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Help with iron overload..

This topic has 3 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 15 years, 6 months ago by billboy.

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October 21, 2008 at 10:32 pm #21522

txnmomma
Member

My father is having weekly tranfusions.
His oncologist is concerned with him having iron overload. He has taken Exjade before and it makes him VERY nauseated. He also gets ALOT of headaches with it.

I was wondering if anyone knew of any other medication for iron overload..

Thanks for your help.

October 21, 2008 at 11:44 pm #21523

Mary4Mike
Participant

Wendy,

Has your father’s doctor ever suggested giving him an IV drip of Desferral after he has his transfusion? I know that it adds more sitting time, but it might be and answer if he can’t take Exjade. Perhaps a reduced dose of Exjade would not cause nausea and it can still work at reducing iron levels. What is his ferritin? Mike has been taking Exjade just on the days of transfusion. His doc said that is when the iron is travelling the most in the body. So far, it seems to be holding his level. It’s worth a try.

Mary

October 26, 2008 at 5:27 am #21524

txnmomma
Member

Mary

Thank you for the suggestion of Desferral. I am going to write that name down and suggest it to my dad’s dr. I think I will just call him and not wait for another appt, since he gets tranfused weekly.

Thats a good idea about lowering the dosage. I am not sure about the ferritin. I have seen it recently but forgot what it was.

I am so glad I am able to talk to you!!

Wendy

October 26, 2008 at 6:04 pm #21525

billboy
Participant

Hi Wendy,

Mary’s suggestion of a lower dose of Exjade is worth pursuing. Perhaps your father would tolerate dividing his single dose into two doses for the day, minimizing nausea and headaches. Exjade is so much easier to administer, being an oral chelator, than the other common iron chelator, Desferrioxamine which must be administered subcutaneously by a pump for up to 12 hours a day. Besides Desferrioxamine caused nausea about half as often as Exjade (see Page 9 in the link below):

http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:JjVH1V8eiVIJ:www.pbs.gov.au/pi/nvpexjor10407.pdf+exjade+%2B+nausea+%2B+treatment&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a

How many units of packed red blood cells does he get each week? Also what were his Exjade dosages (his weight would also be needed to properly understand the prescribed dosages)? What is your father’s MDS classification?

Sorry those drugs you listed didn’t help him.

Bill F
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