Droxia vs Hydrea

[ERei]

I've been treated with Hydroxyurea (hydrea) 500mg for PV since December 2021.

Due to stomach issues in March 2023 the HU was decreased to every other day. I did fine on this dosage. My #s stayed pretty much normal & eventually my hemoglobin and hematocrit were actually on the low side of normal so in February the dosage was lowered again to HU every 3rd day. I just had my blood work rechecked & my #s are still on the low side of normal. I saw that hydrea does not come in a lower dose but droxia which appears to be a form of hydroxyurea does so am thinking maybe I should switch to droxia? I've never heard of anyone taking droxia and only read that hydrea is prescribed for PV.

While I'm pleasantly surprised with the way things are going, I am very confused as to what is happening to me. I was diagnosed with PV due to a low EPO, elevated hematocrit/hemoglogin & being Jak2+ . My only treatment has been 4 phlebotomies before I began HU as well as baby aspirin. I was told my BMB looked pretty much normal & am MPN-U. MY Allele burden was very high when initially taken but was pretty low when checked again after being on HU for awhile.

I have an apptmt with my MPN doc on Tuesday & don't even know what to ask other than about lowering my HU dosage again/switching to droxia.

Has anyone every heard about taking droxia for PV?

Any thoughts on any of this?

[hunter5582]

Yes, Droxia is used to treat MPNs when a lower dose is prescribed. There is also Siklos and the recently approved liquid form, Xromi. Note that some of these formulations are more expensive. Than Hydrea or generic hydroxyurea.

[ainslie]

droxia is effectively the same med but comes in lower doses

[Limitpusher]

For the first time my rbc was low and HCT was at 45% after 6 months of no TPs. And since RBC was low Hemoc Dr let me skip a TP even though HCT was at 45%. I am on 500 mg Hydroxurea 2 times per day, was diagnosed with PV j2 mutation in 2017. didn't start taking Hydrea until like 2020 and that's because my WBCs were up to 51,000 which made me high risk. I cannot get my Doc to lower my dosage of Hydroxyrea (sp?) even though all my counts are low, I really need to go get tested, it has been a few months

[ERei in reply to Limitpusher]

Thanks for your response. What is TPs?

[highlake]

I have been taking 600mgs/day of Droxia for PMF for 6 yrs. It has worked to lower my platelets to normal, and has kept my spleen from enlarging. Droxia is marketed for Sickle Cell Anemia; and is basically hydroxyurea. It comes in capsule of 200mgs, 300mgs, and 400mgs. I first was prescribed hydrea 500mgs, alternating days with 1000mgs. I didn't like my reaction to the 1000mg days, and researched to find out about droxia and asked my hematologist for the same daily dose, and he prescribed the daily 600mgs of droxia. I wonder how much various dosages of HU from one day to the next have been studied? Why is generic HU only available in doses of 500mgs?