HIVES!

nancy591
nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I've been battling hives since Friday night. Going into my 4th week of the new trial chemo regimen of daily oral pills. UGH!!! I've been on Benadryl all weekend and they keep coming back. I have to call the doctor on Monday to see how we will proceed. I haven't taken the pill since Friday. I am hoping a lower dose is in order and not having to stop with this trial. Sometimes it seem like you can't catch a break. Or like Maria (Mwee) always quotes Gilda..."its always something!"

Comments

  • kikiz
    kikiz Member Posts: 94
    #2
    I have had hives twice in my
    I have had hives twice in my life (not chemo related) but I know how miserable they can be. No suggestions that you have not tried but just know I am thinking of you and hope you can continue the trial. You are so strong and I know you will overcome this as you have so much else.

    All the best and in my thoughts and prayers

    Lori
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #3
    Nancy,
    I'm so sorry to hear this! Do they know the cause of the hives? You need a break, and soon!
    kathleen❤
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #4
    hives
    Maybe you'll need low dose steroids to stop those hives? Here's hoping you'll get relief soon.
    (((HUGS)) Maria
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #5
    Dear Friend
    Unbelievable...I am with Mwee...steroids....they should help and you'll feel better also....If it isn't one thing it's another...sorry to hear this.....I hope you can stay in the trial also. Keep us posted.Lisa
  • azgrandma
    azgrandma Member Posts: 609 Member
    #6
    Lisa13Q said:

    Dear Friend
    Unbelievable...I am with Mwee...steroids....they should help and you'll feel better also....If it isn't one thing it's another...sorry to hear this.....I hope you can stay in the trial also. Keep us posted.Lisa

    Hope it goes away
    i can image how this feels, hope it gets better
  • clamryn
    clamryn Member Posts: 508
    #7
    Hope it is gone
    Nancy, I hope that today all of your hives are gone. I have had them and I know it is not fun. I am praying that you can work something out and that you can continue with the trial. I think about you a lot with those young boys.

    Linda
  • Cindy Bear
    Cindy Bear Member Posts: 569
    #8
    hives
    HI Nancy. I am sorry to hear about the hives.. they are miserable.. I had them about 5 yrs ago. Didn't know what the heck it was, so after suffering for about 4 or 5 days, went to Dr. and got a shot. It is I believe a powerful steroid. It knocked the itch out right away but the spots/rash.. took about 24 hours to go away. After that, never had a problem and they didn't come back..
  • jloe
    jloe Member Posts: 174
    #9
    Benadryl Extra Strenght Cream
    Nancy,
    I had them once after a chemo treatment and the nurse recommended this and it really helped. I would also get Benadryl and Decadron (steroid) as a pre-med before the treatment to help prevent the reactions and that has worked for me.
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980 Member
    #10
    jloe said:

    Benadryl Extra Strenght Cream
    Nancy,
    I had them once after a chemo treatment and the nurse recommended this and it really helped. I would also get Benadryl and Decadron (steroid) as a pre-med before the treatment to help prevent the reactions and that has worked for me.

    I had them the last 2 months; finally got a steroid creme Rx.
    The dermatologist I saw says my hives are not related to the Doxil (although I broke out with them all over my torse after my 1st infusion and they got worse after the 2nd infusion.) But she prescribed a steroid creme that really has them under control. Now they just look like a bunch of tiny bruises but are no longer raised and don't itch any more. And they didn't get worse after my 3rd Doxil infusion, so maybe they are just related to the stress of chemo and not the chemo itself. I had a rash all during the weekly taxol protocol, too, and blamed it then on the Nuepogen, who knows?? It went away when I stopped the taxol, only to be replaced with these hives. But ask for the steroid creme (prescription) if you don't want to take more oral steroids.
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #11
    lindaprocopio said:

    I had them the last 2 months; finally got a steroid creme Rx.
    The dermatologist I saw says my hives are not related to the Doxil (although I broke out with them all over my torse after my 1st infusion and they got worse after the 2nd infusion.) But she prescribed a steroid creme that really has them under control. Now they just look like a bunch of tiny bruises but are no longer raised and don't itch any more. And they didn't get worse after my 3rd Doxil infusion, so maybe they are just related to the stress of chemo and not the chemo itself. I had a rash all during the weekly taxol protocol, too, and blamed it then on the Nuepogen, who knows?? It went away when I stopped the taxol, only to be replaced with these hives. But ask for the steroid creme (prescription) if you don't want to take more oral steroids.

    I have had several bouts of
    I have had several bouts of what is called "hysterical hives", though I wasn't hysterical, just stressed. I also developed dozens of mouth ulcers, simultaneously, when my youngest son was in Iraq. My doctor treated me for everything under the sun, and finally just chalked it up to nerves. Could not eat, it was so painful. It was one of the most miserable episodes in my life!

    Steroids are indeed the way to treat hives. A combo of the cream and pills (they usually give me Prednisone) works best for me.

    I hope this goes away soon. I had an allergic reaction to the "super glue" the surgeon used instead of stitches to close the incision after my port was replaced recently. It itched like the devil! The steroid cream really helped.

