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Short break in Glivec

I’ve just had some three weeks in hospitals and fairly major surgery (nothing to do with CML). My PCR test results have been running at 0.002% to 0.008% for about a year.

Before going in, I asked whether I could pause taking Glivec for a few days to minimise side effects and was told that should be OK for up to a week.

I stopped for one period of 5 days, restarted for two days and stopped again for two days. This was partly due to being out of it, partly due to not eating/throwing everything up and partly due to having to be opened up a second time.

Today, another Onc looked slightly askance at this, but thought it should be OK just this once.

Has anyone any experience of a gap like this?

John

Dear John, I am sorry to hear you have had to have surgery and hope all is now OK.
regarding your very short break from Glivec: I am sure your levels would not have been affected too much by such a short time (7 days in all) and given that you are pretty low down on the molecular scale I really think you will be OK.

Try not to worry. When you think about people who take gaps (planned ones) eg. during pregnancy... and still maintain or regain their cytogenetic responses then it should help to put your very small break into perspective.

best wishes,
Sandy

susan dickerson
Hi John I have had a short break in gleevic earlier this year when I went into hospital. I had an op which meant could not stomach the gleevic after starving pre op day before and then could not take it the day after due to anaesthetic (forgive spelling) then several days after I was on strong pain killers which made me very sick so could not take the gleevic as well and I needed the pain killers due to being in pain after the op. I have also had one or two breaks from the gleevic when having a stomach bug, not being able to keep anything down is bad enough let alone the gleevic so I have to wait until my stomach settles then start it again. I have had no problems with my counts etc Sue D

Hi John,

Your doctor is being extra cautious. At the level of remission that you are at now you could take a months break without any ill effects.

It takes one week before the Gleevec is cleared from your system. I'm surprised that your doc didn't take you off Gleevec a week prior to the surgery.

Zavie

Zavie Miller (age 71)
Ottawa, Canada
dxd AUG/99
Gleevec since MAR/27/01 (400 mg)
CCR SEP/01. #102 in Zero Club
3.8 log reduction Sep/09
e-mail: zmiller@sympatico.ca
Skype: Zavie Miller

Thanks, Sandy, Sue, Zavie, for those comments. I feel reassured. I am due another PCR test result shortly, and I guess that should confirm it.
Sue, I understand just how you felt - I am still on pain killers, but improving slowly.

Thanks,

John