There he was at 4000 feet, not a care in the world, when suddenly..... Biggles performed a desperate falling leaf manoeuvre, and expertly side-slipped his biplane into a tiny clearing in the jungle with scarcely an inch to spare. Vaulting from the cockpit, he headed to the shadows of nearest tree with a haunted look on his handsome face. "Damn Foreign Food", spluttered Biggles indignantly, as he dropped his trousers!
Well, I now have 10 days of experience of taking one 500mg capsule of Hydroxyurea per day, and I thought I would file a quick report from the front lines!
Really I have done quite well over all. I felt some nausea for the first 24 hours, but was never actually sick. My stomach and intestines felt very unsettled for a number of days, and, like Biggles, I would have an urgent "call of nature" once a day to relieve myself of a fairly nasty mess that looked bovine rather than human in origin! I also have had colic or somewhat uncomfortable wind. Now at day 10, I don't feel too bad at all, and my innards are fairly settled at last.
Two days a go I did try a glass of white wine with my evening meal, I also had a further half glass, and rather regretted the top up. By 9.30 ish I started a rather annoying head ache that lasted all night. In anticipation of having a drink with my meal, I did have a glass of water before the meal, and some after drinking the wine, but I really think my tolerance of alcohol seems to have dropped a lot. This might be the ET or Hydroxy, or both? But I will avoid the bottle for the time being!
I opted initially to take the pill after my evening meal, usually between 7 and 8 in the evening, but changed this to taking the pill after lunch. The after lunch seems to suit my digestion better, maybe gravity helps the stuff work through the system! I think this also assists with my other pill taking, as I have to take Allopurinol (I do this at breakfast time), Bezafibrate (for cholesterol) and 100mg Enteric coated aspirin (I take these latter two pills after my evening meal.
Anyway, I know this is early days for me, and I may yet glow in the dark or grow two heads, but I hope this report is actually an encouragement to those of you who are scared of starting your course of Hydroxyurea. It really hasn't been too bad at all, and certainly better than I anticipated.
I will have my first two weekly blood test since starting the medication this coming week, so look forward to seeing if there has been any change to the platelet count.
Ah well, jolly nice day out there today, sun's out, 3 tenths cloud at 3000 feet, and 7 to 10 knots of breeze... I'd better get my flying helmet on and prepare for take off!
I can't drink wine anymore unfortunately, it just makes me ill and I can't blame the medication yet 
I have gradually become less tolerant of alcohol to the point where even a few mouthfuls make me feel terrible the next day and give me a migraine, which is such shame as I always said that as long as I could sit on a deck in the sun and enjoy a glass of wine in my old age that would be enough, I'm only 55 but that dream has faded a little to coffee or tea ha ha 
Yes still sunny though a couple of cold nights remind us that autumn is coming!
Do you also have trouble swearing ? lol 
Laparoscopic Surgery and PV
High platelet count? Anagrelide? Hydroxyurea?
Immunizations galore
Looking for an alternative hematology specialist.
