Faslodex Girls

 I have not yet been offered Faslodex but doubt I would do it anyway. Am starting Rads in a couple of weeks for nodule near Sublavian vein and 1cm spot on upper left lung which he does not want to biopsy. Just wait and scan later down the road. I am goping back on Tamoxifen as I couold not tolerate severe athritis w/Arim./Arom/ Femara back a few yearsv ago. Onc would not classify as Stage IV ( why I don't know) Should I insist on lung biopsy.I had bad reaction to Taxol, and Neulasta before.

 Just got my lab results from earlier this week, and tumor markers are down again for me, too! Yay!  I don't have to have early scans or change treatments just yet and get to remain a Faslodex girl!   I'm greatly relieved, although I realize it's a reprieve and I'll never be out of the woods.

   Another month, though, with no change is a good thing. Month 26!  Kicking that can down the road with all of you. 

Hello Ladies,

I've been on Fas. for a month, and tomorrow will be getting my 3rd dose (after the two "loading doses"). 

I was on Doxil until last month when my scan said there were too many mets on my liver to count!  My liver feels hard and sore to the touch, so I know it's pretty bad.  I'm wondering if any of you have had a similar problem with the liver and had the Fas. work for you.  If so, were you on Fas. alone or an additional treatment?   

Thanks, Susan.  That's so thoughtful of you!

Peachy, Faslodex knocked my lung mets silly and has kept them down and out for two years.

Tina

I have been on faslodex femara combo for a year. I started out pretty sick, but am doing much better these days. My exercise has only consisted of walking. The last three days I have tried to jog a little. I jog for 2 minutes and walk for three. When I jog the areas of the injections feel like they are on fire. This has happened every time the last three days and I am three weeks past my shots. Has anyone else felt this?

Hi Peachy,  Faslodex is prescribed for homone positive cancer, regardless of location of the mets.  It's the second line hormonal therapy, after letrozole or anastrozole, etc.  If your doc feels you've failed hormonal therapy then it may be on to chemo.

I hope it all goes well.  I take Femara with basically no side effects other than the hot flashes (man I hate humidity -- which is today where I live!).

Susan et al,

OMG, maybe all of us should skip getting injections in August! Yesterday my onc's office called and left a message that he'd gone on vacation. That was okay with me as I'd already discussed my good scans on the phone with his nurse. What I didn't expect was that his nurse would be out today, too. She usually gives me the Faslodex. I arrived to confusion, had my labs, then was sent to the chemo room (where I hardly ever go). I told a nurse there that I was getting an injection that required me to drop my pants and I did not think the crowded chemo room was the place to do it. I was told "okay" and asked who I wanted to administer the injection. I reponded "Someone who knows what they're doing, please." As I waited to see who the heck was going to shoot me I grew more anxious because I feared the Faslodex hadn't been warmed because no one in the chemo room seemed to know anything about it. By the time a nurse took my BP it was ascending into the stratosphere. Cutting to the chase: we went to a private exam room and, at my instruction, a  pleasant young nurse ensured the stuff was warm, injected it high and slowly, and was kind and chatty throughout. I am emotionally exhausted. I was embarrassed that I almost panicked, but it doesn't take much--my two trusted caregivers to be absent--for this very small practice to look/feel like it's going off the rails.

My funny side suggests that we all consider taking Ativan before appointments in August. My practical side insists we must be at 100% alertness for self-preservation!

Tina

Well, since I've joined this site I signed up to be notified every time a person leaves a comment here on the faslodex site. I've been wondering why I hadn't received any comments. i decided to come here to see what's going on. And lo and behold. I have NOT been notified. I thought you all went on vacation.

Tina and Susan, the same thing happened to me. All my favorite nurses were on vacation. But I just went with the flow. It doesn't happen all the time. And the nurse who gave me the faslodex shot said shed been doing it for years and she was good at it. The day before, when I had my blood drawn, the nurse left me in the room while she went to get a bandaid for my arm and forgot about me altogether. It's a good thing I don't get her every month.

Doesn't matter. My markers continue to come down every month. they are still high, in the hundreds, but they come down monthly. So faslodex and Aromasin are working.

Teresa

PS. How do I fix this notification thing?

Susan, glad the shots went well this time.  I see a different nurse every time so I've educated the entire crew by now.

I was in the shower this morning feeling more hair come out, sigh.  How much should I expect to lose?  And will the "loss" plateau at some point?

Pajim,

I wash my hair every day and notice multiple strands on my hands and then on the floor when I brush and blow dry it. However, my hair--which I keep fairly short--looks as thick as ever. For the past year or so I've been using a conditioning treatment that seems to keep my hair and scalp from drying out. Khiel's "Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak" is a bit pricey, but I use less than a tablespoon per application, glopping the stuff on my hair and massaging it into my scalp. I use it after almost every shampoo, leave it in for two or three minutes while I finish showering and shaving, then rinse. You may want to try it.

Tina

Well I may be having to leave the Fanny pack soon . Found out on Fri that I have the dreaded "P" word in the liver, so I'm starting xeloda next week. Still got my shots on Fri cuz the doc thinks that its helping keep my bone mets stable even though it's not doing Jack sh!t for the little liver b@stards. He says insurance may gripe, but as long as they don't object he's going to keep me on Fas for as long as he thinks it's helping the bones.



Much as I'm not loving the jackhammer-sized injections every month, I'll miss my Fanny Pack sisters if I do have to go!!

Thanks Mary!  So sorry to see the P letter.  I hope Xeloda knocks those guys back for you.

HI ladies. Since I'm finally getting my second shot of Fasoldex today I guess I can say that I'm joining the group.



I was on Xeloda but that quit working a couple of months ago. Since the ABT-888 trial that we wanted wasn't recruiting yet we gave X one last try back on the 14/7 sched but it just didn't cut the mustard. Then we found out that there is a 28 day chemo washout for the trial but hormonals could be taken up to 7 days before starting the trial. And then they can be resumed after Day 1. So I had my first Fasoldex double dip about three weeks ago and today I'll be getting the next. Apparently they are going to give me some extra to make up for lost time.



So I'm on the ABT-888 (veliparib) and Fasoldex. The first shot didn't give me any SEs. Except for a heck of a bruise on the right side. Guess I tensed up a little. One nurse was doing it so it was sequential. Now I'm going to get the shots down here at Seattle Cancer Care so I'll see whether they do it one at a time or two shots at once.



How long has Fasoldex been in use for BC?