Ibrutinib and Shortness Of Breath: What Users Say

• Hea...
• October 21, 2019

For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia "It did reduce the size of my dad's lymph nodes, so from that perspective, it was working. My dad was previously treated with chemo. Almost immediately, my dad had side effects: very bad fatigue, which was impacting his life and depressing him. He developed a cough, which was monitored to ensure no pneumonia. Recently, they put him on an inhaler, saying he developed asthma. He also could feel his heart pounding. He saw a cardiologist for this and had tests, but nothing came up. He would get marks and bruising. He started to get what my mom called chemo brain. We had been questioning if he should come off from the side effects but weren't sure of the alternatives, especially now that he received this drug. The doctor said side effects lessen the longer you are on it, so he decided to stick it out. He last saw the cardiologist two weeks ago. Last Sunday, he dropped dead and couldn't be resuscitated. The cardiologist was perplexed."

• Wif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2022

For Mantle Cell Lymphoma "Imbruvica was added to my husband’s treatment for MCL after 6 months of treatment for gastric cancer. He tolerated the Herceptin well, but after initial infusions of Imbruvica, he was hospitalized for respiratory distress with what was thought to be pneumonia. This drug wreaked havoc on his lungs. He left the hospital after nearly a month and was on oxygen for the rest of his life and a diagnosis of pneumonitis caused by this drug. No more Imbruvica at that time, was treated several months with IVIG to help his O2 stabilize, and it did. Then his oncologist started him back on this same drug! Three weeks later, my husband was dead from respiratory failure. I read that anyone with respiratory issues should not be treated with Imbruvica."

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

For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia "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."