Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Hydroxyurea vs Nicosan

Jay sent me a question that I think some other people might have. So we are going to do a comparative analysis on the two medications

My doctor recently put me on Hydroxyurea. I was hesitant taking it because of the long term side effect of leukemia, but in the end I took it. I've been on it since May, and since May I still was getting sick and in the hospital. Then my doctor increased my dosage. My boss is from Nigeria and told me about Nicosan, Ive never heard of it before, so I started to read about it and that's how I found you. What do you think about Nicosan and Hydroxyurea?

First of all Jay, let me correct your misconception. Hydroxyurea (or Hydrea) was used primarily for the treatment of myeloproliferative (cellular abnormality) diseases like leukemia. The problem is that this treatment might trigger another rapid cell growth (which is a cancer pre-cursor).

Personally I would never take Hydroxyurea, although several people have told me that it works for them. Nicosan is my drug of choice and it's been treating me very, very well. I'm going to break the pros and cons of both of them down just so you get a better picture.

Hydroxyurea
  1. Adjunct chemotherapy drug (don't know about you, but I'm anti-cancer anything!)
  2. Method of action: increases production of fetal hemoglobin cells by increasing nitric oxide levels (so pretty much, you can just take a soluble form of nitric oxide and cut out the hydrea altogether. Look up L-Arginine)
  3. Very toxic to the liver and kidneys. Causes bone marrow suppression
  4. Needs regular blood monitoring to check your platelet, BUN, liver enzymes and CBC levels
  5. Long term use hasn't been fully studied..who knows what will happen for those that have been on it for 10 years?
  6. It is shown to reduce your rate of crises by 30% after you've been on it for 6-12 months.
  7. Causes fertility problems in men and crosses the placental barrier in women, so you MUST not get pregnant or nurse while on it or you will have a jacked up baby
  8. The side effects are atrocious and range from hair loss, loss of appetite, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomatitis, mucositis, anorexia....the list is practically endless. I've never talked to anyone that hasn't exhibited at least one side effect.
  9. Has FDA approval although the pharmaceutical company keeps announcing that "the benefits outweigh the risks". (*rolleyes*)
  10. #9 means that your insurance will pay for it and all you have is the $5-20 copay. If you don't have insurance, it ranges from $80-$200 depending on your dosage.
Nicosan
  1. Natural and herbal. A combination of 3 herbs: Piper guineenses seeds, Pterocapus osum stem, Eugenia caryophyllum fruit and Sorghum bicolor leaves.
  2. Method of action: initiates an anti-sickling effect. The cells you do have won't assume their sickle shape. This means no crises---yay!
  3. Naturally processed through the body. Doesn't damage your organs in any way.
  4. No extra blood monitoring needed besides your usual H&H levels
  5. Long term use hasn't been studied---but all these herbs have been used in African countries for thousands of years.
  6. Reduces the rate of crises by 80% after you've been on it for 30-90 days.
  7. Only side effect is flushing (blushing) due to increased blood circulation. Most people (like me) don't even exhibit this.
  8. Has orphan drug status in the US although it's fully approved in Nigeria. The only thing holding up FDA approval is the big pharmaceutical companies that want a cut of the pie. Since they don't own the patent, they can't charge you outrageously for it. The company that makes Hydroxyurea would loss their advantage in the field. They would rather us all suffer while they block the drug from being approved and keep lining their pockets.
  9. #6 means you will have to buy it out of pocket and order it from Nigeria until the FDA lets it be sold in the US under the phytochemical name of Hemoxin.
  10. If you are paying out of pocket and shipping from abroad, it's pricier than Hydrea but this stuff actually works! 1 bottle of 30 pills costs around $60.00 and this includes shipping.
So....which do you think I picked? I'm on Nicosan, and it works for me.

For more information, read the tabs of the two drugs in the sidebar under File Cabinet. Good luck with your decision. Stay strong, stay positive and stay blessed!

11 comments:

jamairais said...