    Carlene
  • MK_4Dani
    MK_4Dani Member Posts: 314
    #12
    Steroids should help. I am
    Steroids should help. I am sorry you have yet another thing to cope with....I will add it to my prayer list.
    Mary
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #13
    thanks
    thanks everyone. The new chemo I am on is an oral drug I take everyday. I don't know if oral steriods will be an option. As of right now I haven't taken the chemo since Friday. I spoke with my doctor yesterday and it was decided I should not take the chemo until my appointment on Wednesday. I haven't taken any Benadryl since early Monday morning, 3am, I think. This was also my last large outbreak. I had a small flare up of hives last night but the good news is I didn't need Benadryl. A small amount of topical hydrocortisone helped. Hanging in there till Wednesday! I do hope I will be able to continue with this medication. If not, well, I'll probably go on Topo or look for another trial. I still haven't done weekly taxol so that is an option too.
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #14
    nancy591 said:

    thanks
    thanks everyone. The new chemo I am on is an oral drug I take everyday. I don't know if oral steriods will be an option. As of right now I haven't taken the chemo since Friday. I spoke with my doctor yesterday and it was decided I should not take the chemo until my appointment on Wednesday. I haven't taken any Benadryl since early Monday morning, 3am, I think. This was also my last large outbreak. I had a small flare up of hives last night but the good news is I didn't need Benadryl. A small amount of topical hydrocortisone helped. Hanging in there till Wednesday! I do hope I will be able to continue with this medication. If not, well, I'll probably go on Topo or look for another trial. I still haven't done weekly taxol so that is an option too.

    Well Nancy
    You and Mom will be at MSKCC together again....In fact, she is seeing Dr. S this week. wish I was going to be there. Good luck on Wednesday. I hope they keep you on this new drug...Please let us know....and hopefully we can meet up again in about 3 weeks...when was your last CT scan?
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #15
    Lisa13Q said:

    Well Nancy
    You and Mom will be at MSKCC together again....In fact, she is seeing Dr. S this week. wish I was going to be there. Good luck on Wednesday. I hope they keep you on this new drug...Please let us know....and hopefully we can meet up again in about 3 weeks...when was your last CT scan?

    CT scan
    My last CT was 9/30. I started the trial about 4 wks later. That scan showed possible minimal progression. They were really unsure if they should pull me from my current treatment to start the trial. My ca125 tripled though. I think that was the true deciding factor. The study protocol does a scan after 8 wks. So, I think I have another 4 wks or so until I am due again.

    I hope your Mom is doing well!! SHe starts the parp this week? I think I will stick with the NYC location moving forward. Hopefully we will meet up again.
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #16
    nancy591 said:

    CT scan
    My last CT was 9/30. I started the trial about 4 wks later. That scan showed possible minimal progression. They were really unsure if they should pull me from my current treatment to start the trial. My ca125 tripled though. I think that was the true deciding factor. The study protocol does a scan after 8 wks. So, I think I have another 4 wks or so until I am due again.

    I hope your Mom is doing well!! SHe starts the parp this week? I think I will stick with the NYC location moving forward. Hopefully we will meet up again.

    Hi
    Yes, Mom starts the trial this week..4 hours at MSKCC....I guess they do blood draws 4 hours after the first pill..I don't know...I am so disgusted with the whole thing. Given that Mom has liver mets, I am not very optimistic. But I am determined to have a great x-mas with her. I hope we can meet up again as well...Once she has started the PARPS, I don't know if she has to go in every week, but I can at least tell you the day I might be there: December 8th...after that, I am taking her down to FL to get ready for X-mas. She has already been invited to a couple of parties and is looking forward to it, hoping she feels up to enjoying herself. At this point, she really just wants to have a nice X-mas. This disease sucks....I truly hate it...........
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #17
    Lisa13Q said:

    Hi
    Yes, Mom starts the trial this week..4 hours at MSKCC....I guess they do blood draws 4 hours after the first pill..I don't know...I am so disgusted with the whole thing. Given that Mom has liver mets, I am not very optimistic. But I am determined to have a great x-mas with her. I hope we can meet up again as well...Once she has started the PARPS, I don't know if she has to go in every week, but I can at least tell you the day I might be there: December 8th...after that, I am taking her down to FL to get ready for X-mas. She has already been invited to a couple of parties and is looking forward to it, hoping she feels up to enjoying herself. At this point, she really just wants to have a nice X-mas. This disease sucks....I truly hate it...........

    Lisa...have you checked into
    Lisa...have you checked into cyberknife (AKA radiosurgery)? They do amazing things with inoperable tumors via this technology.

    Carlene
  • Christine B.
    Christine B. Member Posts: 137
    #18
    Strange effects
    A week after my first carbo/taxol chemo, I developed a rash all over my arms, legs, some on my torso and butt too. The doctor said this was unusual and we tried a steroid IV and prednisone which cleared it up pretty much. About a week after my second chemo, I developed what looked like bug bites on my forehead, top of my head, and inside corner of my right eye. This grew worse to the point where I had itchy stinging swelling all around my entire right eye and looked liked I'd gotten in a fight. Again the doctor said each time I have chemo I present him with something new. This time he thought it might be an infection from the hair loss like an ingrown hair and I'm taking antibiotics. I think the cold washcloth I slept with at night really did the trick though. I was speaking to a lady I met who had fought breast cancer. She put it this way, the chemo is poison and it poisons both the cancer and the good cells, each of us is different, so why not expect unusual side effects. I have my third chemo on Tues. and wonder what surprises might be in store.

    Oh! Something I learned the hard way about chemo and meds...A week after my second chemo, I went to the grocery store. There was a little boy screaming and crying all the time I was there. As I stood in a long line to pay, the boy was still crying. Then I couldn't get my ATM card to work. Finally, after three attempts and breaking out into a sweat, I tried my Mastercard. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor surrounded by handsome firemen, who just happened to be in the store also. The doctor said next time cut the Ativan in half if I planned to be out. He also had some good news...my CA 125 had gone down"quite a bit" after the first chemo. I didn't ask the number, I just held on to the words "quite a bit".

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