Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) treatment and side effects

If you’re taking TKIs, it’s important to:

• take your tablets according to the instructions of your doctor or pharmacist
• only take half the recommended maximum dose of paracetamol, as TKIs can stop your body from processing this properly
• avoid eating or drinking grapefruit, grapefruit juice, pomegranate, Seville oranges or any Seville orange juice (other types of orange and orange juice are still fine to eat/drink), since chemicals in these fruits can stop TKIs from working properly.

Currently, there’s not much evidence about the impact that drinking alcohol can have on TKIs. But if your liver is working normally, it’s generally thought to be ok for you to drink alcohol – as long as you follow the UK’s guidelines and drink sensibly. If your treatment starts to affect your liver, your healthcare team may advise you to drink less alcohol, or to stop drinking completely.

If you don’t respond well to at least two TKIs and need stronger treatment involving chemotherapy or a stem cell transplant, your immune system may not be working as normal, so you’ll need to take extra care to avoid infections that you might get from food.

For more advice on this, order or download our booklet Eating well with neutropenia.

You won’t need to take these precautions if you’re in the chronic phase and are taking TKIs.