HYDREA Reviews (HYDROXYUREA)Average Rating: 3.6 (121 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare HYDREA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Age oldest to youngest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on HYDREA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR HYDREA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | Polycythemia Vera | High fever (103)for a week, extreme swelling all over my body, discoloration in fingernails and toenails, diarrea and constipation,nausea, lack of appetite,dizziness, drowsiness | F | 68 | 3 weeks 500 mg bid | 1/23/2016 | 5 | Blood Disease - Myleoperliferative | I am on so much medication due to other conditions such as Atrial Fibration and Diabetes, I am not sure if I have any side effects. I had four infarcations to my spline prior to being diagnosed with this blood disease in September 2000. Since taking this medicine, my red blood cell counts have been normal and no more infarctions. No one will admit if my Atrial Fib is due to my disease but everything seem to happen in September of 2000. Looking back on my medical records show that I had an elevated red blood cell count since 1997. At first I lost weight but once my heart medication was changed in May of 2003, I started to gain weight. I am more that satisfied with Hydrea as comparied to the alternatives that would certainly have been dying from the infarctions. My Oncologist feels that I am a success story and I see him every 6 months. | This drug is very inexpensive and readily available from Pharmacies. | F | 67 | 7 years | 2/5/2007 | 4 | Essential thrombocytosis | Fatigue is the biggest problem. Sometimes I just come home from work and go to sleep. Most weekends I spend at least one day in bed, working on my laptop. Some weekends it is both days. In the last 6 months I have noticed occasional shooting, sharp nerve pains in my hands. Not sure if that is from the drug or something else. I do have arthritis. When I started on the drug my dose was 4- 500 mg pills a day. Platelet count was around 900. I had hair thinning issues at that dose. Thank goodness I have very thick hair. I was seeing the doctor at least once a week then, sometimes twice. Now I am on 2- 500 mg pills a day with a platelet count that varies between 350 and 500. The doctor just increased the time between visits to 3 months. Also had diarrhea, but found out it was from a giardia intestinal parasite infection. I eat out a lot and probably picked it up at a restaurant. Funny thing is, when that was cured my platelet count went down. I wonder if the giardia caused in | Worried about long term effects. | F | 67 | 3 years 1000 1X day | 9/9/2013 | 4 | VP | Just a little tired at times. | The first week I took it my platelets dropped from 657 to 485 and then the next week down to 365 but my hemo dropped a little too low they said. I am now taking it every other day now which I am happy about and will see if my numbers stay down. I take 500 mg. I too am worried about long term usage. i cant believe they cant find a cure for this awful disease. | F | 67 | 2 weeks 500mg 1X day | 9/24/2016 | 3 | Polycoythmia rubra vera | Itching,fatigue, night sweats,contipation and sometime diarrhea... | 67 | 30 days 500mg | 10/7/2018 | 3 | Essential Thrombocythemia | I take my hydroxyurea with 4 crackers and a glass of milk at night. I tried taking it in the morning, but the side effects were much worse, including falling down to my knees. Side effects: cold sores, pits at sides of mouth if high dose. Dizziness with nausia intermittently throughout the day, fatigue about 1 time per week, down most of the day. I have not experienced hair loss, my heart, lungs, spleen and liver are fine, so far. I do experience reddening of my face, which comes and goes. I experience discomfort and pain in my lower back and around my ribcage, at times. I have cold sores sometimes, and use neosporin to get them to leave, if they are outside my mouth, benzodent if inside. Sometimes I suddenly have itching on my skin, then I use benedryl cream for that. I experience dry mouth a lot, and use mouth moisteners, like cough drops without menthal. I also use butterscotch candies. | I am taking one Prilosec each morning and night with my meals, also taking L-Lysine to prevent or lessen cold sores. I also take echinacea to help my immune system. I am on a good natural multi-vitamin, as well as Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Vitamin D3 with Calcium. I also eat yogurt two to three times each day. I also drink 1 12oz bottle of Gatorade G2 each day, to help with electrolytes. I have platelet counts that do not stay in the normal zone, but roller coaster all the time. My platelet count could be 350,000 sometimes, or it could be higher, close to 1 million platelets at times. I have to take a dose that will hopefully keep me alive and allow me to have an immune system. | F | 67 | 4 years 1000 1X day | 11/30/2012 | 4 | Policythemia Vera | Maybe slight fatigue, itchy legs. | Now 7 years into this illness, I take a total of 5grams a week which keeps my levels within parameters, except Hematies which, at 6.380.000/ul, is slightly above max. Just had a phlebotomy, usually have one every 6 months. This year no itchy legs, Doc says it's because I've been sunbathing every day, something I never used to do. Never had the side effects other users have, maybe I'm just fortunate. | M | 66 | 7 years 500mg 1X day | 10/20/2012 | 4 | Essential Thrombocythemia | In the beginning I had exhaustion, dizziness, weakness, nausea, lack of appetite, for a few months ..Long term, skin atrophy, hair thinning, occasional mouth sores, gums receding, lack of the strength I used to have. Weaker immune system. | My doctor said people can do well for 10 years, 6 years ago when I began... I notice my overall health and energy