Vulnerability to Covid and other viruses

[Peachjoy]

How much risk to catching viruses etc does being on Hydroxycarbamide cause? How does it impact on daily living?

Thank you

[hunter5582]

That would on your individual reaction to HU. HU can depress your immune system, reducing your body's ability to make white blood cells. This is why you cannot take live vaccines when on HU. It does not always do this, but it is an intrinsic risk of using HU.

[Peachjoy in reply to hunter5582]

Thank you. I have already discovered that I would not be able to have the shingles vaccine.Would the same apply to the flu vaccine?

How would it impact on the Covid vaccines?

[hunter5582 in reply to Peachjoy]

It is only live vaccines that you can't have. COVID and most flu vaccine are not live. I believe some of the nasal spray flu vaccines are live. Those should be avoided.

[Peachjoy in reply to hunter5582]

Thank you for the glimmer of some good news.

[Hydrox in reply to Peachjoy]

You can have the non live shingles vaccine Shingrix. It is given in two separate doses, I am having my second dose next week at my local surgery.

[Peachjoy in reply to Hydrox]

Thank you

[katiewalsh in reply to Peachjoy]

I’m pretty sure Shingrix, the new vaccine for shingles, is NOT a live vaccine, nor is the flu. But check with your doctor.

[Peachjoy in reply to katiewalsh]

Good news

[katiewalsh in reply to Peachjoy]

Be sure to get Shringrix. Two friends got shingles, 1 just 6 months ago, and ended up with long lasting pain from post hepatic neuralgia.

[Peachjoy in reply to katiewalsh]

Thank you. Yes, I know of people who have experienced this misery. To be avoided if at all possible.

[UKZA]

Hi there, it seems to be a numbers game with your neutrophils. Mine dropped to 0.8 and they then decreased my hydroxycarbomide to balance my platelets and neutrophils. Platelets are around 600 and neutrophils 1.2, not ideal but due to me working full time through a pandemic, has been the best option. A healthy lifestyle also helps with immunity (in my opinion) I have recently had covid and was not affected too badly, but 2 weeks later am still struggling with the after effects. It does seem that it is taking me longer to recover from illness, but saying this, I also haven’t had illness for some time. Take care and be kind to yourself. P

[Peachjoy in reply to UKZA]

Thank you. I’ve had a respiratory virus for 10 days (not Covid) which is really lingering.

[Plavers]

Hi Peachjoy, I’ve been on Hydroxy for about 10 months and I’ve had very few side effects. Some itching around the feet and arms. I’ve recently had an anti-body test which has indicated that I have them in a good amount. Some of that is the left over from having Covid (on Christmas Day!) however some are definitely NOT from it. So don’t be too worried as it all depends on your own reaction. Good luck

[Peachjoy in reply to Plavers]

Thank you. Hope you are fully better from Covid now

[EPguy]

In the covid vax studies, MPNs generally have good response. The MPN drug most likely to cause a weak response is Rux (Jakafi) While it's not necessarily so simple, you can check your Lymph and Neut numbers on your blood tests. HU can depress these, so too low numbers is a possible, but not certain, signal of weak vax response. In most cases the 3rd/booster shot gets the response to a good place, there is a post on the Voice with one member showing exactly that.

Agree on the Shingrix discussion here, I had both doses last year while on HU.

[Peachjoy in reply to EPguy]

Thank you for the information about checking lymph and neut numbers.