Since we are talking about sex....

Jaylo969
Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I received an info packet pertaining to chemo when I first started going to the cancer center.In the printout on Sexuality it states...

"Chemotherapy is excreted by the body mainly through urine.It CAN be excreted through any body fluid which includes urine, saliva,vaginal secretions, semen, stool and blood. It can take up to 48 hours after treatment for all the chemotherapy to be gone from your body, so it is within that period of time that sexual activity should be avoided or protection be used to prevent exposure to the body fluids."

Now, my question is this....what about the poor folks like me who are on Xeloda..14 days on/7 days off? Are we toxic for 16 days? That only gives us 5 days to get our groove on!

And, my Onc.nurse tells me this stuff builds up in us so why would we not be 'toxic' ALL of the time?

I've tried to research this but have come up with nothing about Xeloda except that it can dry up your sex life (if you have one ).

I could ask my onc this question but I think you all can probably give a better answer.

-Pat

Comments

  • Aud
    Aud Member Posts: 479 Member
    #2
    Pat
    Sorry I have nothing useful to offer. I didn't even know that about Xeloda. I had taken 500 mg. tablets, 3 pills in a.m. and 3 in p.m. every day that I had radiation, which was on weekdays, none on weekends (total: 3000 mg oral, daily). No one had told me to avoid sex while taking Xeloda (although the effects of radiation was so painful by the 3rd week, that just the word/thought of sex would make me groan, and not in an amorous way). Perhaps that concern is for higher doses/IV dose?

    I think you should bring your questions to your oncologist. The things I would want to know are: 1. What exactly does it mean to be toxic? 2. Just what is the risk to our partners? 3. Are condoms (male/female) protective? (I would think so, for those who are not aversive to using them)
    ~Aud
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #3
    Aud said:

    Pat
    Sorry I have nothing useful to offer. I didn't even know that about Xeloda. I had taken 500 mg. tablets, 3 pills in a.m. and 3 in p.m. every day that I had radiation, which was on weekdays, none on weekends (total: 3000 mg oral, daily). No one had told me to avoid sex while taking Xeloda (although the effects of radiation was so painful by the 3rd week, that just the word/thought of sex would make me groan, and not in an amorous way). Perhaps that concern is for higher doses/IV dose?

    I think you should bring your questions to your oncologist. The things I would want to know are: 1. What exactly does it mean to be toxic? 2. Just what is the risk to our partners? 3. Are condoms (male/female) protective? (I would think so, for those who are not aversive to using them)
    ~Aud

    the info
    that I quoted was given to me when I first started chemo. I was on Folfox then but was changed over to Xeloda after 5 tx of Folfox. I am just wondering if it applies to Xeloda also.The info sheet didn't specify any particular chemo...just said 'chemotherapy'.

    Thanks for answering.

    -Pat
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #4
    Jaylo969 said:

    the info
    that I quoted was given to me when I first started chemo. I was on Folfox then but was changed over to Xeloda after 5 tx of Folfox. I am just wondering if it applies to Xeloda also.The info sheet didn't specify any particular chemo...just said 'chemotherapy'.

    Thanks for answering.

    -Pat

    Nothing was said to me
    Nothing was said to me about protection during chemo. I must have missed that class. Husband and I are doing fine.
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #5
    abrub said:

    Nothing was said to me
    Nothing was said to me about protection during chemo. I must have missed that class. Husband and I are doing fine.

    I was
    ...Told to not have sex during chemo week, and to use condoms chemo week off, just to make sure and keep safe of any chemo getting on my hubby through sex.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #6
    Pat -


    Re:
    "my Onc.nurse tells me this stuff builds up in us so why would we not be 'toxic' ALL of the time?"

    That's why they make contraceptives/condoms!


    Isn't life wonderful? This is just another reason not to get cancer.


    John
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #7
    John23 said:

    Pat -


    Re:
    "my Onc.nurse tells me this stuff builds up in us so why would we not be 'toxic' ALL of the time?"

    That's why they make contraceptives/condoms!


