If there’s a medication for to help relieve pain from sickle cell….
March 1, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
….wouldn’t it make sense to be able to get it?
There is a cancer medication, hydroxyurea, that has been approved for use in the US for sickle cell anemia since 1998, yet, according to a Reuters news story, only 3% to 5% of patients with sickle cell are using it.
What happens instead? Patients experience pain and get blood transfusions. Seems to me, it makes more sense to prevent the need for costly and time consuming blood transfusions in the first place, whenever possible. Doesn’t that make sense? Or is it just me?
You can read the article here: Sickle cell drug underused, experts agree
To learn about sickle cell, check out our glossary entry: Sickle cell anemia
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Technorati Tags: sickle cell anemia,hydroxyurea
nearly all of my research leads me to the conclusion that Hydroxyurea has a questionable safety profile and potential serious adverse side effects, this concern is presented by the National Toxicity Program’s Expert Advisory Panel (link attached), please be very careful and responsible about promoting it’s use
Thank you for posting this information. I do not promote the use of any particular medication; I pass on the news that I find if I think it is interesting and of value to the blog’s readers. That being said, I always appreciate comments from any side of an argument as long as it is presented in a respectful manner.
Readers, here are some more links regarding the medication:
MedLinePlus:http://tinyurl.com/2c7bg7
AIDS treatment data network: http://tinyurl.com/2y5kgb
Harvard: http://tinyurl.com/25m85d
Do you know NICOSAN launched in Nigeria for SCA?