Reducing symptoms

[CLLyochy]

Hi, I am writing for my wife Yochy.

We are from Israel on W&W for about 3 years.

Yochy is experiencing all kinds of pains which I suspect are caused by swollen glands.

Is there any treatment to reduce gland swell before embarking on chemo?

Thanx for any info you can share,

Daniel

[Jackiemoss]

As a patient, I would say unfortunately there is nothing to reduce swollen lymph nodes but treatment. Ibrutinib is an immunotherapy which is commonly being used for some CLL patients in place of chemotherapy. My experience is that it reduces swollen lymph nodes very quickly. You can ask her doctor about it, and if he is not familiar, it is probably wise to seek out a CLL specialist. Chemo will also reduce the swelling if it's the proper treatment. I can only speak from my experience with regard to treatments, and every patient has different genetic markers so there is not a single approach for all. We have several specialists in the U.S., and I would assume there would be in Israel as well. If you go to Patientpower.info/cll, there are some helpful videos about the latest treatments and perhaps you could contact one of the specialists for a referral in Israel. Staying informed is really important since there are so many new developments in treating the disease. Wishing you the best!

[jettyguy]

Hi Daniel. There are many things you can do to TRY to reduce both the pain and the size of your CLL nodes. A noted CLLpatient's advocate,Dr.Brian Koffman (founder of the CLL Society) suggests on his blog, to use a castor oil pack with heat to reduce size and pain. From my own personal experience I'd say it truly relieves pain and also sometimes reduces bulk. I also recommend doing a very gentle lymph rub with a hot moist cotton rag,to relieve pain. Most importantly,have your wife jog in place or use a rebounder for 15 minutes daily,this will move the lymph! Good luck.