u/Educational_Card4094

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance and shared experiences 🙏

My mom (50F) is currently in the bone marrow suppression phase after starting treatment (Imatinib for CML). Her recent blood report showed:

- Hemoglobin: 6.9 g/dL (very low)

- WBC also dropped significantly

- Platelets are around borderline normal

She also had a stroke so I’m especially worried about oxygen supply to her brain because of the low hemoglobin.

I wanted to ask people who have gone through this or cared for someone in a similar situation:

1. How long does the bone marrow suppression phase usually last?

   (Days? Weeks? When did counts start improving for you?)

2. When recovery starts, how fast does hemoglobin improve?

   Does it return to normal quickly, or stay in a low range for some time?

3. What symptoms did you notice during this phase?

   (Breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, etc.)

4. For someone with a stroke history, how risky is Hb around 6.9?

   Did your doctors aim to keep it above a certain level (like 8 or 9)?

5. Currently i am very confused about her hemoglobin level should i go for blood transfusions or should i wait for recovery phase

I’m especially anxious because of her stroke history, so I want to be very careful and proactive.

Any real experiences, timelines, or advice would mean a lot to me. Thank you

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance regarding my mom’s condition.

She is a stroke patient and was recently diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). She started Imatinib (400 mg) and Livogen (iron supplement).

Here’s the timeline:

First week of starting treatment

- WBC was very high (~119,500)

- Hemoglobin ~7.6

- RBC low

After 3 weeks of treatment

- WBC dropped significantly (~2,900)

- Hemoglobin dropped further (~6.9)

- RBC decreased

- Iron deficiency confirmed

So after continuing the medication, her counts actually went lower, which is worrying.

My questions:

1. Is it normal for blood counts to drop like this within the first few weeks of starting Imatinib?
2. Is this mainly due to bone marrow suppression from the drug, or progression of the disease?
3. At this stage, do doctors usually continue the same dose, reduce it, or temporarily pause Imatinib?
4. Why isn’t hemoglobin improving despite taking iron supplements?
5. When do doctors consider blood transfusion or iron injections instead of tablets?
6. How risky is this combination of low Hb and low WBC?
7. Has anyone experienced similar trends early in CML treatment?

We are consulting a doctor, but I wanted to understand real-world experiences from others who have gone through this.

Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot. Thank you.