is less than it used to be. I take 500mg one day and 1000mg the next. I told the Doc I feel like I am taking poison..he said, "yes it is poison for your platelets." (Unfortunately hydrea doesn't travel only to your platelets, it is in your bloodstream)....It was keeping my platelets at a reasonable number, but they have been climbing up over the past 6 months, which means I will need to take a larger dose in the near future.. It is apparent to me, that I am becoming more immune to the current dosage...the alternatives are worse than hydrea...One person in 100,000 get this disease, so there is not much much research being done. In the last year I was put on Pravastatin, and Plavix. (I am allergic to aspirin.) I am thin and don't eat meat, and my diet is fairly healthy. I walk 5 times a week, but have trouble with weight bearing exercise. So we take it a day at a time. It is better than having a stroke or a heart attack from ET. | F | 66 | 6.5 years 500 mg 1X day | 12/18/2012 | 4 | ET | Tired,loss of energy in afternoon. Lower leg pain. Had to stop for 3 months got ulcers on my ankle bones, very painfull. Loss of hair , dizzy spells. Short term memory affected and foggy brain. | Tried Anagrelide got huge headaches. Was offered Interferon but my brother was extremely sick from it so I refused. | M | 66 | 12 years 500/1000 | 10/14/2019 | 3 | polycythemia vera JAK mutation | steadily have gained weight up to 12 pounds in 7 months. Mouth feels like i burned it, fatigued mostly in the afternoon, confusion and foggy like. | My blood count and platelets have been pretty close to the 45% or right at the top of the "norm" . Have not had to have visit the lab to have blood taken since September 2015. This weight gain really bothers me and i cannot think of any other reason to be gaining weight. | F | 66 | 7 months 500MG 2X day | 2/7/2016 | 5 | ET | very tired, feeling of not being well-sometimes you feel like you have a virus, not alert, constipation, sometimes food you really love doesn't taste good or it tastes like fish ,nauseous if you get too tired-then you HAVE to go nap or go right to bed very early | I have taken as much as 6 pills a day and as little as 2 pills a week. | F | 65 | 16 years 500 mg. 1X day | 1/10/2014 | 4 | I have a Polycythemia Vera | Not much, but I am concern that I am taking this medicine for a 10 years. Should I change it? Is it posiible to receive a secondary cancer if you take hydrea for a long time? Thank you. Ilia Gulkarov | M | 65 | 10 days | 2/12/2005 | 5 | ET | Hair thinning, mouth ulcers, toe nails brittle, sores that open on heel. Most things tolerable | Platelet count under control for over 6 years now. | F | 64 | 10 years 31 mg a we | 5/27/2015 | 3 | JAK 2, ET | When on 1000/day, gained 12 lbs. fluid, renal doc doubled diuretics; thrush, hoarseness, nausea, cuticles sloughing skin, nails tearing easily, nails turning black, terrible leg cramps, diarrhea at times, possibly slight hair loss | Looking for nutritional alternatives. Drinking tonic water, as quinine can lower platelets, also cranberry juice & Jui tea, Mefiterrranean diet can lower platelets. Some side effects improved when dose is lower | F | 64 | 4 months 500 mg/day | 8/26/2015 | 4 | Essential Thrombocythemia | Very tired at times, nauseous, forgetful, depressed. | I started eating marijuana for the nausea and depression, it works, and after a year my blood pressure and cholesterol are back to normal so I am off two other medications. | M | 63 | 7 years 500 MG 1X day | 12/26/2015 | 3 | thrombocythemia turning toward myel | Very fatigue as said above.no energy.use to workout.can not do that.dry eyes..achy joints.the only thing that it has helped so far are the night sweats | F | 63 | 1 months 4x a day 5 | 2/4/2016 | 4 | ET | Diagnosed in 2006 ,ended in hospital with acute spleen pain. Diagnosed sigh ET put on Hydrea and baby Aspirin. Side effects are headaches excessive sweating, mouth ulcers,tired ,in December 2015 developed huge ulcer on ankle bone, which is still here as of April 2016. Decided to stop Hydrea until this clears up. These ulcers are very very painful. It is starting to go away. This is the by product of long term use of Hydrea. This disease ruined my retirement. But how can you look on the bright side when house feel like shit everyday. | M | 62 | 10 years 1500 MG | 4/18/2016 | 4 | Essential thromoocythemia | I started getting body pain a year into taking this medication. Now it is all over and horrible. Ruining my life, really don't feel like I have a life. Went to see my dr couple of weeks ago and she stated to me that I am at risk for leukemia since I have been on it so long. (14 years) but I can't stop taking it. I hate this medicine and don't understand why they can't figure something else out and why we all suffer with this. Frustrated | F | 62 | 10 years 500 mg | 6/23/2015 | 4 | Thrombocytosis | I was freaked out when I found out I had thrombocytosis, but taking this drug so long concerns me now too. Maybe I should just freak out and get it over with! Not sure if it's my age, lol, but my mind is sure fuzzy! I teach fitness and yoga and have for 25 years, but some days my energy level is low. I'm still working and sometimes I just want to sit down and rest instead of pushing myself to keep going. I try not to worry but probably do more than I should. I meditate and do yoga and try to be grateful for everything wonderful in my life because there sure is a lot! | I wish someone would come up with something more natural and without such scary side effects. | F | 62 | 10 years 1000 1X day | 6/7/2013 | 3 | ET | fatigue muscle aches are the most common I have been taking for so long I just put up with side effects. Sometimes we don't know if it's the drug or the desease if I go off them platlette counts goes right up | M | 62 | 20 days 500 2X day | 7/4/2015 |