camptosar & nose bleeds

krystiesq
krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Anyone had this side effect with irinotecan

Comments

  • claud1951
    claud1951 Member Posts: 424 Member
    #2
    Sure did
    Yup. I did that, too. I also think it might be because of low blood counts.

    You can't even "pick" you nose! Ha. It's true. I never did have to go to the doctor/hospital. The first time it happened was the worst so I called the Onc nurse and she said to lay back with cold pack on. Of course, if it got worse to come in. But it never did.

    I just had to learn to blow very gently.

    Claudia
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #3
    Oh yes...
    I run the humidifier every night and use saline spray 100 times a day (it seems). That has helped. It is all the dryness - skin, mouth, eyes and nasal membranes.

    HTH

    Kimby
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #4
    yep, here too!
    One of those things we hide; red tissues in the trash can! And when blowing in public; luckily most people aren't very observant. I also use saline spray often and a humidifier in my bedroom. Blow softly, and I will only use Puffs. Luckily, it stops after the CPT-11 stops! Sometimes I had to hold the tissue in my nose for a few minutes, while applying pressure at the bridge of the nose, leaning forward. It always stopped eventually. Made my nurses nervous a few times, but I wasn't concerned so they just kept a weary eye on me.
    mary
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #5
    also had nosebleeds
    Hi,

    I've had sore nasal interior and some bloody tissues when I blow my nose, but not any major bloody noses. I'm also on Avastin & I had attributed it to that because I was on Avastin one other time without the irinotecan and I actually had some major nosebleeds then. I think it tended to happen more last winter when the weather was really cold. Where I live (San Diego), it hasn't gotten very cold (I live in an inland valley that gets a lot colder than the newspaper reported temps for San Diego- down in the low 30's and upper 20's are common for my valley- but it hasn't gotten down to that yet this year). I'm on a break from all chemo for three weeks & start back up again next week- I'll be on the lookout for nosebleeds, although my main dreaded side effect with the irinotecan is the diarhea.

    Lisa
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #6
    lisa42 said:

    also had nosebleeds
    Hi,

    I've had sore nasal interior and some bloody tissues when I blow my nose, but not any major bloody noses. I'm also on Avastin & I had attributed it to that because I was on Avastin one other time without the irinotecan and I actually had some major nosebleeds then. I think it tended to happen more last winter when the weather was really cold. Where I live (San Diego), it hasn't gotten very cold (I live in an inland valley that gets a lot colder than the newspaper reported temps for San Diego- down in the low 30's and upper 20's are common for my valley- but it hasn't gotten down to that yet this year). I'm on a break from all chemo for three weeks & start back up again next week- I'll be on the lookout for nosebleeds, although my main dreaded side effect with the irinotecan is the diarhea.

    Lisa

    I hear you girl!
    The diarrhea is the WORST!!!! I also received Avastin with the CPT-11, and I know Avastin is known to cause nose bleeds. I am lucky in that it doesn't cause them in me, at least not when administered alone. When I am just getting Avastin, I only have the increased nasal discharge. I did remember, though, that in addition to the saline spray, I would use a Q-tip to apply Neosporin to the insides of my nose before I went to bed. This helped tremendously with keeping them moist while I slept (no nasal drop to keep them moist since I sleep on my back). And who knows, maybe it helped with not passing the rhino-virus!
    mary
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    #7
    msccolon said:

    I hear you girl!
    The diarrhea is the WORST!!!! I also received Avastin with the CPT-11, and I know Avastin is known to cause nose bleeds. I am lucky in that it doesn't cause them in me, at least not when administered alone. When I am just getting Avastin, I only have the increased nasal discharge. I did remember, though, that in addition to the saline spray, I would use a Q-tip to apply Neosporin to the insides of my nose before I went to bed. This helped tremendously with keeping them moist while I slept (no nasal drop to keep them moist since I sleep on my back). And who knows, maybe it helped with not passing the rhino-virus!
    mary

    avastin/ cpt-11
    My mom has been on avastin since last year without nose bleeds, that is why i attributed the new side effect to cpt-11. She has only been on that for two treatments. Thursday is the day we will find out our new plan. I'm feeling much better about the shocking news of the potential metastasis to the thyroid. Well, I'm not feeling good about it but I know my mom will feed of my energy so I'm going to be as straight forward with her doctor as I can and as positive and proactive as I can. I am talking to the doctor's nurse tomorrow in hope that I can circumvent any negativity the doctor might convey. I think she will take the news better if he presents it like...if it is XYZ then this is our plan...

    Still, I am plagued with anxiety anticipating the aftermath. I am fairly certain they will be scheduling her for a biopsy. Metastasis to the thyroid from the colon is really rare. Especially since she has no metastatic disease to her liver or lungs according to what the last ct scan. Seems as if you have to have had some type of change in the tissue to the thyroid for the disease to be able to set up shop in your gland. So I continue to wait and see. Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait....the cycle continues.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #8
    krystiesq said:

    avastin/ cpt-11
    My mom has been on avastin since last year without nose bleeds, that is why i attributed the new side effect to cpt-11. She has only been on that for two treatments. Thursday is the day we will find out our new plan. I'm feeling much better about the shocking news of the potential metastasis to the thyroid. Well, I'm not feeling good about it but I know my mom will feed of my energy so I'm going to be as straight forward with her doctor as I can and as positive and proactive as I can. I am talking to the doctor's nurse tomorrow in hope that I can circumvent any negativity the doctor might convey. I think she will take the news better if he presents it like...if it is XYZ then this is our plan...

    Still, I am plagued with anxiety anticipating the aftermath. I am fairly certain they will be scheduling her for a biopsy. Metastasis to the thyroid from the colon is really rare. Especially since she has no metastatic disease to her liver or lungs according to what the last ct scan. Seems as if you have to have had some type of change in the tissue to the thyroid for the disease to be able to set up shop in your gland. So I continue to wait and see. Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait....the cycle continues.

    Look forward to hearing on Thursday
    I am sure it will go well, and smart going to the nurse to head off any possible negativity. Of course, I would go directly to the doctor! You might consider a consultation appointment with the doctor yourself to discuss his MO, etc. Probably won't be able to get it set before Thursday, but for the future...

    I had to have a sonogram of the thyroid, which was rather uncomfortable because they push real hard on the throat, but better i'm sure than a biopsy! And as far as hurry up and wait, cancer time certainly is in a time zone of it's own! Let us know how it goes.
    mary

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