GEMZAR

I did great with gemzar/carboplatin combo but eventually dropped gemzar to give platelets a break. Onc deemed carbo is likely what's working best for me with TNBC and so far that has held true. Best wishes!

Starting Gemzar by itself next week. Would love some input about this chemo

Bab

just had my dose 1 of cycle 1. A/A not doing its job and got fired. Today is day 2. Now I hv to deal with constipation. I was so hungry yesterday after the iv that I ate so much. But can't clear my bowel this morning. Also I can't sleep last night. Any tips. I am hoping this chemo will do the trick and bring me NED. Any tips from long time user please. Thank

I hope things have improved for you both regarding the constipation. When I was on Gemzar I would notice I couldn't go the same day, and the next day. On the 3rd day when I would go, it would be pebble like. I called it pebble poo. The rest of the week would be back to normal. After a while I started to incorporate Metamucil every day and that helped a lot. the pebble poo became regular poo, but the same day and next day I still usually didn't go. Also later in the game I added prune juice which helped a lot.

For sleep, I often had difficulty sleeping the first and second night. I would be able to go to sleep, then I would wake up at 4am and not be able to go back to sleep. It was due to the steroid pre-meds. I started taking sleep aids to help with this, and it did.

Wishing you both luck on Gemzar and that you find it manageable and effective for a loooooong time! I was on it for 10 months. I had some fatigue, but it was pretty manageable.

good news. Tumor has shrunk. Marker halved.

Not so good news liver enzymes doubled.

Need help how to improve platelets count. Doc has jabs for WBC and rbc. But nothing for platelets. I want to avoid transfusion. Willing to try anything. Nope wearing red underwear doesn't help.

Otherwise other than fatigue or laziness its actually not too bad

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this thread, I have Mets to theliver, bones and lungs. The mets in the lungs have put me in the hospital twice, I had a drain and some fluid in my heart that seems to be controlled now.

Since my MBC diagnosis I have been on ibrance and femara which almost took me to NED. Xeloda and navelbine did very little for me and i was on it for a very short time.

Now the MO put me on abraxane and gemzar and I'm really hoping that this is it.

I have a 10 and 5 yrs old and I pray that God allows me to see them grow up.

I have had 2 infusions so far.

Ziz

wow that is great!

Ziz

I'm also on 2 weeks on 1week off.

To date TMs are still going up. Will see what happens on Thursday at my MO appt

Bab

I wanted to give gemzar a fair chance o for first cycle I took 3 doses before resting for a week. It was tough and I doubt I could sustain it in the Long run. My Doc suggest I am better off doing two weeks on one week rest hence forth. My side effects are blood is affected so booster shots for WBC and RBC, constipation, when I poo family rejoice and fatigue and insomnia. I take sleeping pills and or anti anxiety pills. Less importantly I think my hair is thinning. I am trying to get energy back. I am thankful that I can do nothing as my kids are all in 20s.

Hi chicas,

Has any of you had fever while on this treatment?

I have fever every day and I still have cough.

Ziz

I had a Low grade fever on the 4th of cycle one dose 1&3 and a bit of running nose on dose 3. It cleared up after a day. But what is really tough is the fatigue. I am even too tired to stretch out to the remote control to change channel on my tv. I can't even pretend to keep house except on my rest week. May be 2 weeks Son and rest might be better

finished cycle 2. Start cycle 3. Tumor marker moved from just in the black to 10 points in the red. Doc said he could feel a very tiny lump in the lymph node. As he had warned me earlier gemzar by itself is quite a weak drug n normally is used with another. We were very happy that he had worked so well. But..... so he added carboplatin to cycle three. Just did dose one yesterday. Feel like a zoombie and wooozy this morning. Guess I will just be couch potato and watch lots of tv

Hi Everyone, My name is Robin and I am new to this thread! I have mets to liver and lungs, and a small bone met in my iliac bone. I just finished round 2 of Carbo & Gemzar. My first round was just Carbo and I asked my MO why a lot of MBC's get Carbo & Gemzar? She said sure we can add Gemzar. I said "well do you think that is a good plan?' She said yes bc your cancer has become more aggressive. I did not say what I was thinking, but if my cancer is more aggressive....why didn't you suggest it. UGH. So once again being my own advocate and reading these boards is well worth it.

My treatment yesterday was the Carbo/Gemzor combo. Since I had the heavy premeds yesterday, I did not fall asleep until 6am this morning and only got 3 hours of sleep when I woke up at 9am and I am unable to go back to sleep. I hope tonight is much better. My other side effects so far......I was a little dizzy when I got home but that is now gone. My stomach hurts and I was having aching muscles mainly in my back last night, and that seems to have subsided. I have been constipated for years, so I know this will be a side effect for me. I am being proactive and take Senna S and surtax. I will see how that goes and I might have to add in Miralax. I also had a slight headache last night. Today the only side effect I have is fatigue and stomach still hurts a little. I hope we all have great success and kick cancers but out and away for a long long time.

Best Wisher to All.

Robin

updates

Just done done cycle 4b of gemzar and carboplatin

After cycle 3 I took a week off to see whales in Western Australia. Finally I put on 2 kg with all the good food at wineries. Too bad could only sip a teeny weeny bit of wine cos liver function not great. It was a great week without thinking of cancer and dealing with any of the side effects.

Back to chemo last Monday and yesterday. Basically the fatigue is really bad. I just want to stay put and not do anything. Blood counts bad. Constipation and insomnia too. But this combo seems to be working. Tumor marker is back in the black and tumor size felt barely there. What to do I just have to persevere. Thank God children are in their 20s. Right now I can't even pretend to keep house

yangtan I am happy for you that this tx is working.

I've scans this week and let's see. My TM are always over the top.

Ziz