Anyone starting chemo in June 08

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Excellent rovergirl!!!!!

Sarah - So glad to hear you got your tx yesterday (same as me). 

We don't do mid chemo MRIs here as a standard practice at all - so I'd love to have someone shed some light on why they're done and it it makes a difference.

For all - a question about antibiotics and diarrhea.  During the last chemo stupor, I ended up in the ER with an infection and very low white count.  The docs put me on 2 antibiotics for 10 days - Cipro and Amoxi/Clav.  I started having antibiotic induced diarrhea on day 4 of the antibiotics, and took Immodium to try to control it.  I called in and the onc nurse told me not to stop the antibiotics, but continue to take Immodium.  When I went in for my day-before-tx blood work and visit with the onc, I was told to stop antibiotics (on day 9 of 10), and that if the diarrhea did not stop in the next day or two (as Dexamethazone and Zofran tend to cause constipation), then maybe I have C. difficile, which would need to be treated.  I just took a stool sample in to the lab and should get the results before the weekend.  Looks like no constipation at this stage for me, but have no idea what else is in store.  Anyone ever have or hear of this complication with antibiotics? Any advice to share?

 Many thanks,

Gina_M.

Gina,

The amox/clav (generic augmentin) biggest side effect is diarrhea but taking it with food tends to help most people. 

I sure hope the diarrhea clears up on its own, you don't need a c diff infection on top of everything else.

Ellen

Congratulations Rovergirl!!!! We need all the good news we can get. 

Hunkdory hope everything went well.

Has anyone had any problems with the sweat glands under the arm that had the lymth nodes taken? I don't sweat under the arm that the nodes were taken but sweat like a stuck pig in the other. Plan on talking to onco tomorrow.

Carolyn - My treatment plan consists on 12 weekly taxol infusions, followed by 15 weekly AC (oh boy!).  I am involved in a clincial trial which changed the order of the drugs plus added a investigational drug during the taxol portion.  I find taxol to be very tolerable and from what I read the majority of people find taxol easier than AC, although there are exceptions.  I just finished infusion # 9 today.

Gina - I am getting neoadj. chemo and MRI is just a mid-assessment to see if the chemo is working and it is.  My tumor did not show up on a mammo or an ultrasound so the MRI is the best way to see the tumor.  Plus being involved in the clincial trial I am under going a series of tests - PET Scan, MRI, MUGA, bone scans - I've had so much radiation injected into me I think I'll glow in the dark.

Rover 

Hi all - Tx2, day 4 for me today.  I gave myself that Neulasta injection on Wednesday and had a few aches and pains that I've managed with Tylenol.  My mouth is tender, but no sores at this point, which is quite a relief.  I'm rinsing it quite often and staying with soft food.  The nmouth sores were absolutely horrible with the last treatment, but muy dose was lowered by 15% and I'm hoping it makes a difference in side effects.

Because of the fever on day 12 of Tx1, I was on three strong antibiotics for 10 days - causing diarrhea from about the 4th day on the antibiotics.  Took Immodium forever it seemed.  The last day of antibiotics was also the day of Tx2, and I still had diarrhea.  So - no constipation this time and no need for Colace or Sennekot - at least not yet.  The diarrhea is slowing down, and I'm waiting for lab results back on a stool sample I took in for C.Difficile.  Hopefully it is negative (I think it is, as I have not had any fever or other symptoms).

I was a bit more tired when I got up this morning, but hopefully things will pick up today.  I've got about 4 hours of work that really is a "must do" at my home office, though I could put it off to later in the weekend if necessary.

We've got our 15 year old godson with us for the next week (he came out from  Montreal yesterday) and my husband has taken him off for a 2-day trip.  So I'm alone for a couple of days, but so many of you handle things on your own that I'm sure I'll be fine. (DH hated to leave me alone during the "bad time", but I felt it would be better and less stressful for me if they were away.)

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Gina_M.

I haven't had diarrea, so I'm quite lucky.

Have my 3rd TAC yesterday. Blood work was fantastic. Slept most of the day yesterda.Today a little tired and woozy from the drugs but feel over all good. Hope the next 3 treatments go as well.

Good luck to everyone who has treatment and S/E.