Thanks so much, my mother and I are now looking into getting it for me. We're going to do a litle more research,but as far as Im concerned, Im for the Nicosan too

wellsbaba said...

my first time here n I've really "ransacked" ur blog n I must say I find a continuing pain! atleast ur last 4-5 posts talk bout ur pains,I wanna ask do u feel this pains errday or it goes n comes cos I have this cousin who is also a sickler, is pains comes n goes....Nevertheless,I must confess ur strong n live life2d fullest,u hear me?!u cannot die!dem no reach,their father!

Vixen said...

Jamairais, no problem. Good luck!

Wellsbaba, you have no idea...I was having pain about 85% of the time. Now it's more like 15%.

Papillon said...

Hi Vixen. Your blog has been fantastic, and a great source of information for my boyfriend and I. Quick question-- are you taking both Pro Argi 9-Plus AND Nicosan, or have you stoped the L Arginine? Thanks, and keep up the good fight!

Also, have you considered being a local distributor for Nicosan? It seems to be proving difficult to order online. Any advice?

Anonymous said...

uPapillon , i totally disagree with you .Nicosan is not difficult to buy online .We are the pioneers in the online sale of Nicosan . We have helped so many people around the world {including Vixen} have access to Nicosan . We have never heard anyone complaining about any difficulty in buying Nicosan. Give us a try , your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Jon Monk said...

I was reading your Hydroxyurea/Nicosan comparison, and thought I needed to write you. I am 35 yrs old and have SS. I would say I’ve been on Hydroxyurea for at least ten years if not more. My liver and kidney are frequently checked and are in great shape. When I first began taking Hydrox. in my mid-twenties, it raised my hemoglobin levels from about 6 to 8. It hovered in 7.5-8 from that time until about three years ago. For a while it stayed in the mid 6 range, but the past year it stays at 5.2.
Over the past ten years I’ve been on Hydrox., I typically have been hospitalized once every 2-3 years. This is a massive difference over previous years before Hydrox. where I was admitted a couple times a year in my early adulthood. My number of crisis most certainly drastically reduced the first 8 years while on it, though the past couple have been a struggle.
In regards to side affects from Hydroxyurea, I’ve had: zero hair loss, zero loss of appetite, zero drowsiness, zero nausea, zero vomiting, zero diarrhea, zero constipation, zero stomatitis, or zero anorexia. If we read the possible side affects of every pharmaceutical we take, every single one is going to have a list of scary ‘possible’ side affects. We just have to weigh it out.
So I just wanted to write and let you know Hydroxyurea is a medication that has been of great benefit to me with little or no side affects. The past year or two, it has not been of as great of help to me as previous years; this is mostly due to my age, the severity which SC affects me and the damage done to my body from Sickle Cell. I personally would encourage every person with Sickle Cell--with the approval of your doctor of course—to give Hydroxyurea a try. If it doesn’t work, you can always stop.

Anonymous said...

I have read the article about Xechem that is in this link

(http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-07-01-nigerian-sicklecell-drug-mired-in-controversy).

I would like to know, if any one knows how the story ended. Did Xechem went into bankruptcy ? In which way Nicosan comercialization is affected whith all problems that Xechem is confronting ? (see link here above). Nicosan is still being comercialized ? How to obtain it ? (please send e-mail to ed_giribaldi@yahoo.com.ar). Who is in charge of distribuiting this drug in the USA ? Thanks (Eduardo from Brazil).

Ify said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Every drug has side effects. Some have short term effects while others have long term. Also one drug may be good for some because of their body make-up and bad for others for some other reasons.
Africans eat this plants but not in a synthesized form as Nicosan. i am not saying it is bad but everything you take too much will harm you in some ways, so lets take these drugs when needed most.
I say do what your heart tells you and live this life in full and with God.

Anonymous said...

I've been on Nicosan for 6months now, and within that six months I've not had any crises, even when I do things that usually trigger it, I dont have the pains, the only thing is I might feel kind of funny, which previously would have been crises. I dont know if long term use has its troubles, but for now am on it and will be on it. Nicosan ROCKS!!!

Elizabeth Sanchez said...

Really very impressive post. Thanks for sharing.

Elizabeth
pro argi-9