Reaction to Oxy

JR

Have others out there had allergic type reactions to Oxy ?? My 6th treatment I experienced a severe reaction. When I went in for #7 my onc said he was taking me off of it. I talked with him about treating the reaction before I received the Oxy and he agreed. So I got the Oxy and sure enough. I had another reaction. Not nearly as severe as the first one but still a reaction. Has anyone had to taken off of Oxy alltogether ?? I appreciate any input.

John

luv3jay

Allergic Reaction
I had a really bad allergic reaction to Oxy on my 9th treatment or so. It started off with itchy hands, then all of my skin started itching. They first stopped the infusion, and gave me some Benedryl in the IV, but that didn't help. Pretty soon, my tongue started to swell and by this time, I started getting nervous and having shortness of breath. They ended up having to shoot me with the epi pen because my tongue was swelling so much they thought I was going to suffocate. Needless to say, that was my last treatment with Oxy. Not that I minded because I hated that drug! It kind of shocked me because I had it all the other times before with no reaction, but on that cycle, my body just couldn't take it.

Sundanceh

Oxy is Very Nasty
Hey, JR
The Oxy is such a nasty drug. I made 8 treatments before calling it a day, before I called it something else...the 1st treatment went into my hand because my port was not in and my hand and arm up to my elbow went numb.

Once the port was installed, I did not have any allergic reactions that I can recall, but the toxicity from that drug really made me sick and I got all of the cold sensations that accompany it. Soon, they could not get it to me regulary like they wanted so they pulled me off of it. I was fortunate that the side effects were not permanent. The more doses you take of this drug increases the risk that the side effects could become permanent with the neuropathy and cold sensations and such. It's alot like playing russian roulette, you just don't know which round will get ya.'

What I did find that helped my Oxy treatment was Magnesium Sulfate by IV. It lessened the cold effects and helped me tremendously...please ask about this medication the next time you do your drop.

Standard treatment is 12x over 6 months. But no one at our place ever made the twelve treatments...now I know why.

All the best - Craig

nudgie

6th treatment
My 6th treatment I received hives and then ALOT of Benadryl. Stayed at the hospital overnight to continue treatment and this was already after reduction of drugs (20%).

After that reaction, I decided not to continue, but keep in mind everyone is different and everyone's bodies are different, so what works for one might not work for another.

Oxy is powerful, but it does work. Work with your Onc Dr to see if you can get the drugs reduced to continue the treatments

mom_2_3

Severe reaction
John,

I had 5 Oxi infusions prior to my liver resection. After my resection I wanted to go back on Oxi as it had worked so well. My oncologist reluctantly agreed. The first infusion after liver surgery was fine. The second infusion after surgery...not so good.

About 5 minutes into the infusion I passed out (luckily my sister was with me and I told her to get a nurse just prior to passing out). I was out for about an hour (the doctors told me they couldn't get a pulse and that I was essentially in heart failure). They did CPR and gave me 2 Epinephrine shots. I was taken by ambulance to NY Presbyterian and was there for 3 days in their ICU while being observed for relapse. Subsequent heart tests indicate that my heart is fine and the cardiologist I just went to see says she didn't think I had a heart attack.

In any case I am no longer doing Oxali and I am only doing the 5FU. My doctor told me that reactions with Oxali usually start around the 6th treatment. I also have an HAI pump in which I receive FUDR. I have 3 more months of chemo to go before I stop. I am currently NED and praying to stay NED after I discontinue the chemo treatments.

Annabelle41415

luv3jay said:

Allergic Reaction
I had a really bad allergic reaction to Oxy on my 9th treatment or so. It started off with itchy hands, then all of my skin started itching. They first stopped the infusion, and gave me some Benedryl in the IV, but that didn't help. Pretty soon, my tongue started to swell and by this time, I started getting nervous and having shortness of breath. They ended up having to shoot me with the epi pen because my tongue was swelling so much they thought I was going to suffocate. Needless to say, that was my last treatment with Oxy. Not that I minded because I hated that drug! It kind of shocked me because I had it all the other times before with no reaction, but on that cycle, my body just couldn't take it.

That is Aweful
I would have been so scared if my throat started closing up because of a swollen tongue. You are so lucky to have had something done to stop it from suffocating you like you said they thought could happen. I'm glad the pen worked and you stopped it. Sometimes you can only handle so much. Glad you're better.

Kim

luv3jay

mom_2_3 said:

Severe reaction
John,

I had 5 Oxi infusions prior to my liver resection. After my resection I wanted to go back on Oxi as it had worked so well. My oncologist reluctantly agreed. The first infusion after liver surgery was fine. The second infusion after surgery...not so good.

