Hi Eileen,
I have been receiving vidaza shots since 07/2006. I am scheduled to have another bone marrow biopsy next month. I tried getting the shots in my stomach 1 time and it was awful. I get my shots in the back of my arms. I end up with some bruising/redness and a few days after my round of treatment is finished, my skin tends to peel in a way that reminds me of a peel after a sunburn. I haven't noticed any hair loss. I did have to change my antinausea medication. I now take anzamet before each treatment. Another thing the treatment nurses do is split my dosage into two shots each day. That seems to work better for me. Like you, I get pretty worn out during my treatment cycle. I usually come home from work and head to bed. I've also lost weight - all in all about 20 pounds since I began treatments. I'm a bit nervous about my next bone marrow as I have read that Vidaza has a history of losing its effectiveness in time. I've been on a maintenance dosage of Vidaza for 3 months now - 5 treatments/month instead of 7. Good luck to you.
Kathy
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Kathy, 47, diagnosed with MDS IPSS Intermediate Risk, Refractory Anemia and Thrombocytopenia both secondary to MDS. 8/06-treatments include 14 shots Vidaza monthly, aeranesp, neulasta when needed also have polycystic kidney disease