Ibrutinib and Swimming

[Davidcara]

Will be asking my MD, but wondering if anyone has experience with this. Just started ibrutinib, is it safe to swim in my backyard pool?

[AussieNeil Administrator]

It will depend of your degree of immune compromise, in particular your neutrophil and lymphocyte counts and pool cleanliness. At least you can be confident about your pool maintenance!

Neil

[Davidcara in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil, will need to see how my labs come back

[HopeME]

A general word of caution about pools, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean. It is possible for the immune compromised to pickup infections in these environments. I do not know which setting is the most dangerous or how much incremental risk is incurred but I have decided to avoid all of them. As Neil notes, risk depends upon how damaged one’s immune system is and how clean the water is in which you are swimming. The problem is it is not possible to easily determine the answer to these questions since changes to pool and blood chemistry can occur quickly and without warning. As far as Ibrutinib I don’t know if this drug makes risk higher or lower. I’d guess higher simply because it is a treatment to address the progressive nature of CLL which by definition weakens one’s immune system. I’d also guess that pools are the safest environment to swim in if they are well chlorinated but again this is simply a guess. You are wise to discuss this issue with a medical professional. Please let us know what you find out.

Best,

Mark

[zaax in reply to HopeME]

Once your neutrophils are back to normal (2.5 - 7.5) , the more exercise the better, you will be surprised how 'off' you where. After only a 2 mile cycle ride I was pooped. But now I go for 30+ mile rides and sometimes I go for another in the afternoon.

[narl]

I have been on Ibrutinib over a year, and I swam in my pool all last year, I have had cLL 16 years this is my first time to be treated, and I swim in the lakes every year also, have never had any trouble. I don't know why you would have any trouble swimming anywhere. They only thing I have ever been told not to get is a cat, and that was by my dermatologist, who treats me for skin cancer as my CLL gives me that sometimes, (I know, but I love the sun and water and live in it) I was supposed to get a kitten from a shelter but had to wait a month as it was too small, and he said cats carry all kinds of diseases, and not just no you can't have a cat, but NO!

[HopeME in reply to narl]

A general article about swimming and diseases. It’s hard to quantify risk but there is certainly some incremental risk. In the third paragraph they talk about immune compromised individuals and their higher risk.

time.com/5631608/swimming-i...