Sucking Down the Mother’s!

It has become my routine; 10 pm the alarm goes off. I get up, fix my vinegar shooter and slug down the Sprycel! I sputter and cough a bit, but keep my hopes high. I realize that not only is Mother's going to give me an acidic stomach, it is also good for many other things! A few weeks into this routine, I find myself more tired than usual, flu-ey feeling in the afternoon and more like I felt the first year I started taking Sprycel.

My bones start aching more and my back has many more spasms; overall, my side effects have increased. I find this curious and maintain that this could make sense; if my theory is correct. It would make sense that my side effects would increase, with better absorption of my medication. This theory will better be documented, if my PCR is lower. Of course, this is MY theory, yet I think that it is a good one. It is not exactly scientific or medically documented.

Oddly enough, my overly thinned out hair, has also began to thicken and grow. I wonder if it is because I was not getting the nutrients from my diet, once again, due to low stomach acid. We all know that we are not supposed to take any type of antacid that may cut down our stomach acid, and I have been diligent in following this “rule.”

 The reason that we avoid medications that reduce stomach acid (antacids) is that Sprycel is best absorbed from our stomachs, into our bloodstreams, in the presence of stomach acid. The over the counter antacids that are readily available, yet still avoidable are:

                     1.       Tagamet

                     2.       Pepcid        

                     3.       Zantac

                     4.       Prilosec

                     5.       Protonix

                     6.       Nexium

                     7.       AcipHex

                     8.       Prevacid 

Medications that are stomach acid reducers, which are all right to take, two hours prior to, or two hours following Sprycel are:

                   1.       Maalox

                   2.       Tums

                   3.       Rolaids

Of course, now I am wondering whether or not Sprycel is the actual cause of my low stomach acid? Is it possible, that over the past year, Sprycel has actually created a low stomach acid environment? Is it possible that others are experiencing an increase in their PCR, whether they are on Gleevec, Tasigna or Sprycel ; due to low stomach acid? Could some of the “resistance” to medication actually be something as simple as poor absorption, due to low stomach acid? Where did the research on the side effects of our CML medications end?

We all know that researchers are striving to develop newer and better medications based upon their findings, of previous ones. I am guessing that not ALL of the side effects of these medications are documented or even realized, as of yet; and therefore, low stomach acid COULD be something that occurs, after a certain period of time, in some patients.

These are all things that I will ponder. I will continually be researching and questioning any and all medical professionals, any time that my mind is in over-drive. Luckily, I have an oncologist that humors me!

We must all remember to ask “why,” if things are not progressing as we had expected, and we must be a strong self-advocate, of our own health. We must continue to share our findings with others, and be curious enough to ask hard questions. We all need to think “out-side of the box.”

Could it be that our doctors are jumping the gun when they switch our meds because there seems to be a slower, or lack of response, or even a reversal of response, without checking other causes?  I wonder and I wait. It won’t be long now!

I encourage each and every one of you to periodically do the “red beet” test. What harm can be done? I would love to know whether or not I am the only one that has run up against this issue.

So for now, I will just have to be patient and wait for the results of my last PCR; should be any day now….