Clashing persciptions

[presto21]

hi

Have just been diagnosed with an MPN, Blood Cancer, prescribed hydroxycarbamide.

I have had Hashimoto's for several years, take 100mg of levothyroxine per day.

The problem, I take the levo before breakfast, have been advised to take the hydroxycarbamide after breakfast. which would you move?

terry

[humanbean]

What is an MPN?

[presto21 in reply to humanbean]

Sorry if not clear, its a Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN,s).

The one I have been diagnosed with is, Essential thrombocythaemia (ET)

In essential thrombocythaemia (ET) too many platelets are made in your bone marrow. This is the type of blood cell involved in blood clotting.

[MaisieGray]

If it is beneficial or necessary to take the hydroxycarbamide at a certain time, for me it would be a no brainer to move the Levo. I did exactly that 11 years ago after having taken it during the daytime for 30 yrs, and have taken it at night ever since to avoid clashing with my other meds. Plus there has been some research that showed some people benefit from taking it at night. On the Cancer Research UK site it puts the instruction in a red box: "You must take capsules according to the instructions your doctor or pharmacist gives you. You should take the right dose, not more or less" so I take from that, that if the instructions given to you are correct, it is important to follow them. However, I've looked at the PIL for one particular brand of the drug, and it says "You can take this medicine at any time of the day, before or after meals. The capsules should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. However if you find it difficult to swallow them, the contents of the capsule can be emptied into a glass of water and taken immediately. If some of the powder floats on the surface of the water, DO NOT WORRY this is just filler from the capsule. DO NOT inhale the contents of the capsules and if you spill any on the skin wipe it immediately" so it may be, that the brand you have been given is the same, or it may differ, in the instructions given; and you would need to check the PIL that comes with yours to see what are the manufacturer's instructions and if the Dr's clash with theirs. Often, Drs stick with old advice about taking meds when science has shown it to be unecessary (Levo is a good example of that) or worse, paternalistically assume that patients can't manage/remember to take tablets outside the normal before or after breakfast routine, or simply don't think about the patient having other med-taking requirements. So it may be easier to just move Levo to say, bedtime dosing, and you may even benefit from it; or you can read the PIL instructions and if in fact, they differ from those of the Dr, like the example I've given you, and you'd rather not move your Levo, then you would need to discuss dosing alternatives with him.

[presto21 in reply to MaisieGray]

Thanks for the enlighting reply