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Sickle Cell Disease – Hydroxyurea: What You Need to Know

key information

source: National heart, lung and blood institute

year: 2018

summary/abstract:

If you have sickle cell disease, your body makes sickle-shaped, or crescent-shaped, red blood cells. For patients who have sickle cell disease, an oral medicine called hydroxyurea may be able to help.

Patients who take hydroxyurea must have regular medical care. A doctor who knows about hydroxyurea can tell you about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine.

Taken daily by mouth, hydroxyurea can help:

·         Reduce the likelihood of having a pain event

·         Reduce the need for blood transfusions

·         Improve anemia and quality of life

·         Reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations

·         Prevent symptoms like acute chest syndrome, a condition similar to pneumonia

Some patients may also benefit from taking a new medicine called L-glutamine oral powder. Talk to your doctor to determine if this medicine is right for you.

 

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