erbitux and leg muscle weakness

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lortex52
lortex52 Member Posts: 12
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi all...wondering if anyone out there on erbitux has experienced leg muscle weakness such that regular walking is an effort? Husband has been on erbitux for 10 weeks and has trouble walking around the block or around airports to make flights. He's been on Folfurri for 1 year and he's getting so very tired and weak.

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  • nanuk
    nanuk Member Posts: 1,358 Member
    #2
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    I didn't experience those kind of effects from Erbitux..would suspect the folfiri first.. Bud
  • goldfinch
    goldfinch Member Posts: 735
    #3
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    I agree with Bud. I think it's most likely the camptosar. ooh, how I hate that drug.
    Mary
  • dash4
    dash4 Member Posts: 303 Member
    #4
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    Hi, I am not an expert but I am not sure the leg weakness is from either drug. My husband has been on irinotecan almost 2 years now and has been on erbitux over a year. Is your husband's red blood cell count down? That is a side effect of low RBC. They give the oxygen to everything in your body and if too low they go to the organs and forget about the legs and you get lots of weakness in your legs. Just a thought for you to check out. Good luck.
    Dash
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #5
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    Gosh,
    I was only on FOLFIRI or however you spell it for 6 rounds, about 3 months all told. I did not experience this. Did he just start having this problem when he began on the Erbitux? I would think being on chemo for an extended period of time like this would have to effect the body! I suggest you speak to your doctor about this ASAP, maybe it is the red blood cell count and perhaps they can do something for it.
    Best wishes,
    Susan H.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
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    I wasn't in on this particular drug, but I agree with the others that it should be checked into. I DID end up with low red counts...and a general feeling of weakness. Ask his onc to run a blood levels test...and keep a copy of each one...I did, then I could see the trends...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • lortex52
    lortex52 Member Posts: 12
    #7
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    Thanks for the replies and suggestions. He has had low red blood cell counts off and on. Despite having a count of 10.7 last week, he's still very weak in the legs. We see the onc on Friday and also a CT scan. Please keep him in your thoughts.

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