Tykerb - Lapatinib side effect

Rose2017

Hi anyone knows how to manage diarrhea with Lapatinib.

CancerThriver

Hi, I am on Tykerb aka lapatinib and Xeloda. Only on it two weeks so far.

Tell your doc if you have GI problems such as diarrhea. Can be serious. If it gets really serious they can even have to take you off the medicine, or you could be hospitalized if you get bad dehydration. Take it seriously.

I was helped by

-scheduled doses of immodium, one every 4 hours, two if needed, up to to of 8 per day

- Dr prescribed lomotil every 6 hours

- Simple diet of white rice which I cooked in coconut milk unsweetened full fat for more calories. Add plenty of salt. Bananas. Lots of clear juice but not apple. I drank coconut water and lemonade and herbal tea. I could also tolerate lactose-free milk and corn Chex. Dr. said toast was OK but I do better without gluten. Add chicken broth or bone broth if you can.

- I stabilized with in 48 hours. Now slowly adding additional foods such as well cooked zucchini, eggs, plain chicken, oatmeal.

- I follow the fod map diet for pre-existing G.I. problems. I think it is also a sensible diet for anyone who has diarrhea since it cut out sugars that are hard to digest. No lactose, no artificial sugars, reduce fructose, no Chruciforus vegetables like broccoli or cabbage, no wheat. I found it helpful to be very strict at first and then try adding back foods one by one. In doing that I found out that I can tolerate fructose just fine but can't tolerate lactose. It sounds like a lot of food to cut out but there's still much food left – for example I can eat things made of corn, gluten-free flour, many vegetables, meat, most nuts except they hurt my mouth, eggs, hard cheese, lactose-free milk, etc. You can find a lot about this fod map diet online. As mentioned above I am temporarily on an even more restrictive diet but I will go back to the full FOD MAP when feeling better

I send you much love and compassion. Post an update when you can. I hope others will share their experience as well.

Wishing you strength.