[bhagya]

Does itching with Revlimid mean itching with Pomalyst?

by bhagya on Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:45 am

My mother was put on 25 mg Revlimid daily and 20 mg dexamethasone weekly and had rash and itch develop around her trunk and both forearms. She did try an anti-allergen (levocetirizine [Zyrtec]) after seeing many of the posts here. Her doctor refused to give Benadryl (diphen­hydramine), although I insisted after reading some of the positive posts here.

But the itch was bad and she had to stop on her oncologist's advice. He has switched her to Pomalyst, 2 mg to start with, along with 20 mg dex weekly. He said he will increase the dosage to 4 mg if she has no side effects.

Is itching likely to occur with Pomalyst if it's also occurred with Revlimid? Or can you take Pomalyst even if you've had to stop Revlimid due to itching?

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Moderator's Note: For other forum discussions about itching and rashes here in the forum, including medications used to treat the conditions, follow this link. For additional discussions about about Pomalyst, follow this link. Both of these links also can be found in the "Useful links to previous discussions" thread pinned to the top of the "Treatments and Side Effects" section of the forum.

[Victor L]

Re: Does itching with Revlimid mean itching with Pomalyst?

by Victor L on Mon Jun 18, 2018 1:42 am

I take Pomalyst 4 mg and I have experienced a degree of itching on both forearms together with a rash. I have visited the dermatologist, but he was of the opinion that it is simply an annoying side effect of the treatment. (You can find more details of my treatment with Pomalyst in the forum thread: "Pomalyst, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone treatment" (started June 29, 2016).

Regards,

Victor L

[bhagya]

Re: Does itching with Revlimid mean itching with Pomalyst?

by bhagya on Mon Jun 18, 2018 4:59 am

Thanks for the reply Victor. My mother is advised to take 2 mg for a week and then increase the dosage to standard 4 mg. Itch and rash with the Revlimid was very bad and she had to stop medication for a week now. She has recovered from the rash and will start Pomalyst tomorrow.

[bhagya]

Re: Does itching with Revlimid mean itching with Pomalyst?

by bhagya on Mon Jun 25, 2018 1:07 am

Update:

My mother started with Pomalyst (2 mg) on 20 June, 2018 (Wednesday) along with weekly dexa­meth­a­sone. She is taking Lopermeg daily an hour before Pomalyst. She is on Day 6 today and has no side effects other than mild constipation. Her dosage will be increased to the standard 4 mg from tomorrow. She is quite energetic and not complaining of itches or shortness of breath like she experienced when on Revlimid. Fingers crossed, she should do well with 4 mg as well. Her oncologist thinks she will.

[bhagya]

Re: Does itching with Revlimid mean itching with Pomalyst?

by bhagya on Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:11 am

Update:

Called up the oncologist today to ask about the dosage increase to 4 mg and he wanted an update on my mothers condition.

She is doing very good and has minimum side effects from pomalidomide. She is not complaining about her back pain for a week now after she started on this new drug.

The oncologist told us to carry on with 2 mg for 4 weeks with weekly dex (20 mg) and then he will switch her over to 4 mg (3 weeks on and 1 week off) with the 20 mg dex weekly.