At the age of 23 I have been on Hydrea for about two years now due to Essential Thrombocythemia and my platelets count over 2 million. I have tried many different medications for the same purpose but the majority of them caused unbearable side effects. And in spite of the fact that with Hydrea I do have some side effects - fatigue, some muscle pain and easy bruising - I can tolerate them and in addition I get so much better control over my platelets level what is a big change for me. My doctor helps me adjust my dosage and monitors my health condition. He also observes the positive effect Hydrea provides, so I am quite enthusiastic and hopeful. Would recommend Hydrea to other people with similar health condition.  

I have essential thrombocytemia and have been on Hydrea for more than 5 years. The dosage differs from time to time, according to my blood tests. Actually I undergo blood tests every months since the time I was diagnosed with the disease. This is not the first thrombocytemia medication I am on, but this is by far the best one. With Hydrea I have least side effects and it provides excellent results on my platelets level. However I have some nausea and occasional headaches I feel much better with Hydrea than with any other med. I do hope that one day I will be able to find a more effective treatment that will help me conquer the illness but in general I am happy with Hydrea as it makes my quality of life so much higher. My doctor is also satisfied with the results we achieve when on Hydrea and he plans to continue this treatment course. I wish him lots of luck!)  

I would like to share my opinion concerning Hydrea, I hope it would be useful to someone who still haven't found an effective medication or is not sure about the choice. I have been on this medication (1 capsule a day) since the year 2010. I was diagnosed with Myeloperliferative Disease about 7 years ago and since that time I have tried several medications that were supposed to bring my platelets and hemoglobin levels down. And to be honest some of other cancer meds were more or less effective, but I inevitably had to stop the treatment courses and ask my doctor to switch me to another med because of the side effects I couldn't tolerate. Most awful side effects were unbearable pain in my muscles and bones that would keep me awake for many nights on end. I also had nausea and fatigue that would keep me away from my usual duties. I do have a serious illness but I want to stay active and to live my life the way I am used to. And when medications produce some effect but make me suffer and forget about normal life, then these meds are not for me. With Hydrea everything is quite different. I have side effects but they are not that serious for me to stop treatment. Besides the drug is really good for its purpose. So, while looking for something more effective or better to say while waiting for the pharmacists to create a new med, I am more than ok with Hydrea.