Hydroxyurea is used for:

Reducing the number of painful episodes and blood transfusions needed by adults with sickle cell anemia experiencing recurrent episodes associated with moderate to severe pain. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Hydroxyurea is an antineoplastic agent. Exactly how it works is unknown, but it is thought to increase the ability of deformed red blood cells to change shape, which may lessen pain associated with sickle cell anemia.

Treatment for:

• Polycythemia vera
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Essential thrombocytosis
• Sickle-cell disease (breaks down cells that are prone to sickle, as well as increasing fetal hemoglobin content)
• AIDS as an adjunct to ddI in combination antiretroviral therapies
• Biochemical research as a DNA replication inhibitor that causes ribonucleotide depletion and results in DNA double strand breaks near replication forks (see DNA repair)

Moderate to severe psoriasis (slows down the rapid division of skin cells)

Do NOT use Hydroxyurea if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Hydroxyurea
• you have severe bone marrow depression, low white blood cell counts, low blood platelet levels, or severe anemia

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Hydroxyurea :

Some medical conditions may interact with Hydroxyurea. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have kidney problems

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Hydroxyurea. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Didanosine because the risk of side effects such as inflammation of the pancreas may be increased

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Hydroxyurea may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Hydroxyurea :

Use Hydroxyurea as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Hydroxyurea may be taken with or without food.
• Wash your hands before and after handling Hydroxyurea or the bottle it comes in. Wear gloves while you are handling Hydroxyurea or its bottle. Follow your doctor's instructions for disposing of the gloves after you remove them.
• Hydroxyurea comes with an additional patient leaflet. Read it carefully and reread it each time you get Hydroxyurea refilled.
• If you have difficulty swallowing, empty the contents of the capsule into a glass of water and drink immediately. Use care when emptying the capsule into water. Do not allow the powder to come into contact with the skin or mucous membranes and do not inhale the powder when opening the capsules. If the powder is spilled, it should be immediately wiped up with a damp towel and disposed of, as should the empty capsules.
• Drinking extra fluids while you are taking Hydroxyurea is recommended. Check with your doctor for instructions.
• Do not use Hydroxyurea if the expiration date has passed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to properly dispose of expired medicine.
• If you miss a dose of Hydroxyurea , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Hydroxyurea.

Important safety information:

• Before you have any medical or dental treatments, emergency care, or surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using Hydroxyurea.
• Hydroxyurea may lower your body's ability to fight infection. Prevent infection by avoiding contact with people with colds or other infections. Notify your doctor of any signs of infection, including fever, sore throat, rash, or chills.
• Hydroxyurea may reduce the number of clot-forming cells (platelets) in your blood. To prevent bleeding, avoid situations in which bruising or injury may occur. Report any unusual bleeding, bruising, blood in stools, or dark, tarry stools to your doctor.
• Avoid vaccinations with live virus vaccines (eg, measles, mumps, oral polio) while you are taking Hydroxyurea. Vaccinations may be less effective.
• LAB TESTS, including complete blood cell and platelet counts, may be performed to monitor your progress or to check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Use Hydroxyurea with caution in the ELDERLY because they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Hydroxyurea is not recommended for use in CHILDREN. Safety and effectiveness have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Hydroxyurea has been shown to cause harm to the fetus. If you become pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Hydroxyurea during pregnancy. Hydroxyurea is excreted in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Hydroxyurea.

Possible side effects of Hydroxyurea :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Constipation; drowsiness; hair loss; inflammation of the mouth; loss of appetite; nausea; redness of the face.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blood disorders, including low numbers of red or white blood cells; blood in the urine; chills; diarrhea; fever; inflammation of the pancreas; liver toxicity; lower back or abdominal pain; painful urination; persistent cough; secondary leukemia; shortness of breath; skin cancer; skin sore or lesions; sore throat; sores on the mouth or lips; unusual bruising or bleeding; vomiting.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).