I feel so ill

Tina Brown

Hi everyone

Just thought I'd drop a line to say...............OMG Caelyx (Doxil) is so harsh. I am feeling pretty bad. It is 5 days since my 1st infusion and I have never felt so ill before in my life.I was OK until day 4 so I didn't take any anti-sick tablets. When day 4 came along I felt sick and had diarrohea. I am not a "sicky" person and when I was actually sick this morning I was really concerned. I phoned the chemo nurse who prescribed me better anti-sick tablets but I tell you - I feel so bad. I just don't know what to do with myself!!!

I sailed through the carbo/taxol without hardly any problems. This is the 1st infusion and I just feel so dreadful.

Sorry to go on, I hope each infusion doesn't get worse and worse?

Tina

srwruns

Tina, I am so sorry to hear
Tina, I am so sorry to hear about this. I haven't even started chemo yet so I have no experience to draw on but have gained great insights from your experiences and others. So all I can offer at this time is hugs and wishes for you to get some rest/sleep as much as possible as the down right yucks go away.

sheryl912

srwruns said:

Tina, I am so sorry to hear
Tina, I am so sorry to hear about this. I haven't even started chemo yet so I have no experience to draw on but have gained great insights from your experiences and others. So all I can offer at this time is hugs and wishes for you to get some rest/sleep as much as possible as the down right yucks go away.

Aw Tina *hugs* hang in
Aw Tina *hugs* hang in there. Next time you get treatment you should possibly start taking the anti-nausea meds on day 3--to head off the nausea. What I've been told is that nausea, like pain, is something you need to stay ahead of. Much harder to get it to subside once it's taken hold. Probably check with your chemo nurse before doing this but hopefully it's something that can help you in the future. Sending healing thoughts your way.

Sheryl

nancy591

Doxil
My inital post on Doxil was how awful it was. It DID get better for me. Much better. I hope it will get better to you too. I started Doxil in January of 2010. I bet if you do a search you will see a post from me complaining how awful it was. I was on Doxil for 6 cycles. Hang in there!!! Don't be quick to jump ship!!

Mum2bellaandwilliam

nancy591 said:

Doxil
My inital post on Doxil was how awful it was. It DID get better for me. Much better. I hope it will get better to you too. I started Doxil in January of 2010. I bet if you do a search you will see a post from me complaining how awful it was. I was on Doxil for 6 cycles. Hang in there!!! Don't be quick to jump ship!!

Oh Tina!
I hope you feel
Oh Tina!

I hope you feel better soon, take heart from Nancy it will hopefully get better for you. ((hugs)) xx

Cafewoman53

Hi Tina
I hope by the time you read this you are feeling better
Hang in there !
Colleen

Cindy Bear

Hi Tina
I am so sorry to hear you aren't feeling well on this latest treatment. I hope it passes soon. Hang in there, you're a strong lady. Hopefully this treatment will kick in and do the job. And when you are feeling better, get in that sports car and take a drive...

Mwee

Cindy Bear said:

Hi Tina
I am so sorry to hear you aren't feeling well on this latest treatment. I hope it passes soon. Hang in there, you're a strong lady. Hopefully this treatment will kick in and do the job. And when you are feeling better, get in that sports car and take a drive...

UGH, so sorry
Oh, Tina.... I'm so sorry this has been so hard. The only good thing about Doxil is that I was given some time to regroup between infusions. I'm on carbo/gemzar one week and gemzar the next with only one week to recover and it's just plain awful. I'm sending good wishes your way... may this all be worth it and ICE and CREAM!!
(((HUGS))) Maria

kellyh33

Chemo
Hi Tina,
I hope tomorrow finds you feeling a lot better

azgrandma

kellyh33 said:

Chemo
Hi Tina,
I hope tomorrow finds you feeling a lot better

hi Tina
they told me to start the pills the day after chemo and not to miss htem, to take even if you do not feel you need them, and thankfully i never got sick .

