for quinine)
Joint Pain
+ Over-the-counter pain relievers
+ Glucosamine
+ If severe, check with your doctor about
prescription medication, such as Celebrex
+ Exercise moderately
+ Consider visiting a physical therapist
Nausea & Vomiting
+ Anti-emetics, such as Compazine or Zofran
(which is more expensive than Compazine).
Carry spares around wherever you go.
+ Remain upright (sitting or standing) for
an hour or two after taking the
medications
Rash
+ Creams and lotions, such as
Desoximetasone 0.25%
+ Aveeno products get rave reviews
+ Prescription allergy medications
+ Benadryl cream
+ A soothing gel called Solarcaine
Diarrhea
+ Imodium. This product can also help
relieve cramps and gas (which Pepto does
not seem to do), and it can be taken long
term
+ Avoid very fatty or spicy foods
+ Keep a food diary to see which foods
might be causing a problem
+ Drink plenty of fluids
Eye Bleeds
+ Notify your doctor
+ Wait it out
+ Consider wearing sunglasses
Hair Loss
+ Use Nioxin shampoo, which is meant to
help chemo patients and others with
thinning hair
Fatigue
+ Check your blood levels (hemoglobin,
hematocrit) to see if you are anemic. If
so, Epogen or Procrit might be right for
you
+ Exercise. It really can help give you
more energy
+ Don't try to do everything you did before
your diagnosis
+ Give in to the fatigue on occasion and
take a nap or sleep in or just lounge on
the couch
+ Ask others — family, friends, neighbors —
if they can pitch in to help you around
the house, with shopping, watching the
kids, or walking the dog, etc.
Weight Gain
+ Keep a food journal to make sure you
aren't eating more than you thought
+ Exercise
+ Accept yourself at a higher weight
Fluid Retention (Edema, Bloating, Water Retention)
+ Drink lots of non-caffeinated fluids
+ Add potassium-rich foods to your diet,
such as bananas, apricots, avocados,
broccoli, nuts, orange juice, etc.
+ Eat more fiber
+ Lasix or prescription diuretic. Take
these with caution, as they can leech
potassium and that, in turn, can
exacerbate the problem or muscle cramps,
in addition to other potentially severe
side effects.
+ Prop your feet up
+ Do not stand for long periods
