6-Mercaptopurine

6-Mercaptopurine goes by the trade name of Purinethol and 6-MP. An anti-cancer drug used in chemotherapy to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL.

This drug is administered orally and comes in packs of 50mgs. It is to be taken daily at the same given time and on empty stomach or at least an hour or two before meals. The amount of 6-MP depends upon certain health factors like previous body ailments, present body condition, your height, weight, age, the stage of cancer etc.

Side effects of 6-MP

Though there has been no specific side effect that needs mentioning there are side effects which starts at the onset of the treatment and ends with the completion of the treatment cycle. These side effects are reversible and most of the side effects can be either prevented or reduced with a little care and attention. Though the side effects pertaining to this drug is not mentioned the combination drug that is used along with it can lead to some side effects.

These side effects can be low blood counts leading to anemia, low platelets count which may be temporary thus increasing your chances of infections, bleeding etc.

This drug has shown to increase the toxicity in the liver thus leading to liver problems as there is an increase in the bilirubin which leads to jaundice, abdominal swellings etc. This problem is further aggravated with the increase in the dosage.

Some of the other side effects that are common to all cancer treatments are nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, loss of fertility, diarrhea though rare is seen when there is a high dosage of medications, skin rashes leading to dryness, itching, discoloration etc.

You need to contact your health practicetionor when you notice yellowing of the skin and the eyes, bleeding that is unusual, stools and urine containing blood, nausea which is re-occurs every 2-4 hours, vomiting, diarrhea etc.

Some of the precautionary methods are: Inform your doctor about all the medicines that you are presently on even herbal and vitamin supplements need to be mentioned, avoid getting yourself immunized or vaccinenated, you also need to consult your doctor about ulcer medications if you are taking as it increases the toxicity in the body, apart from this warfarin which is used as a blood thinner, allopurinol used to treat gout are all known to hamper the working of 6-MP. You also need to inform your doctor of any pregnancy, avoid conceiving and also breast feeding.

Some self help tips

Increase the intake of water, take the medication on empty stomach or at least two hours before meals, avoid crowded place as this increases the chances of infection, use soft toothbrush to avoid mouth sores, avoid sports that leads to injuries, use anti- nausea tic medications, ample of rest is necessary, follow a healthy diet and maintain a good hygiene. Avoid direct exposure to sunlight, use of electric razor is recommended to avoid bleeding etc. Getting your blood check-up regularly helps monitor the proper functioning of the internal body organs.

Chemotherapy drugs not only act on the cancerous cells but are also known to destroy those cells that are normal and so is the same with this drug too. This drug helps destroy the cancerous cells and also helps shrink the tumor thus preventing the further growth of cancer cells in the body and also prevents the further spread of cancer in the body. 6-MP or Mercaptopurine also belongs to the chemotherapy drug group called antimetabolites.