    Isn't life wonderful? This is just another reason not to get cancer.


    John

    John
    Yes, life IS wonderful. I promise you, I didn't mean to get cancer. If I knew what or IF I had done anything to get cancer I would never do that thing again......but I am clueless as to what I might have done or didn't do. Sounds like a riddle, doesn't it :)

    Hope you are doing well.

    -Pat
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #8
    John23 said:

    Pat -


    Re:
    "my Onc.nurse tells me this stuff builds up in us so why would we not be 'toxic' ALL of the time?"

    That's why they make contraceptives/condoms!


    Isn't life wonderful? This is just another reason not to get cancer.


    John

    I think that the onc nurse means that the effects of the chemo builds up. One reason that they give 5FU in a 46 hour infusion is that it's active half-life is very short (14 minutes comes to mind, but I may be making up that number). In order to increase exposure, the infusion time is increased.

    I understand that most of the toxins from chemo are out of your body fairly quickly; however the damage builds on damage done, hence the increasing side effects.

    Thus I'd assume that shortly after completing a chemo cycle, our secretions are once again "safe". We've certainly used no precautions. (Heck, between my hysterectomy and his clip job, pregnancy is not an issue!)

    Funny anecdote re birth control: some years ago at my annual gyn checkup, the nurse remarked: "I see he's had a vasectomy, so that's your birth control method." I replied: "No, that's HIS birth control method. Mine is monogamy!" The nurse gave me quite a look!
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #9
    abrub said:

    I think that the onc nurse means that the effects of the chemo builds up. One reason that they give 5FU in a 46 hour infusion is that it's active half-life is very short (14 minutes comes to mind, but I may be making up that number). In order to increase exposure, the infusion time is increased.

    I understand that most of the toxins from chemo are out of your body fairly quickly; however the damage builds on damage done, hence the increasing side effects.

    Thus I'd assume that shortly after completing a chemo cycle, our secretions are once again "safe". We've certainly used no precautions. (Heck, between my hysterectomy and his clip job, pregnancy is not an issue!)

    Funny anecdote re birth control: some years ago at my annual gyn checkup, the nurse remarked: "I see he's had a vasectomy, so that's your birth control method." I replied: "No, that's HIS birth control method. Mine is monogamy!" The nurse gave me quite a look!

    Turn off the lights, mine glows in the dark......
    but thats about all it does.....I attribute my malfunction to surgery more than to chemo or rad as it woked all right before op......steve
  • daydreamer110761
    daydreamer110761 Member Posts: 487 Member
    #10
    coloCan said:

    Turn off the lights, mine glows in the dark......
    but thats about all it does.....I attribute my malfunction to surgery more than to chemo or rad as it woked all right before op......steve

    wow...
    I hadn't actually heard any of that before - oh no too late! I actually still got my groove on DURING chemo - and I haven't noticed Nick glowing in the dark - yet....
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #11
    coloCan said:

    Turn off the lights, mine glows in the dark......
    but thats about all it does.....I attribute my malfunction to surgery more than to chemo or rad as it woked all right before op......steve

    You know what Steve?
    You totally crack me up...LMAO !!!!!
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #12
    Jaylo969 said:

    You know what Steve?
    You totally crack me up...LMAO !!!!!

    Glows in the Dark.......LMAO.......
    Jaylo.......Being perfectly honest...KY Lotion is amazing what it will allow to happen...I think it would be an answer to dryness. Works very well with the wife and doubles as something else to aid in foreplay to enhance moods for both men and women. Like rolling in oil dependent on how much is used. The chemo especially the 5fu if you will notice the 5fu hazmat package is simple soap and warm water clean up...Now, the oxy made be a different story.....but...bodily fluids do not have to be introduced into anothers body to have the sexual pleasures that most of us achieve...so that way the hazardous part may not be as warranted...again though , the hazardous side would be for someone in that field to answer...Buzz
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #13
    Buzzard said:

