Do you know if imbruvica affects the reaction in the mosquito bites?

[Cgr2018]

My brother is taking imbruvica for 15 months, and somes mosquitos bites his hand, and creates a great reaction, what its happen? Its normal? He dont have fever or another issue. Thanks!

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

Cgr2018, because our systems are immune compromised, there is, even without being in treatment, a stronger reaction to insect bites.

There are a lot of related posts about mosquito bites in the- Related Posts column beside your post if on desktop, if on another device scroll way down to find the column.

Do ask your brother's Dr. about any of the bites that concern you--if there is a lot of redness that spreads, swells, and feels hot to touch.

Also, use a protection to avoid the bites as much as possible.

[Cgr2018 in reply to cllady01]

Thank u so much for your help!

[TimHB]

I have not had a single mosquito bite or any other kind of insect bite since starting ibrutinib 18 months ago. And I spend the summers by a mosquito-infested lake in New England where everyone around me is getting eaten alive. I'm beginning to think ibrutinib is a great bug repellant!

[Cgr2018 in reply to TimHB]

Thank you! sometimes it could be, but the mosquito tiger (very small ones) bites his the last weekend, I think also because the humedity that creates the rain in Spain those days, and a lot of them are in the ambient. I just wonder if its any relation between the insectcs bites and the cll...Thanks!

[Hidden in reply to Cgr2018]

Do you live in Spain? I live in Spain overlooking a golf course lake where they are many misquitoes. In England I got many mosquito bites, but anly one or two in the 13 years I've lived in Spain. I 've been taking Imbruvica for nearly four months. No bites yet.

[fapumpkin in reply to TimHB]

I actually think that I have been bitten much more in the 3 years I have been on Ibrutinib!

[BeckyLUSA in reply to TimHB]

I am with you. Have not had a mosquito bite since I have been on Ibrutinib, but did not know if it was the Ibrutinib or the Venetoclax since I am on both, but whatever the reason, it has been great!

BeckyL USA

[Dahlia7 in reply to BeckyLUSA]

I’m on both drugs and spend hours a day in my Dahlias. I get bitten regularly and they itch for days and days. You are fortunate.

[wilhoitaz in reply to TimHB]

Same here one bite all summer--seems as though they know about inferior blood

[Root65]

Hi there, this is an interesting subject. I am about to start treatment, I have always reacted badly, but the last 2 years I have had severe reactions to mosquito bites, including massive blisters and necrosis. Doctors are usually baffled or disinterested, but there has been some research done on it, like the link below. There are at least three other studies and one suggested extreme reactions should be used as a red flag to investigate blood disorders.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

Let's hope continued treatment improve things, but I suspect it is part of our genetic makeup. Best wishes to your brother 😊

[gardening-girl in reply to Root65]

Good morning Root65, for years before starting ibrutinib I also reacted to mosquito bites with massive swelling, blisters and necrosis. I never ventured outside without total body protection & DEET. Since being on ibrutinib my reaction to bites is very much subdued, so much so that I can now be outside in shorts without DEET. I occasionally get bites, and they itch, but never cause swelling or blisters. I hope that you experience the same result as you begin treatment and that you gain a very long an trouble-free remission.

gardening-girl

[Root65 in reply to gardening-girl]

I very much hope I will have that experience, but at present I'm on tender hooks as I have not been through the randomisation for the Flair trial, I might get the chemo arm of the trial. Will find out on Monday, fingers crossed 🤞

[thompsonellen]

I have severe reactions. Swelling, then oozing for a couple of days, then scabbing. I am in various stages of maybe a dozen bites. It takes 2 months to completely heal. Of course itchy throughout. And if I scratch too hard, I end up cutting myself (I think ibrutinib has thinned my skin - does anyone else find that?) I now wear bug spray on exposed skin other than my face.

[jaysearch in reply to thompsonellen]

Hi: I have been on Ibrutinib for 2 1/2 years. I had no abnormal issues with mosquitos until I

got to my 2nd year. That's when my white cell count fell below 20,000 for the fist time. Since then I have had to put on "body armor" to stop the bites. The swelling and itching was terrible. Drs were concerned, but eventually (with treatment) my hands and arms began to look (and feel) normal. This last year was more tolerable. As to thin skin - my entire body bleeds more since the skin is much thinner than before. Most times a scratch becomes bloody and eventually scabs over (at least this is when the itching goes away).

I wear thicker clothes, and a hat to minimize being a target. I can't stand using bug sprays.

Hope you feel better now that mosquito "season" is nearly over.

[Hoffy]

I got less of a reaction with on Imbruvica,

Be well,

Hoffy

[Sam-1]

I have been on imbruvica for about 2 years . My concern is that cll is B cell lymphocytes cancer, that weaken the immune system. My concern is that imbruvica interferes with T cell lymphocytes which important part of the immune systems. I noticed having recurring acute sinusitis in spite of having ivig . The calquenc ( acalabrutinib) according to some literatures , does not interfere with T lymphocytes functions . So why not switch to the latter. The problem fda is too slow to approve new drugs for cancer that been successfully used in Europe.b