About 5 minutes into the infusion I passed out (luckily my sister was with me and I told her to get a nurse just prior to passing out). I was out for about an hour (the doctors told me they couldn't get a pulse and that I was essentially in heart failure). They did CPR and gave me 2 Epinephrine shots. I was taken by ambulance to NY Presbyterian and was there for 3 days in their ICU while being observed for relapse. Subsequent heart tests indicate that my heart is fine and the cardiologist I just went to see says she didn't think I had a heart attack.

In any case I am no longer doing Oxali and I am only doing the 5FU. My doctor told me that reactions with Oxali usually start around the 6th treatment. I also have an HAI pump in which I receive FUDR. I have 3 more months of chemo to go before I stop. I am currently NED and praying to stay NED after I discontinue the chemo treatments.

My Goodness Amy!
OH MY!! I don't ever think you told me about your reaction to the Oxy! I'm glad they were able to get you to come around. Oxy is a powerful drug! My hats off to all of you that were able to go the distance with that one!

And thank you, Kim for your words!

SandyL

luv3jay said:

My Goodness Amy!
OH MY!! I don't ever think you told me about your reaction to the Oxy! I'm glad they were able to get you to come around. Oxy is a powerful drug! My hats off to all of you that were able to go the distance with that one!

And thank you, Kim for your words!

Oxy is bad, for sure
My husband had been on Oxy with 5FU. He had 9 treatments with the Oxy. Then his blood count stopped coming up enough so the dr. stopped the Oxy with 10 and 11 treatments. Blood count was still very low when it was time for the 12th round and dr. wanted to delay the treatment for a week or more. We said OK, but were secretly wishing for a treatment as we had made plans to take the grandson fishing in Minnesota after it was over. Dr. asked what we thought of calling this chemo blast done at this time. We were shocked and his comment was "If the chemo hasn't killed it by now, one more treatment isn't gonna do it". So, we stopped at 11 treatments (9 with Oxy)and are now sitting in Minnesota. It's lovely!

So, yeah Oxy is bad stuff but hopefully it's done/doing what it's supposed to do. And the # 12 is a reach in the air is what our dr. said. Hope you are doing better now.
Sandy

taraHK

yes but not serious
I had mild allergic reaction (skin rash). I continued for a while -- with steroid and antihistamine (?) before each infusion. Eventually tho I started getting too nervous I would have a more severe reaction and I quit. But that was after many cycles.

Yes, it's nasty. Hope it is saving and prolonging a lot of lives......

Tara

polarprincess

hi
i noticed on round #7 or 8 that my hands were itchy and then on #9 during the infusion i started having bad chest pain and hives and they stopped it immediately and that was it for me. I was not interested in trying another cycle with benadryl because i figured it was my body telling me it was enough. I hated that drug and was secretly glad i was done.

bdee

polarprincess said:

hi
i noticed on round #7 or 8 that my hands were itchy and then on #9 during the infusion i started having bad chest pain and hives and they stopped it immediately and that was it for me. I was not interested in trying another cycle with benadryl because i figured it was my body telling me it was enough. I hated that drug and was secretly glad i was done.

Oxi reaction
I had all the side affects you can have with oxi and after 4 treatments I told the doctor I would rather die from the cancer than from the chemo. I was cold all the time (it was the hottest spring here in Arkansas we've ever had), I couldn't drink or touch anything cold, I couldn't eat solid food for three months and my skin looks like I have leprosy. After the four treatments, then five weeks without any treatments, I told the doctor NO MORE. He agreed about the oxi, but I still take 5FU and Avastin. Aside from my skin still looking like I have a permanent tan, I'm doing okay on just these two. My last CEA was 1.3 down from 2.3 the month before.

Good luck,
Debbie

fighting for mom

bdee said:

Oxi reaction
I had all the side affects you can have with oxi and after 4 treatments I told the doctor I would rather die from the cancer than from the chemo. I was cold all the time (it was the hottest spring here in Arkansas we've ever had), I couldn't drink or touch anything cold, I couldn't eat solid food for three months and my skin looks like I have leprosy. After the four treatments, then five weeks without any treatments, I told the doctor NO MORE. He agreed about the oxi, but I still take 5FU and Avastin. Aside from my skin still looking like I have a permanent tan, I'm doing okay on just these two. My last CEA was 1.3 down from 2.3 the month before.

Good luck,
Debbie

no more oxi after #6
My mom was 'toxic' from the oxi and had several hospitalizations before they stopped it all together. They had been decreasing it since round #4 due to terrible side effects. My mom decided they could stop it for good or she could stop chemo altogether. That is the option she gave them. They gladly stopped the oxi and she has continued on with the good fight.

Mom has only one treatment to go- July 7th. It has been such a long hard journey. I am so proud of her and all of you who battle on!

