fumaderm and low blood count

[moggy]

Hi been on fumaderm  for a year got a letter at xmas saying blood count is low and to lower dosage
Had bloods taken a few weeks ago and still low but my skins breaking out again and on my fave and hands bad
Do I up the dosage myself to 6 tabs a day as this seems to clear it as the letter for low blood count does not seem to be anything  to worry about 
I have loads of these tablets

[Fred]

I'll move this to Prescribed Treatments For Psoriasis as it will get noticed better.

I'm sure the DMF Gang will be able to help and will find it there.

Welcome to Psoriasis Club by the way.

[moggy]

Thanks that would be a great  help

[jiml]

Hi been on fumaderm  for a year got a letter at xmas saying blood count is low and to lower dosage
Had bloods taken a few weeks ago and still low but my skins breaking out again and on my fave and hands bad
Do I up the dosage myself to 6 tabs a day as this seems to clear it as the letter for low blood count does not seem to be anything  to worry about 
I have loads of these tablets

Hi Moggy and welcome   to the forum, I am also a Fumaderm user..... My first advice to you is to contact dermatology and ask what the readings are, it tends to be the lymphocytes that drop and can get dangerously low, but before you take it on yourself to increase the dose, you need to know what the values are and if they are increasing even if they are still low.


Without this information you could be putting yourself in harms way..

What dose are you on presently?
There are many reasons your blood count could go down, a nasty infection can do it as well as the Fumaderm

So I'm not brushing your question off but it would be wrong of anyone to suggest you increase the dose without the facts.
If you can get the values, we can better advise although non of us are doctors .

I know how well Fumaderm works and it would be a shame to have to come off it .... I would be devastated myself, but I have had to reduce the dose myself to get my lymphocyte count up again

I look forward to hearing what your blood levels were at Christmas and what they are now  

[moggy]

Hi him
Before Xmas they were 0.5 and now are 0.9 I'm on the maximum  dosage  of 120mg 6 times a day but when I've reduced  the dosage  to 3 a day it's come back and it's like have no skin on my fingers which I had when I was on acitretin

[jiml]

Hi him
Before Xmas they were 0.5 and now are 0.9 I'm on the maximum  dosage  of 120mg 6 times a day but when I've reduced  the dosage  to 3 a day it's come back and it's like have no skin on my fingers which I had when I was on acitretin

Ok 0.5 is very low and your dermatologist was right to reduce the dose,

So currently you are on three a day and your lymphocytes are returning towards normal 0.9( normal is between 1-3)
All we can do here, is work from our own experiences and say what we would do in your position
Personally I would tell my dermatologist that as the count was rising to virtually normal and the psoriasis is coming back you would like to increase the dose to four a day and hope the lymphocytes continue to rise.
He can do a blood test in a month to see what's happening

I wouldn't go from 3 to 6 in one jump. Let's hear what others think

[moggy]

Thanks 
That's good advice it's free for me as it's all free in Scotland  So as I have loads  what I think I might do is take 4  a day and see if helps and maybe increase  it again if need  be  as I am back seeing the dermatologist  in 7 weeks

[jiml]

Thanks 
That's good advice it's free for me as it's all free in Scotland  So as I have loads  what I think I might do is take 4  a day and see if helps and maybe increase  it again if need  be  as I am back seeing the dermatologist  in 7 weeks

Ok I can understand your action, but should advise you to at least tell the dermatologist what you have done and why you are doing it
you should have your bloods done monthly that is to alert you to possible danger. So if you aren't having monthly blood tests, you should be

Read here Fumaderm leaflet section on laboratory testing

[Caroline]

Jim,
Remember the intermittent use !!
Caroline. * runs off to work *

[Bill]

You might be able to take four in a single hit per day. If you can cope with this, try five in similar fashion, then six. I had greater efficacy from 600 mg taken as a single dose every other day than I did from 360 mg taken twice daily. By this method you may be able to control your P and keep at a safe lymphocyte count. I would caution you that the approach is experimental and untested, although it has worked a treat for me and has given excellent control of my psa as well. There are many other safe and proven therapies. We are spoiled for choice these days thankfully.

Good luck.