cautiously optimistic?

[michelle_lapuz]

Hi all:

I just wanted to get your opinion on this - I was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia in September 2007, underwent ATG with subsequent Tacrolimus therapy at UCSF in early October and showed no response until now...July 2008??!! I went off the Tacrolimus and all the prophylaxis medications after 6-months of treatment since I was a non-responder, retreatment with ATG or cyclophosphamide treatment was discussed or possible MUD BMT (2 possible 9/10 matches) and I decided to wait it out. I am currently 3-weeks without platelet transfusion (before it was once/week) and RBCs (my HCT is 32.2, usually hangs in the low 20s after 3-weeks). Could this be an early sign of remission?

Hope you all are doing well and if you are in the 'early stages', everyone's advice is true, just be patient and hang in there

Michelle

[Sherri]

My daughter, Annalyse, had her ATG in sept 05. It took her until May/June to really start seeing a response- so hang in there and allow yourself to feel optimistic!!! Annalyse's counts are all almost normal now!

[Debra]

My father was diagnosed with saa in Aug. 07, had ATG (horse) in Sept. 07 and then in May 08 (rabbit). No one has mentioned this medication.
We have not seen any response, yet. Dad receives platelets every 6 days and blood every 14. Due to his age (76), he is not a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.

[Neil Cuadra]

Tacrolimus is another name for Prograf or FK-506. It's an immunosupressant.

Tacrolimus drug information

[paulaespada]

Originally Posted by michelle_lapuz

Hi all:

I just wanted to get your opinion on this - I was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia in September 2007, underwent ATG with subsequent Tacrolimus therapy at UCSF in early October and showed no response until now...July 2008??!! I went off the Tacrolimus and all the prophylaxis medications after 6-months of treatment since I was a non-responder, retreatment with ATG or cyclophosphamide treatment was discussed or possible MUD BMT (2 possible 9/10 matches) and I decided to wait it out. I am currently 3-weeks without platelet transfusion (before it was once/week) and RBCs (my HCT is 32.2, usually hangs in the low 20s after 3-weeks). Could this be an early sign of remission?

Hope you all are doing well and if you are in the 'early stages', everyone's advice is true, just be patient and hang in there

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

As you were told here before, it might be take up to 1 year to have a response.
And we must remember that a spontaneous remission is always possible at any time in what concerns AA.
I hope I helped.
Wishing you all the best.