Hi,
I am on a medication of imatinib for CML. My doctors advise was to avoid any exercises except walking. He even advised against swimming since it could cause infection. But its hard to stay fit with only walking and i am gaining weight. Is there any of you doing any exercise to keep fit?
Regards
Refaye
Hi Refaye,
It may be worth challenging your doctor on this or seeking another opinion.
For the majority of CML patients, exercise is encouraged and most find it helps ease the side effects as well s taking your mind off the disease.If there are other medical issues, your doctor may well have a point but in general reasonable exercise should be fine if its just CML you have.
I was diagnosed in August 2010 and continued doing the same exercise I've always done. Running, squash, swimming , the gym and 5-a-side football are all part of the activities I enjoy from time to time.My consultant is fully aware and just tells me to get on with it!
Hope it all works out for you and keep us posted how you get on.
Cheers
Dave M
Hi Rafaye,
A keen squash player I was diagnosed back in September 2011 and put on Imatinib. I could not play for a few weeks while my spleen reduced in case of impact injury. Once normal I started replaying and play 3 to 4 times a week to a reasonable standard, thus a lot of movement etc. No problem at all with the exercise and doctors are more than happy with this. Hope this helps.
Nigel
Hi Refaye
I eased off exercise for the first few months or so, mainly because I felt I just wanted to let everything settle down while I and my body got used to imatinib.
However, I now exercise regularly and find it helps a lot in avoiding tiredness. As for infection, if the imatinib is working your risk of infection should be no different from any one else.
The only thing I am a little careful about is weights- I take those a bit easy as I do get cramps sometimes.
Good luck - and stay fit!
Richard
Hi Rafaye,
as long as your white counts are in normal range....especially neutrophils.... you should be able to swim without an increased infection risk. Neutorophils deal with bacterial infections etc... so ask about your ANC (absolute neutrophil count) which should be anything between 1. and 8... see snip for normal blood counts which you can find on the FAQ page.
"The overall White Blood Cell (WBC) count is important to monitor as a significant elevation in WBC may indicate infection, lack of response to treatment, or worsening of leukemia. Conversely, some treatments for leukemia suppress the WBC and it is important to make sure the WBC does not dip below a critical range. The normal range for WBC is generally from 4.0 to 11.0 k/ul.
Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell involved in fighting infection. It is important they remain at adequate levels. As
with platelets, neutrophil levels may become depressed in patients on myelosuppressive therapy such as imatinib
mesylate (also called IM , Gleevec or Glivec ). The normal range of the percentage of neutrophils is between 45% and
70%.
More important than the percentage of neutrophils is the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) , which should fall between 1.0
to 8.0 k/ul. The reason the ANC represents the true clinical picture better than the percentage of neutrophils is that, in
cases where blood counts are suppressed by therapy, the percentage of neutrophils will be higher when the overall counts
are low."
As others have said... you really should not stop exercise over the longer term, in fact you should increase it if you feel able to.
Even just walking is to be encouraged if you cannot do much else, but certainly if you are used to exercise then as soon as you have normal counts and you can see that imatinib (IM) is working to control your CML then- act as normal. You should not be any more at risk of infection than the next person. If your blood counts are under control then swim on.
Best wishes,
Sandy
My husband was told not to do anything while spleen was enlarged and white count was bad but since then he is at the gym three times a week and we take the girls swimming every week.
I'm resurrecting this thread after a quick search on "exercise" and based on the following article that a relative recommended to me:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2018/09/17/want-to-live-long...
The author discusses a study that correlates longer life-expectancy and people who practice sports that involve two or more people (more social interaction).
Short-burst activity is another factor mentioned.
I have recently started training Jiujitsu, a form of activity that is coincidentally made of short bursts and has lots of social interaction. Apart from significantly improving my overall health and well-being, this activity gives some social confidence that comes with closely interacting with people. The activity time also allows me to think less of keywords such as TKI, PCR, and so on.
Maybe the right type of exercise, in combination with the appropriate treatment, can trigger different chemical reactions that help us physically and mentally.
Hi Refaye
i exercise, as often as i can, i go to the Gym 3-4 days per week for 1 hr, especially when i feel fatigued or tired, remember that fatigue is not really tiredness or exhaustion, so, yes, go for it, you will feel better, don’t push too hard, but cardio and lifting is what i do, together with legs once per week. it help me cope with this thing that we have;)
i hope it helped, keep is posted.
As long as your white blood cell count is in the normal range or even near normal - you can do whatever you did before CML.
Perhaps you enjoy Bungee cord rappelling off a cliff - or scuba diving (my favorite) is your thing with human-eating sharks swimming near by! All fun.
CML will not be killing you. But that bungee cord thing, that's another story. Scuba diving - nah ....
Go enjoy your life. CML is behind you. Exercise to stay fit and keep your heart healthy.
Scuba, i really appreciate your optimism, and makes me feel better the moment i hear it! Thank you , also, is that part of your approach? Do you think positive thoughts help or you mean something else when you say CML won’t kill you? I can’t not think about it, and those weekly tests are always a surprise, im terrified that Sprycel might not work just like Gleevec did and have to change it again...and I don’t even know if there are any more effective TKI drugs that will work for me...
help.
Gian - it's just data. CML is no longer a terrifying disease it once was due to advances in treatment. Patients who achieve CCyR (> 95%) live normal lives. So most of us will have other health issues (some TKI related) not CML related.
My optimism is about life and enjoying the short time we have to live it. CML is part of it - but no longer a defining part.
I'll tell you something CML has done for me ... I learned more in these last several years about biochemistry of metabolism and my blood system that led me to "correct" my lifestyle. My arteries are in better shape as a indirect response to learning about CML. I have a healthier life because of it. CML could have very well saved my life from early death due to heart attack or stroke.
Now that is ironic.
Hi,
I am on Medication since 2004. I have been taking Gleevic 400mg daily. I also had the same concept, that CML patient should not do heavy exercise. But since last two years, i have by working out five days a week. I hit the gym for weights, go for yoga classes, Body Sculpt and cardio. I have been feeling very good, And so far no any problems. Some times i feel dizzy and i take a break.
Please talk to doctors again and look what they say.
Best wishes,
Shekhar
I understand, and certainly agree that we are all more careful about what we eat, and what we do, i feel better than when i was CML free, and i will continue to thrive for my health, and yes, i am becoming too more knowledgeable about my metabolism and especially the effect of some Vitamins, that one time i thought were useless... i am currently spending way too much time on EMF ( Electro Magnetic Field) and how this waves find their way into your car, kitchen and bed! There is no proves of causing any arm, but it’s known to triggers changes to your DNA and causing the cells to go crazy, i infact purchase a EMf Meter and the results are scary, from Mocrowave to any light , plug or the actual Meter... but, how can you leave a life without it? How can you shield yourself?
I wish someone could reply to this with some personal research or experiences.
Thank you
G
