Precautions while on Hydrea

[George1976]

Anyone heard that our bodily fluids could be carcinogenic to others while on hydroxurea? If so what precautions are you taking?

I’m on Hydroxurea for last year and a half for CALR ET. Was on Pegasys for four years prior until it seemed to have either caused or greatly aggravated an intense neuropathy that has left me with weakness in my feet.

Thanks

[hunter5582]

Sorry to hear about the peripheral neuropathy, Notably, his is a risk associated with HU too.

You are correct that caution needs to be taken with bodily fluids when you are taking HU. This has been a topic on the MPN Voice Forum before. Here is one reference.

ethrombo.blogspot.com/2017/...

Note that the issue is not just in regards to the fact that HU is a carcinogen. It is also teratogenic and mutagenic. Here are the handling instructions.

oralchemoedsheets.com/sheet...

hope you find Hu more suitable.

[Solyesh]

Hunter provides very good references. My MPN specialist was very clear that while on HU condoms were necessary for all intercourse; and suggested I flush toilet (with lid down) twice after using the bathroom. He was somewhat more sanguine about sweat.

[Janis12]

I know my cat changed his behaviour towards me when I commenced taking HU. He used to enjoy giving me a bit of a preen but after a little while on the drug he visibly backed off when he approached even to the point of squinting his eyes. We cannot touch the tablet, but we can swallow it......really!!! The whole thing scares me to death.

[George1976 in reply to Janis12]

Interesting about your cat. There is great health care potential to use that kind of capability.

[Janis12 in reply to George1976]

I remember seeing something on the news about dogs being trained to 'sniff out' certain types of cancer. I think this came out of patients who had developed breast cancer who previously had noticed their dogs paying particular attention to the area where the breast cancer was identified. I am not sure how much further this progressed, but it would be interesting to get called to hospital for further investigation to find a sniffer dog in the room instead of a scanner !!