Tina I am praying for you honey

eward

feel better
Tina,
I would highly recommend that you take the anti-nausea pills starting the first day, if they let you. Do you want me to find out what anti-sick pills my mom takes? I think they might have put something in her IV during infusion to help with that and she took the pills right away. Her nurses told her to take the pills even if she was feeling ok.

Just know that this feeling will pass. How long do you have between treatments? There are so many waves up and down with this dreadful disease. I am so sorry you are feeling so ill.

Do you have a nurse you can call to ask for help with this? I would call and complain that you are feeling so ill and see what they can do to help you. There is so much medicine and information out there that might help you. You might even be able to get help in selecting foods that will be more appealing and less irritating to you.

xoxo
Eileen

confuzzled

Hi Tina,
I finished my
Hi Tina,

I finished my second round of Doxil about 2 weeks ago and since then I've been having a rough time of it too. Everything I eat passes right through me I have lost over 12 pounds in the last 2 weeks. Now something else that is probably helping me feel so ill, is I picked up an upper respitory infection about a month ago and they gave me Augmentum (285 mg of Amoxicilian) and I do believe that it is still lurking in my system, teaming up with the chemo and running amok!!

I hope you feel better soon!

Jane

kayandok

Dear Tina,
so sorry to hear this. I hope the meds kick in for you soon.
Hugs,
kathleen

LPack

sorry
Tina,

So sorry that you are sick. My first infusion of Doxil caused much indigestion and I was told to take my Zofran for that as it could make me nauseaus. This time after my 4th infusion my mouth sores are not as bad as infusion 2 & 3, but the soles of my feet are peeling, so I am going to use the balm instead of lotion. Sorry this is a little long, but helped me when I started on this chemo regime.

Important things to remember about Doxil side effects:

Most people do not experience all of the Doxil side effects listed.
Doxil side effects are often predictable in terms of their onset and duration.
Doxil side effects are almost always reversible and will go away after treatment is complete.
There are many options to help minimize or prevent Doxil side effects.
There is no relationship between the presence or severity of Doxil side effects and the effectiveness of Doxil.
The side effects of Doxil and their severity depend on how much Doxil is given. In other words, higher doses may produce more severe side effects.
Infusion-related Doxil side effects (symptoms which may occur during the actual treatment) include:

Infusion-related reaction: symptoms include flushing, shortness of breath, facial swelling, headache, back pain, flushing, tightness in the chest and throat and/or low blood pressure. Happens in less than 10% of patients. Symptoms go away when the infusion is stopped and typically does not recur when the infusion is restarted at a slower rate. The first infusion is usually given at a slow rate to avoid the risk of these reactions.
The following Doxil side effects are common, meaning they occur in 30 percent or more of patients taking Doxil:

Low blood counts. Your white and red blood cells may temporarily decrease. This can put you at increased risk for infection and/or anemia.
Nadir: Meaning low point, nadir is the point in time between chemotherapy cycles in which you experience low blood counts.

Onset: 7 days
Nadir: 10-14 days
Recovery: 21-28 days

Hand -foot syndrome (Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia or PPE) -skin rash, swelling, redness, pain and/or peeling of the skin on the palms of hands and soles of feet. Usually mild, starting 5-6 weeks after start of treatment. May require reductions in the dose of Doxil.
Mouth sores
These Doxil side effects are less common, meaning they occur in 10-29 percent of patients receiving Doxil:

Nausea and vomiting
Low blood counts (low platelet counts). This may put you at an increased risk of bleeding.
Weakness
Hair loss
Constipation
Poor appetite
Diarrhea
Discoloration of the urine (red/orange color) for about 48 hours after treatment
Darkening of skin at the site of previous radiation therapy. (radiation recall - see skin reactions).
Darkening, discoloration of nail beds (see skin reactions)
A serious but uncommon side effect of Doxil can be interference with the pumping action of the heart. You can receive only up to a certain amount of Doxil during your lifetime. This "lifetime maximum dose" may be lower if you have heart disease risk factors such as radiation to the chest, advancing age, and use of other heart-toxic drugs. No "lifetime maximum dose" has been established for Doxil. You may be given Doxil for as long as the disease does not progress and you show no evidence of heart toxicity.