Susan

idlehunters

fighting for mom said:

no more oxi after #6
My mom was 'toxic' from the oxi and had several hospitalizations before they stopped it all together. They had been decreasing it since round #4 due to terrible side effects. My mom decided they could stop it for good or she could stop chemo altogether. That is the option she gave them. They gladly stopped the oxi and she has continued on with the good fight.

Mom has only one treatment to go- July 7th. It has been such a long hard journey. I am so proud of her and all of you who battle on!

Susan

Why Take It????
If this OXY is so bad.... and most of you have had a bad experience from it... then what is the ADVANTAGE of it??? I don't get it... why do the docs prescribe it???

Sundanceh

idlehunters said:

Why Take It????
If this OXY is so bad.... and most of you have had a bad experience from it... then what is the ADVANTAGE of it??? I don't get it... why do the docs prescribe it???

We're Trying to Live
Jennie

Everybody has taken because it is supposed to be a good course of treatment. Oxy is the latest 3rd generation chemo. Alot of us are probably here because we took Oxy as least as much as we could. { know my CEA markers were 19.2 and over the course of treatment we knocked the cancer in the liver back to 0.7 and my last check was 1.5 in the very normal range. I had Avastin and Xeloda as well so the thinking is that all of these can knock or shrink tumors down.

But it does come with side effects as they all do. All drugs chemo included have side effects. You and your doctor have to talk about the decision between the long term side effects versus trying to live.

I've always talked alot about the QUALITY of life verus the Quantity of life. At first, I told the doctor that I had my mine right and I was on my way to meet Jesus and was content with that decision. But then, I thought long and hard and figured to fight as long as I could and just keep looking at it. For awhile the Oxy robbed me of the quality of life and I do hate the drug, but the flip is I'm still alive and have some quality remaining. It is a delicate balancing act. I was only able to do 8 of 12 before stopping, so it is very hard on us, but probably necessary unless we try the Holistic approach - everybody has to make their own decisions regarding that route. We're not experts, but we are telling everybody the paths we have taken and the cost of those decisions.

Cancer is not an EZ road and there are no quick fixes. There are going to be more bad days than good when you're in treatment and feeling badly.

Starting my SIXTH year now and still here to talk with you. Without the Oxy and other chemo drugs, my voice would be quiet and I would have been gone from here.

But that is why we take the Oxy, the other previous chemo drugs are worse than this one.

And lastly, the doctors prescribe it because they do not have anything else stronger or better to give us right now. I pray one day that there is a new treatment that is easier on the whole body and mind and perhaps that day will come soon.

Craig

idlehunters

Sundanceh said:

We're Trying to Live
Jennie

Everybody has taken because it is supposed to be a good course of treatment. Oxy is the latest 3rd generation chemo. Alot of us are probably here because we took Oxy as least as much as we could. { know my CEA markers were 19.2 and over the course of treatment we knocked the cancer in the liver back to 0.7 and my last check was 1.5 in the very normal range. I had Avastin and Xeloda as well so the thinking is that all of these can knock or shrink tumors down.

But it does come with side effects as they all do. All drugs chemo included have side effects. You and your doctor have to talk about the decision between the long term side effects versus trying to live.

I've always talked alot about the QUALITY of life verus the Quantity of life. At first, I told the doctor that I had my mine right and I was on my way to meet Jesus and was content with that decision. But then, I thought long and hard and figured to fight as long as I could and just keep looking at it. For awhile the Oxy robbed me of the quality of life and I do hate the drug, but the flip is I'm still alive and have some quality remaining. It is a delicate balancing act. I was only able to do 8 of 12 before stopping, so it is very hard on us, but probably necessary unless we try the Holistic approach - everybody has to make their own decisions regarding that route. We're not experts, but we are telling everybody the paths we have taken and the cost of those decisions.

Cancer is not an EZ road and there are no quick fixes. There are going to be more bad days than good when you're in treatment and feeling badly.

Starting my SIXTH year now and still here to talk with you. Without the Oxy and other chemo drugs, my voice would be quiet and I would have been gone from here.

But that is why we take the Oxy, the other previous chemo drugs are worse than this one.

And lastly, the doctors prescribe it because they do not have anything else stronger or better to give us right now. I pray one day that there is a new treatment that is easier on the whole body and mind and perhaps that day will come soon.

Craig

Thank You
Craig ..... Thank you for the explanation on the OXY. Since I have only had 1 chemo treatment thus far it is all still very new to me. I am sure down the road I am going to be faced with making those same kind of decisions. That is why I ask those questions. By the way, the last PM you sent me will not open for some reason. I don't know why not. The first one you sent I had no problem with. Take care

Jennie