    Glows in the Dark.......LMAO.......
    Jaylo.......Being perfectly honest...KY Lotion is amazing what it will allow to happen...I think it would be an answer to dryness. Works very well with the wife and doubles as something else to aid in foreplay to enhance moods for both men and women. Like rolling in oil dependent on how much is used. The chemo especially the 5fu if you will notice the 5fu hazmat package is simple soap and warm water clean up...Now, the oxy made be a different story.....but...bodily fluids do not have to be introduced into anothers body to have the sexual pleasures that most of us achieve...so that way the hazardous part may not be as warranted...again though , the hazardous side would be for someone in that field to answer...Buzz

    5FU hazmat
    Buzz - the Hazmat kit I was given to have at home during my home infusions included paper coveralls, gloves, yellow chemo hazmat discard bags; warning signs to post in the area of the spill. I looked at that and cringed; the stuff can go in my veins, but heaven help me if it touched my skin!

    Much more than soap and water. Clothes post-spill had to be washed separately.
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #14
    abrub said:

    5FU hazmat
    Buzz - the Hazmat kit I was given to have at home during my home infusions included paper coveralls, gloves, yellow chemo hazmat discard bags; warning signs to post in the area of the spill. I looked at that and cringed; the stuff can go in my veins, but heaven help me if it touched my skin!

    Much more than soap and water. Clothes post-spill had to be washed separately.

    Precautions
    When I was being given the bolus of 5-FU at the end of my infusion some of the onc nurses would put on space gear ( paper robe, gloves, mask ) and some of the nurses did not.Kind of sends out mixed messages if you ask me.

    -Pat
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #15
    Jaylo969 said:

    Precautions
    When I was being given the bolus of 5-FU at the end of my infusion some of the onc nurses would put on space gear ( paper robe, gloves, mask ) and some of the nurses did not.Kind of sends out mixed messages if you ask me.

    -Pat

    On the plus side........


    If you have sex with another cancer patient, they'd be getting free
    chemo treatments!


    Man, I wouldn't mind doing chemo -that- way!



    (see U later, TCM..... Hellllloooo boink-boink)
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #16
    I specifically asked my onc regarding chemo and sex....
    It was one of my 60 questions that we talked about.

    He told us just to use condoms. So we do. Any body part that isn't covered shall not touch me down there in happy land. I'm not sure what others couples do, but I definitely don't want Dave getting anything chemo on him.

    My onc told me a story of a couple that he knew. They came in and humorously, the man had a full head of hair. After a few months, her husband came in to one of his wife's appointments. He was bald as an egg. He asked if he shaved his head and he said no, it just fell out "somehow".
  • sfmarie
    sfmarie Member Posts: 602
    #17
    HollyID said:

    I specifically asked my onc regarding chemo and sex....
    It was one of my 60 questions that we talked about.

    He told us just to use condoms. So we do. Any body part that isn't covered shall not touch me down there in happy land. I'm not sure what others couples do, but I definitely don't want Dave getting anything chemo on him.

    My onc told me a story of a couple that he knew. They came in and humorously, the man had a full head of hair. After a few months, her husband came in to one of his wife's appointments. He was bald as an egg. He asked if he shaved his head and he said no, it just fell out "somehow".

    HollyID
    That made me laugh. Lord knows I needed a good laugh.
    Marie
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #18
    HollyID said:

    I specifically asked my onc regarding chemo and sex....
    It was one of my 60 questions that we talked about.

    He told us just to use condoms. So we do. Any body part that isn't covered shall not touch me down there in happy land. I'm not sure what others couples do, but I definitely don't want Dave getting anything chemo on him.

    My onc told me a story of a couple that he knew. They came in and humorously, the man had a full head of hair. After a few months, her husband came in to one of his wife's appointments. He was bald as an egg. He asked if he shaved his head and he said no, it just fell out "somehow".

    I don't get the joke

    I don't get the joke
  • TxKayaker
    TxKayaker Member Posts: 176
    #19
    Patteee said:

    I don't get the joke

    I don't get the joke

    Refer to "idlehunters" comments.

Discussion Boards