Delayed Effects of Doxil:

There is a slight risk of developing a blood cancer such as leukemia years after taking drugs similar to Doxil. Talk to your doctor about this risk in relation to Doxil.

Not all Doxil side effects are listed above, some that are rare (occurring in less than 10% of patients) are not listed here. However, you should always inform your health care provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.

When To Contact Your Doctor or Health Care Provider:

Contact your health care provider immediately, day or night, if you should experience any of the following symptoms:

Fever of 100.5º F (38º C) or higher or chills (possible signs of infection).
The following symptoms require medical attention, but are not an emergency. Contact your health care provider within 24 hours of noticing any of the following:

Mouth sores (painful redness, swelling or ulcers)
Nausea (interferes with ability to eat and unrelieved with prescribed medication)
Vomiting (vomiting more than 4-5 times in a 24 hour period)
Diarrhea (4-6 episodes in a 24-hour period)
Fast or irregular heart beats
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Black or tarry stools, or blood in your stools or urine
Extreme fatigue (unable to carry on self-care activities)
Constipation
Swelling of the feet or ankles
Tingling or burning, redness, swelling or peeling of skin, blisters or small sores on the palms of the hands or soles of feet.
Always inform your health care provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.

Doxil Self Care Tips:
Apply ice if you have any pain, redness or swelling at the IV site, and notify your doctor.
Prevention of hand-foot syndrome. Modification of normal activities of daily living to reduce friction and heat exposure to hands and feet, for about a week after treatment. (For more information see - Managing side effects: hand foot syndrome).
You may be at risk of infection so try to avoid crowds or people with colds, and report fever or any other signs of infection immediately to your health care provider.
Wash your hands often.
To reduce nausea, take anti-nausea medications as prescribed by your doctor, and eat small, frequent meals.
To help treat/prevent mouth sores, use a soft toothbrush, and rinse three times a day with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda and/or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt mixed with 8 ounces of water.
Drink two to three quarts of fluid every 24 hours, unless you are instructed otherwise.
Use an electric razor and a soft toothbrush to minimize bleeding.
Avoid contact sports or activities that could cause injury.
Keep your bowels moving. Your health care provider may prescribe a stool softener to help prevent constipation that may be caused by Doxil.
Avoid sun exposure. Wear SPF 15 (or higher) sunblock and protective clothing.
Get plenty of rest.
Maintain good nutrition.
In general, drinking alcoholic beverages should be minimized or avoided. You should discuss this with your doctor.
If you experience symptoms or side effects, be sure to discuss them with your health care team. They can prescribe medications and/or offer other suggestions that are effective in managing such problems.

joan60

Wishes
Hi Tina,
I'm mentally sending you get felling better wishes soon, with a strong hug!!!

Try to keep smiling!
Joan

lenjam

joan60 said:

Wishes
Hi Tina,
I'm mentally sending you get felling better wishes soon, with a strong hug!!!

Try to keep smiling!
Joan

sorry to hear
Wishing you a better tomorrow!

wendybill

Thinking of you Tina
Please keep us updated. I'm wondering how you are doing today and who is helping you.
Wendy

wendybill

Thinking of you Tina
Please keep us updated. I'm wondering how you are doing today and who is helping you.
Wendy

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

leesag

Thinking about you and
Thinking about you and sending you long distance hugs, honey!


Love,

Leesa

clamryn

Hope you are better
Hi Tina, I tried to reply the other day but my pc is really messed up. I am on my daughter's now. I took the doxil (8 infusions) and just finished in September. I did fine with it. My only side effect was the hand/foot syndrome. and some hair loss. I take a pill (Emend) an hour before I start my chemo and then I have to take it on day 2 and day 3. I also take 2 Dexamethasone pills on days 2, 3 and 4. I have never gotten sick.

Did they prescribe these for you?

Hope you are better.
Linda