Comparing Mercaptopurine vs Sprycel

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance: I've been on this medicine for 2 months. I feel, most days like I've been in a car accident. The pain is very difficult to handle. I ache like I have the flu. Thinking about not taking good it and take my chances. What could be worse?

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance: My son was on mercaptopurine at age 14 and had a reaction so severe he ended up in the hospital for 8 days. A blood vessel behind his eye broke so his vision was impaired. He had heart palpitations & trouble breathing. His platelets were dangerously low. He had to have 3 blood transfusions. We almost lost him. I know people who have been on this med for years with no problems. I am just sharing this to let others know to be extremely careful & if something doesn't seem right, contact your doctor immediately! There are no stupid questions, seriously. Always better to be safe than sorry.

For Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Achieved complete molecular remission within six months of daily 100 mg. Sprycel. Reduced dose to 50 mg a day at six months due to side effects. The longer I was on it, the worse they became. Shortness of breath caused by pleural effusion, body pain, all over itching, acne like rash on face and scalp and some hair loss at very beginning of treatment. It was a good drug to kill the cancer cells, but reduced my quality of life drastically. Have started Gleevec with few expected side effects, except for major vertigo. Taken off Gleevec for two weeks and told to restart at 200 mg. a day to rechallenge. I won't be able to live alone if vertigo is a daily side effect. Glad to be in remission, but hate side effect sickness.

For Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Was diagined in November of 2008 with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I opted to be involved in the Dasatinib trial. I was in remission in less that 2 months. Everything was great, few side effects, until July of 2012 when I started coughing. I was told to stop taking Dasatinib as it had caused water in my lungs, after a 7 week stop, I was put back onto Dasatinib at 1/2 my initail dose 50mg per day. Again all seemed well. In August of 2013 I could not catch my breath but had no cough. It was so bad we went to Emergency at the hospital. There I found out fluid in my lungs again. I am off Dasatinib and am no longer able to take it as my body rejected it. I won't know what medicine I will be going on until the fluid is all out of my lungs. My oncologist says 12 weeks.