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Keytruda and anemia

Forums General Melanoma Community Keytruda and anemia

  • Post
    Cathy M
    Participant
    My husband had his 14th keytruda treatment Friday. Labs that day showed a hemoglobin 8.4. The previous 3 week lab level was 11. The PA says this is treatment related and can’t be corrected with diet or supplements yet we are waiting until Tuesday as directed to do another lab to check the level and then blood transfusion if indicated. Syptoms of severe shortness of breath and weakness in just trying to walk around. Anyone else experience this with keytruda?
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  • Replies
      Bubbles
      Participant

      Unfortunately, while anti-PD1 therapy provides a fairly good response rate…both nivo/Opdivo and Pembro/Keytruda come with some unfortunate side effects for some.  A dear one of mine…Allyson…posted this here:  https://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/keytruda-and-low-white-blood

      And I have posted many strange side effects here:  http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/05/side-effect-to-immunotherapypart-4.html

      Don't know that this helps specifcally…but while it may help us fight melanoma…anti-PD1 can also trigger many unpleasant immune responses

      I wish you well. Celeste

      Bubbles
      Participant

      Unfortunately, while anti-PD1 therapy provides a fairly good response rate…both nivo/Opdivo and Pembro/Keytruda come with some unfortunate side effects for some.  A dear one of mine…Allyson…posted this here:  https://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/keytruda-and-low-white-blood

      And I have posted many strange side effects here:  http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/05/side-effect-to-immunotherapypart-4.html

      Don't know that this helps specifcally…but while it may help us fight melanoma…anti-PD1 can also trigger many unpleasant immune responses

      I wish you well. Celeste

        Cathy M
        Participant
        Thank you for the reply and some interesting information. I’ll be reading more on your blog.
        Cathy M
        Participant
        Thank you for the reply and some interesting information. I’ll be reading more on your blog.
        Cathy M
        Participant
        Thank you for the reply and some interesting information. I’ll be reading more on your blog.
        Jubes
        Participant

        Hi Celeste. Is there any more information on the study of two patients with polymyalgia rheumatica?

        thanks Anne-Louise 

        Bubbles
        Participant

        No, the article is in French and has a fee to attain.  But, I thought it was important enough to at least list so that folks would know it is a situation recognized to be associated with pembro.  Sorry.  c

        Bubbles
        Participant

        No, the article is in French and has a fee to attain.  But, I thought it was important enough to at least list so that folks would know it is a situation recognized to be associated with pembro.  Sorry.  c

        Bubbles
        Participant

        No, the article is in French and has a fee to attain.  But, I thought it was important enough to at least list so that folks would know it is a situation recognized to be associated with pembro.  Sorry.  c

        Jubes
        Participant

        Hi Celeste. Is there any more information on the study of two patients with polymyalgia rheumatica?

        thanks Anne-Louise 

        Jubes
        Participant

        Hi Celeste. Is there any more information on the study of two patients with polymyalgia rheumatica?

        thanks Anne-Louise 

      Bubbles
      Participant

      Unfortunately, while anti-PD1 therapy provides a fairly good response rate…both nivo/Opdivo and Pembro/Keytruda come with some unfortunate side effects for some.  A dear one of mine…Allyson…posted this here:  https://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/keytruda-and-low-white-blood

      And I have posted many strange side effects here:  http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/05/side-effect-to-immunotherapypart-4.html

      Don't know that this helps specifcally…but while it may help us fight melanoma…anti-PD1 can also trigger many unpleasant immune responses

      I wish you well. Celeste

      Cathy M
      Participant
      Just an update – today hemoglobin was still at 8.4 and oncologist did go ahead and order transfusion to see if this would help with symptoms mentioned above. Encouraging but we will see how things go tomorrow.
      Cathy M
      Participant
      Just an update – today hemoglobin was still at 8.4 and oncologist did go ahead and order transfusion to see if this would help with symptoms mentioned above. Encouraging but we will see how things go tomorrow.
      Cathy M
      Participant
      Just an update – today hemoglobin was still at 8.4 and oncologist did go ahead and order transfusion to see if this would help with symptoms mentioned above. Encouraging but we will see how things go tomorrow.
      Cathy M
      Participant

      Great news! The blood transfusion has GREATLY improved my husband's condition with the shortness of breath and weakness. In looking back on his hemoglobin and his statements that he knows something has changed and something was wrong…it correlates directly with his hemoglobin level graph showing the drop from 14 to 13 and then the continuous drop to 8.4. PLEASE DOCTORS…DO NOT THROW EVERYBODY INTO THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL BLOOD LEVELS…USE THESE RANGES AS GUIDES !! QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS !!

      Cathy M
      Participant

      Great news! The blood transfusion has GREATLY improved my husband's condition with the shortness of breath and weakness. In looking back on his hemoglobin and his statements that he knows something has changed and something was wrong…it correlates directly with his hemoglobin level graph showing the drop from 14 to 13 and then the continuous drop to 8.4. PLEASE DOCTORS…DO NOT THROW EVERYBODY INTO THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL BLOOD LEVELS…USE THESE RANGES AS GUIDES !! QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS !!

        Sknight
        Participant

        Hi desertsun,

             My father had same condition with low hemoglobin, even drop to 5.6. The blood transfusion also improved but only to 7.3. So I want to know some infomation about your husband on blood transfusion so that to find out some reasons.

            My father is 62kg and the capacity of blood transfusion is 600ml, in 2 days the htemoglobin level become 5.6 to 7.3. What about your husband's?

           Sorry for my poor english and I am very thanks if you can reply to me.

        Sknight
        Participant

        Hi desertsun,

             My father had same condition with low hemoglobin, even drop to 5.6. The blood transfusion also improved but only to 7.3. So I want to know some infomation about your husband on blood transfusion so that to find out some reasons.

            My father is 62kg and the capacity of blood transfusion is 600ml, in 2 days the htemoglobin level become 5.6 to 7.3. What about your husband's?

           Sorry for my poor english and I am very thanks if you can reply to me.

        Sknight
        Participant

        Hi desertsun,

             My father had same condition with low hemoglobin, even drop to 5.6. The blood transfusion also improved but only to 7.3. So I want to know some infomation about your husband on blood transfusion so that to find out some reasons.

            My father is 62kg and the capacity of blood transfusion is 600ml, in 2 days the htemoglobin level become 5.6 to 7.3. What about your husband's?

           Sorry for my poor english and I am very thanks if you can reply to me.

      Cathy M
      Participant

      Great news! The blood transfusion has GREATLY improved my husband's condition with the shortness of breath and weakness. In looking back on his hemoglobin and his statements that he knows something has changed and something was wrong…it correlates directly with his hemoglobin level graph showing the drop from 14 to 13 and then the continuous drop to 8.4. PLEASE DOCTORS…DO NOT THROW EVERYBODY INTO THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL BLOOD LEVELS…USE THESE RANGES AS GUIDES !! QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS !!

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