Heartburn: Ibrutinib (PCI-32765)

Well I guess I am getting a taste of the full spectrum of GI issues associated with ibrutinib.

While the lower intestinal issues have calmed down, and the nausea is gone, I am having some nasty heartburn for the first time since I can't remember when. Vegans usually don't get heartburn.

I am confident that this well recognized side effect of the drug will also pass, as have the other issues.

It is hard to report on my palpable nodes day to day is kinda like watching the grass grow. You don't notice much difference from one morning to the next, but after a week there has been a real perceptible changes. My nodes are slowly melting away.

Generally I am feeling well otherwise. More details in future posts.

Canoed six miles down the Darby Creek just south of Columbus today. It was wonderful.

Has a great meal with new friends. Vegan flour-less chocolate cake may be the source of my gastric issues. That was wonderful.

Watched the LA Kings win game three against Phoenix. That too was wonderful.

Only the heartburn is not so wonderful.

More Good News at the end of the first week of Ibrutinib (PCI-32765)

The exam at clinic today at the James by Gretchen, my PA, and Dr. Byrd confirmed my lymph nodes were much smaller.

My white blood count and lymphocytes doubled but only from six to twelve and from two to four respectively, but everyone seemed happy with those numbers.

Dr. Bryd says the rise in the lymphocyte count is not a prerequisite indicator of the ibrutinib working. Not at all. I had expected a much higher jump up in the ALC (lymphocytes) with my nodes shrinking so much and the unanchored clonal B cells needing to go somewhere, but Byrd said that in those such as me with ofatumumab already aboard, may not get as big an inflection in the counts.

Hgb is stable but still a touch low, eosinophils are up a bit again, and neutrophils and platelets are all good.

My GI issues are manageable and should gradually improve. Apparently they are more common on those of us like me with big abdominal nodes. They usually decrease over a few weeks. Makes sense.

And Dr. Byrd says he reads my blog. I feel honored.

The news is very very good. Still tired and muscle pains, but happy. More soon.