xeloda

LOUSWIFT

I see the onc tomorrow and I suspect even hope that if I need chemo (who am I kidding-I will) that it is once again Xeloda after four plus years. My question is: Has anyone taken Xeloda and not gotten Hand and Foot syndrome? The last time I had really bad. Yes I used bag balm with socks and gloves 24/7 for 15 weeks of it. It was the worst even more so then the radiation/chemo 2000 mg of Xeloda 6 weeks prior to surgery; then surgery; then 5000 mg of Xeloda for 15 weeks. It took all that I had not to quit at the end of week 13. I guess I'm hoping there is something else out there that won't require a port. I tend to form clots.

pepebcn

lou, as per I understand Xeloda is an evolution of fluoracil
so one of the drugs of folfiri or folfox combos, the most toxic drug for Hand Food in those combos is oxali (folfox) but not fluoracil.
Hope it helps!

ktlcs

Not much
Hank was on Xeloda 3000 mg a day during and after radiation (surgery wasn't an option in our case) and he hardly developed any hand foot problems,just some dry skin, nothing unmanageable. Now the Erbitux was another story.

Kathy

karguy

Xeloda
I did the xeloda for 6 weeks,and had no problems.My hands went numb,and I used dove soap,because it had moisterizer in it.Good luck.

CherylHutch

Xeloda
From reading the different doses that people take, perhaps you could ask your oncologist is it imperative that you be put on 5000mg/day or if you could start lower and work your way up to the highest level that your system can tolerate. Perhaps 5000mg/day is too high for you?

I'm on 3300mg/day (three 500mg tablets + one 150mg tablet twice/day) and am doing fine on it now. The first cycle of it was horrid... I didn't have any problems with the hands, but the pain in my feet was excruciating (ending up with the skin of both heels peeling off as one big sheet per foot).

My oncologist then lowered my dose to 3000mg/day and that was much better... but still the nerve pain was really hard to take. That's when we upped my dosage of Lyrica which worked for me to take away the intense nerve damage pain in my feet. So on Cycle 3, we went back to 3300mg/day.... both Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 have gone very well. I start Cycle 5 this week after I've seen my onc to get the results from the CAT scan I had on Friday.

As far as I know, my onc is planning on keeping me on the Xeloda for 8 cycles. Obviously, the results to the scan are going to play a big role as to whether the tumours are responding to the Xeloda, but even if they are, I think the plan is for me to have 8 Cycles of 3300mg in total.

So, ask your onc if 5000mg is a must for you or would it be just as effective to be somewhat lower (and if not, why not?).

Cheryl

herdizziness

Xeloda
I was on Xeloda 3000 mg per day, Oxiplatinin and Avastin, no hand foot syndrome. The Xeloda was for 8 cycles, did just fine. Cycles were 2 weeks on and 1 week off.