Seabreeze45

Hope you are still on here sometimes, as I have not heard from you or seen any messages since you started your chemo and was wondering how you are doing with it. I have sent you a private message quite awhile ago with no response so thought I would try this. Hope to talk to you soon.

Bonnie

Happy Friday all.  I had my 3rd TAC Wednesday and am just now getting up and moving with the living.  Waiting for the neulasta shot pain to show up though.

Glad you had a good time Vinogal.  Vacations are always fun but its always seems comfortable to get back home too.  Sounds like we have been having a small wave of diarrhea from a few here. No fun.  So far it hasn't been a real issue for me, at least not severe enough to hold me prisoner.  Hope that passes for all of you in the next day or so.  Immodium AD.  My husband says the AD on the end stands for "Anal Dam" 

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  And Vino, no long weekend here.  Later! HunkyD

Gina, I have had the bone pain last as long as a week after the shot. Sometimes worse than others.  I also take something stronger when it is like that.  A hot bath sometimes helps me too.  Good Luck.  HunkyD

I noticed that a bunch of you are having diarrhea while on Taxotere & Cytoxan.  I did, too, for all 4 of my TC cycles.

The first cycle was the worst--I had mild constipation for the first 2 or 3 days, and it transitioned directly into diarrhea.  I had the "runs" until around day 10, but I only took Imodium for the last couple of days.  The worst of it was that I had a "scald" in a very embarrassing place, because of the diarrhea.  Desitin ointment was helpful for the scald.

My onco suggested using "baby wipes" if I developed diarrhea again, to reduce the irritation and chances of scald.  I found some "Huggies" wipes that were alcohol- and fragrance-free.  They worked really well--I had no problems with irritation after that, even though I developed the same type of diarrhea at the same time during TC cycles #2 and 3.  Things went much better during cycle #4--  (TMI!):  It wasn't really fluid during cycle #4, and it only lasted for 2 or 3 days.

It is important to be alert to the possibility of C. difficile, which can develop into severe colitis.  That's been reported in chemo patients on Taxotere.

Bonnie02, you asked about hair re-growth after Taxotere/Cytoxan.  I'm 8 weeks out from my last (4th) TC treatment.  So far, the most exciting thing that has happened is that almost all my eyelashes have fallen out, and I've lost about half my eyebrow hair.  None of that began until I was done with chemo--it was about 3 weeks after my 4th TC treatment when the lower lashes disappeared.  Oh, and the hair on my forearms, which hung on tight throughout chemo, has been coming out for the past month or so; and my forearms are now mostly bare (no complaints there!).

My scalp hair is coming back, but it's very weird.  I have zillions of tiny, thin, colorless hairs that look like peach fuzz.  They're too thin to even be bristly, but so far they stick straight up, which will present loads of fun in another month.  I've heard this first hair is like newborn baby's hair--it's not "real" hair.  These fine, colorless hairs will be replaced by "real" scalp hair, but I don't know the timeline for that.  The normal growth rate of normal hair is 1 cm (about half an inch) per month.  This is not normal hair, though--it's hair that has been "chemo'd", so who knows....

otter

My BF who is a nurse suggest using Vaseline and baby wipes for diarrhea. This is what her office recommends for colonoscopies. If you have ever had one you know what diarrhea is, which I have. This tip really helps. Use at the first sign of diarrhea. Your bottom feels much better.

Third TAC went really well. So far each treatment has gone easier than the last for me. Keep your fingers crossed it continues. I start back to work in Sept two days before my 4th treatment. I'm half way through. YEA!!!!!!!!!! If everything goes according to plan I should be finished with chemo in Oct. then start radiation in Nov. I don't know the duration of radiation yet but, should be at least 4 weeks, maybe more. I can't remember what my doc said. My memory is a little sluggish.

Bonnie, I have my eyelashes and eyebrows but they are also getting lighter. My eyebrows have never been too dark so don't notice them so much. It takes more mascara then normal.

Any suggestions on dry mouth? Some days I can't seem to keep moisture in my mouth, drink tons of liquids and eat things like grapes and watermelon. Can't seem to quench thirst.

Have a good day!

Wyoming - Biotene has some gum that works well for dry mouths, and there is also (believe it or not) some spray called "Moi-Stir"that provides aritifical saliva.  It's made by Pharma Science and it seems to work for me.

Gina_M.