Imbruvica for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2021

"After 76 days on Imbruvica (420 mg), my prostate gland was swollen to the point where urination was almost impossible and my colon was blocked. Also, there was swelling felt in my lungs and heart. At times after taking the tablet, I could feel my heart beating against my sternum. The day after I stopped taking the drug, the swelling subsided. I no apparent problems existed on the first two lots of the drug (56 days), I attribute the probable cause to a contaminated lot. After three weeks, my bodily functions seemed to be back to normal. On the follow-up PET scan, no improvement was seen on lymph nodes."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 25, 2023

"It helped my condition immediately. Previously I've had FR and BR treatments. I take it after dinner around 6:30 pm with a full glass of water. My only negative side effects are brittle nails with ridges. I've taken it for 7 years and 9 months. I'm a 71-year-old female with CLL/SLL."

• Mik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 2, 2021

"I've been on it a little over two years after relapsing from FCR in 2014, was in remission till May of 2019. I haven't had much in the way of side effects, mouth sores that can be controlled with mouthwash. My counts are all in the normal range, and waiting on the results of an MRI I had for another issue to see what my lymph nodes are looking like."

• Jam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 17, 2025

"I started taking this 5 years ago in 2019. I am 58 now. I hear all the talk about sudden death and heart issues, and I understand that is a real issue with this drug. I went from extremely active to scared to do anything for fear of infection or whatever, and it caused me to not get the exercise I was getting. I was tired a lot, and that caused even more inactivity. I got to where I was really out of shape, overweight, and weak after 6 months or so on the medicine. I felt like a walking heart attack. I stopped eating processed food, stopped drinking pop (kind of, but I'm weak), and started eating healthy and forcing myself to stay active. I'm not convinced it's the drug that is the whole problem. The stress, worry, and fear of cancer combined with inactivity and weight gain would be a factor in older men having heart issues with or without taking this drug. I take 280 mg a day. When I started being active again and eating right, I stopped feeling like a heart attack walking."

• SST...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 12, 2025

"Been using Imbruvica 5 years has brought white count down from 206.3 K/µl in 2021 to 8.0 K/µl in 2024 at 420 mg daily. Feel good overall. I did about 3 months of first taking the Rx, start getting mouth and skin sores, Purpura I was told, more of a blood blister to me. Was given 800 mg of an antiviral called Acyclovir, which helps. Still get a few, nothing as before. My CBC tests are within limits, with only one item slightly over max at 15.1% vs [11.>15%]. Feel pretty good, little tired, have other old age >70+ issues, sometimes hard to say what's the cause of my discomfort."

• RWB...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 25, 2024

"My 4th year on Imbruvica 280 mg, early on I had weakness, shortness of breath, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, but after the first year, these effects subsided. Now on my 4th year, I'm having some peripheral neuropathy and severe bruising and a slight increase of WBC. But all said, the drug is keeping my CLL in check."

• rcp...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 15, 2024

"I took it when I was first diagnosed with CLL in 2014. It was the third medication I tried, and it worked very well for me 10 years ago. I was in remission from 2018 till 2023 when my CLL became active again. I tried various new meds that did not work well. Therefore, I asked my doctor to try Imbruvica again. I took it for 4 months, and it stabilized me. Then, I started having neuropathy all over my body, especially my feet and legs. It hurt to walk on my feet, and my legs felt very painful and heavy. My doctor took me off it again in May 2024. Then I began night sweats and felt very tired all the time. He put me back on it, and I broke out in boils. So I stopped taking it as of July 2024. I guess it no longer will work well for me. But in the beginning, it saved my life!"

• Ray...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2024

"Thus far I have done well on Imbruvica. My swollen lymph nodes have been reduced by almost 100%. I am on week 5 and am in the early stages of taking the medication. I have had one mouth sore which cleared up and has not returned. I am fighting a bad chest cough. I see my doctor tomorrow."

• Del...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 23, 2023

"On Imbruvica for almost 7 years. I had to do 2 cycles of RCHOP first, as Imbruvica was a second-line treatment. It was very effective at reducing my tumor load and keeping it away with 420 mg a day. I had side effects that were managed for most of the time. The neuropathy, diarrhea, heart palpitations, and lung damage were the most persistent. Fifteen months of bleeding from the lungs was the reason for stopping Imbruvica."

• Jin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 13, 2023

"I was diagnosed with CLL in 2013. Treated with Rituxan and Bendamustine. Went into remission but CLL returned in 2022. The oncologist prescribed Imbruvica 420 mg daily. My WBC level is now in the normal range. I suffer a great deal from rash and fatigue since my hemoglobin level and red blood cell count are below the normal range."

• May...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2025

"I was diagnosed with CLL in May 2007, after not feeling well for nearly a year. I went on the sit & wait program. In March 2016, I started my 2nd round of Bendamustine & Rituximab, but was only able to get through 5 rounds. It was clear I wouldn't make it through a 3rd round. February 13, 2022, another trip to the ER, this time for upper chest pain. Coming out of CT, I officially had a heart attack. Doctors inserted 1 stent for a 99% blockage. I thought the pain was from all the swelling in my lymph nodes. My lymph nodes were always the first indicator. This time, the lymph nodes were much larger, egg to large orange. I was trying to hang on till my appointment at the end of February. Two weeks later, at my regular oncology appointment, my oncologist put me on the Imbruvica 420 mg. The Imbruvica was working great! Mid-July 2024, I got through the first of 7 excruciatingly painful granulomas in my mouth. In February 2025, 3 days shy of 2 years, I was told the Imbruvica was the cause. Stopped."

• rsp...
• April 17, 2016

"My husband took 3 Imbruvica before bedtime and died from sudden cardiac arrest the next morning."

• Gen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2017

"Shrunk lymph glands in the back of the neck. First week of taking 3 capsules a day. Second week, swollen glands in armpit are gone. Minor side effects."

• Poo...
• July 7, 2017

"My husband took 3 Imbruvica before bedtime and died the next day from sudden cardiac arrest."

• Edd...
• October 27, 2016

"Medication has effectively arrested my father's CLL. From 140,000 WBC to 5,000 within two months."

• Nic...
• January 24, 2017

"My 78-year-old mother was taking this, and in her third month she had vomiting one day, back and neck pain for 3 days, then passed away in her sleep. Didn't get a chance to lower the dose."

• BBa...
• January 3, 2019

"My mother has been given this medicine, and when her dose increased, it shut down her internal organs, she nearly died. She now gets blood transfusions."

• Sim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 1, 2020

"Taking this drug for over 3 years. Thankfully, never had any side effects. It is a lifesaver. Dropped my numbers from 160 to 13."

• jim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 26, 2024

"Using this for a few years now with no side effects so far."

• Tba...
• March 14, 2021

"Arm sores so bad had to stop using."

• Ann...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 31, 2024

"Brought white blood cell count back to normal. On it for three years. Today I found out I now have atrial fibrillation!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 11, 2025

"Amazing drug for me and my situation. Minimal amount of side effects and extremely effective for treatment of CLL. Godsend of a drug for me!"

• Luk...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2024

"Mild swelling of lower legs at sock line. Purpura with both arms and hands. Mild fatigue. A greater need to rest at times."

• Lar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 13, 2025

"I have been on Imbruvica for 8 years. This drug saved my life. Had side effects in the beginning but only lasted about 7 months."

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 1, 2025

"It is a wonderful drug and I have been taking it for 5 years. Very happy with the outcome it has given me."