Myelosuppression

Myelosuppression Symptoms:

The most common symptoms of myelosuppression are fatigue, depression, anxiety, irritability, sleep problems and loss of energy. Some other symptoms include numbness or tingling in your hands/feet (known as ‘motor neurone disease’), vision changes such as seeing haloes around lights and hearing sounds in your ears.

Symptoms of Myelosuppression Treatment:

There are no cures for myelosuppression but there are treatments that can help with some of the symptoms. These treatments include medications, physical therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy which helps patients learn new ways to cope with their condition.

CBT focuses on changing how patients think about themselves and how they view situations related to their illness. For example, if someone has MS and is having difficulty walking, the therapist might teach them to see their legs as solid objects rather than floating in space.

Mortality Rates:

In general, the mortality rates for MS are low. However, this varies from person to person so it’s best not to make any rash decisions based on these statistics. There have been several studies done on people with MS and they show that people with MS live longer than those without the condition.

Prognosis:

The long-term outlook for someone with myelosuppression is quite positive. The average life expectancy of a person with myelosuppression is around 68 years of age, which is about nine years less than the average person in the general population. This difference occurs mainly because people with myelosuppression have a slightly higher risk of heart and respiratory diseases.

Myelosuppression Risk Factors:

There are many factors that can increase your risk of developing myelosuppression, such as:

Age. The average age of people with myelosuppression is around 40 years old. This is because the condition commonly occurs in people who already have existing autoimmune conditions.

Gender. Women are more likely to develop myelosuppression than men at a rate of around two to one.

HIV infection. HIV infection is a common cause of myelosuppression.

Smoking. People who smoke have an increased risk of developing myelosuppression.

Diabetes. People who have diabetes are more likely to suffer from this condition.

Genetics. If someone in your family has myelosuppression, then you may be more likely to develop it as well.

Alcoholism. Having long-term alcoholism can also increase your risk.

Immune Disorders. Having a condition that affects the immune system, such as HIV or AIDS, can increase your risk of developing myelosuppression.

Sharing needles. If you have ever injected yourself with a needle that someone else has used, then you are more likely to develop myelosuppression. This is due to infections being passed on in this manner.

Organ Transplants. If you receive an organ transplant, then your risk of developing myelosuppression increases. This is because some people have lived with their original organ for so long that their body’s immune system no longer recognizes it as a foreign object.

Problems During Pregnancy. If you have any complications during your pregnancy, then your child may be at risk of developing myelosuppression. This occurs because the mother’s body releases certain antibodies to fight the infection or disease during pregnancy.

This can sometimes have harmful effects on the child.

Myelosuppression Prevention:

The best way to prevent myelosuppression is to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a balanced diet, getting the proper amount of exercise, and avoiding any harmful habits such as smoking or drinking excessively. You should also try your best to avoid infections and diseases that can affect the immune system, such as HIV or AIDS.

Myelosuppression Diagnosis:

If you experience any symptoms of myelosuppression, then you should see your doctor immediately. Your doctor will ask you a list of questions pertaining to your medical history and examine you. They may also order lab tests to rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.

If myelosuppression is suspected, then your doctor may order certain tests to confirm the condition. Your bone marrow may be tested to see if there are any abnormalities present. Your blood may also be tested.

If you are a transplant patient, then your doctor may test your donor’s blood as well. This is to rule out any viruses or conditions that the donor may have that could possibly harm you.

Myelosuppression Treatments:

There is no known cure for myelosuppression. However, it can be managed with proper treatment.

Chemotherapy is a common treatment for myelosuppression. It works by killing rapidly dividing cells, such as cancerous cells or immune cells. The side effects may be harsh though, and the treatment is not always successful.

Bone marrow transplants are also a common treatment for myelosuppression. A healthy donor’s bone marrow is harvested and then injected into the patient. This helps to repopulate the patient’s immune system with healthy blood cells.

Sometimes, doctors will prescribe immunosuppressants to help patients cope with their disease. These drugs limit the actions of the immune system to reduce its inflammatory response.

Myelosuppression Prognosis:

If caught early enough, myelosuppression can be managed and treated. If neglected, it can be deadly. For example, someone who develops myelosuppression after a bone marrow transplant has a 3 in 4 chance of survival.

If the condition becomes severe, then it may become life-threatening.

Myelosuppression Recovery:

Most people recover from myelosuppression within a few months. During this period the patient is at a high risk of infection. Staying away from large crowds and frequently washing hands can help to prevent the spread of infection.

While most people do eventually recover, some are left with weakened immune systems. This can make them prone to getting sick more frequently. For some, it can take years before their immune system is back to normal.

If you or someone you know suffers from myelosuppression, then take a look at our informational booklet on the condition. Inside, you’ll find up-to-date information on everything from causes to treatments, as well as advice on living with the condition: All you need to know about Myelosuppression is inside.

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Sources & references used in this article:

Model of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression with parameter consistency across drugs by LE Friberg, A Henningsson, H Maas… – Journal of clinical …, 2002 – diva-portal.org

Linezolid and reversible myelosuppression by SL Green, JC Maddox, ED Huttenbach – Jama, 2001 – jamanetwork.com

Drug-induced myelosuppression by PJ Carey – Drug safety, 2003 – Springer

Mechanistic models for myelosuppression by LE Friberg, MO Karlsson – Investigational new drugs, 2003 – Springer

Effect of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression by KS Antman, JD Griffin, A Elias… – … England Journal of …, 1988 – Mass Medical Soc

Myelosuppression and kinase selectivity of multikinase angiogenesis inhibitors by R Kumar, MC Crouthamel, DH Rominger… – British journal of …, 2009 – nature.com

Genotypic analysis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase in patients with Crohn’s disease and severe myelosuppression during azathioprine therapy by J Colombel, N Ferrari, H Debuysere, P Marteau… – Gastroenterology, 2000 – Elsevier

Association of specific cytomegalovirus genotypes with death from myelosuppression after marrow transplantation by B Torok-Storb, M Boeckh, C Hoy… – Blood, The Journal …, 1997 – ashpublications.org