Hello dear friends
I am reminding you that my son is on hydroxyurea since February 2009. He is doing fine though it is not reflected so much on the total hb, but I am sure that we are benefiting from other things that the drug offers. Generally the maximum his hb was 7.8 and the minimum was 6.8. His own hb without the drug ranges from 6 to 6.5
http://www.thalassemiapatientsandfriends.com/index.php/topic,3352.0.htmllHere is an update
Last February, I did the annual check ups. Echo, abdominal and pelvic ultrasound and they are normal. Kidney and liver function are normal too, as for the CBC it was one of the good one as the hb was 7.8
The new thing that I introduced was that I gave him the resveratrol that was studied by Professor Gambari of Italy ( called transmax resveratrol from biotivia which is really so expensive compared to the other brands and I wish to know why !!!!!!!!)
On February 15th the results were as followsHb…………………...7.8
Haematocrit……. 23.8%
Red cell count…….3.53
MCV…………………67.3
Leucocytic count…5,500
Platlets ……………279,000
Retic count………..3.2%
Bilirubin……………1.9This encourged the hematologist and I to test the resveratrol (that was studied by the professor) alone to see if it will maintain this hb or not. So I took away the hydroxurea for 20 days and the results were as
follows on 5th of March:Hb…………………...6.95
Haematocrit……. 26.6%
Red cell count…….4.47
MCV…………………59.5
Leucocytic count…7,700
Platlets ……………250,000
Retic count………..6.5%
Bilirubin……………3So we decided to resume again with the hydroxurea with the same dose (17mg/kg) in addition with the resveratrol and other supplements.
On April 28th, his CBC was a s follows:
Hb…………………...6.95
Haematocrit……. 19.1%
Red cell count…….3.17
MCV…………………60.2
Leucocytic count…5,800
Platlets ……………80,000
Retic count………..5.5%
Bilirubin……………2.4As you can see the platlets decreased to a big extent and the hematologist wasnted to stop the hydrea because the platlets are very low.
The reason for this was either the hydrea is severly suppressing the bone marrow that the production of platles was affected or the ither reason is the spleen is ‘’eating’’ the platlets (not differniating it with the RBC). His spleen was 7cm enlarged
I was afraid to completely stop the hydrea lest the spleen will increase more and more so I agreed with the hema to reduce the dose to 11mg/kg and do another CBC after 15 days to see if the platlets will be corrected or not. The 15 days will end on May 16th.
So please pray for me cause I don’t know the options if they are not corrected
I have been monitering the fetal HB through the years and here is what I foundDiagnoised in 2006........HB F 11%
In January 2007 and for 80 days,Started resveratrol alone.......HB F 13.8%
May 2007 until November 2007, started hydrea on a dose that ranged from 15mg/kg to 20mg/kg.....HB F 26%
February 2009 till today, resumed hyhrea again on a dose that ranged from 15mg/kg to 18mg/kg....HB F 27%
In the beginning of 2011, I added to the hydrea the transmax resveratrol for 120 days........ HB F 30%
April 28th, 2011, same as above..........................HB F 25%
The last result of HB F being decreased makes me think that the hydrea is strongly suppressing the bone marrow and that caused the platlets to decrease.
What do you think
Happy to receive your feedback and hope my expierence will be of any benefit to any of you
manal