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erbitux and camptosar - have you had this?

sarahtp2003
sarahtp2003 CSN Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I'm starting a new treatment on Friday, which will be Erbitux and Camptosar. I'm really scared because I don't know what to expect. I was having a different treatment (Avastin and Folfox), but I became resistant to it. Is there anyone who can tell me about their experience with Erbitux and camptosar? Please respond, I'm so anxious!
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  • goldfinch
    goldfinch CSN Member Posts: 735
    #2
    Sarah,
    I haven't had the combination of those 2 drugs. I've only had the camptosar (with 5 FU, leucovorin and avastin). Caused some diarrhea, ftigue and hair loss, though nothing that I find overwhelming.
    I'll be looking to see what others have to say.
    Hoping for the best for you.
    Mary
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  • swelsh
    swelsh CSN Member Posts: 10
    #3
    I have been on erbitux and camptosar since the beginning of February. The erbitux gives you an acne-like rash and studies have shown that the worse you get the rash the better your response to the erbitux is. I got nasty acne in the beginning but after about a month it subsided. I then got unbelievably dry skin (I feel like a lizard). Eucerin cream helps with that so if you get dry skin, use the cream. I took a while to find a cream that worked and I had major skin breaks on my elbows, knees, ankles and heels. So be careful. The camptosar made me lose my hair and I deal with diarrhea from it too. You can also get bad cramps during the infusion of camptosar, but a shot of atropin(sp?) will help with that. If I can answer any questions, just let me know.

    Sally
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  • sarahtp2003
    sarahtp2003 CSN Member Posts: 3
    #4
    swelsh said:

    I have been on erbitux and camptosar since the beginning of February. The erbitux gives you an acne-like rash and studies have shown that the worse you get the rash the better your response to the erbitux is. I got nasty acne in the beginning but after about a month it subsided. I then got unbelievably dry skin (I feel like a lizard). Eucerin cream helps with that so if you get dry skin, use the cream. I took a while to find a cream that worked and I had major skin breaks on my elbows, knees, ankles and heels. So be careful. The camptosar made me lose my hair and I deal with diarrhea from it too. You can also get bad cramps during the infusion of camptosar, but a shot of atropin(sp?) will help with that. If I can answer any questions, just let me know.

    Sally

    Thanks for the info. Do you know yet if your cancer has responded positively towards the treatment yet? I would be really interested in keeping updpated as to how you're doing because you're the only person that I've read about that's on the same treatment as me.

    Best of Luck,
    Sarah
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