Gleevec overshoot?

JL · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

I am a recent CML patient. Diagnosis was early chronic in late Jul 05.

I spent one month on Hydrea before starting 400mg Gleevec. The Hydrea returned the WBC from 360,000 to normal in two weeks, and other counts normalized within four.

My last count under Gleevec has my platelets and WBC's a little lower than normal. Whites are 3500 and I understand should be 4300 - 10800.

Given how Gleevec operates, I wonder how it could be "too" effective, knocking these counts below normal. But if it only inhibits the mechanism responsible for overproduction and if it leaves good chromosomes intact, how could this be? My limited understanding says this might happen if the "good" genes were operating at an "underpopulated", less than optimum capacity due to "crowding" by the bad ones.

Does anyone else have any experience with Gleevec bounces like this? I have another count in one week and want to be prepared to talk with the physicians.

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