Hard time on folfiri this cycle

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Trapbear
Trapbear Member Posts: 108 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone,
This past week was my husband's 9th cycle of folfiri and avastin, his first cycle after a 8 month "vacation" where he was on 5FU and avastin. Last time he was on irinotecan he felt pretty good after three days, this cycle he had very bad diarrhea days 4-7. Just wondered if anyone else who used to "breeze" though a chemo suddenly started having more side effects? He is better today, but basically could not eat anything for three days, stayed in bed, etc.
Bill

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  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #2
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    Bill
    I am on folfiri + avastin, + have had 27 cycles. I have found the more recent ones harder to "bounce back" from. Each cycle does vary a little bit. I may be switched to irinotecan + erbitux soon. I am sorry to hear your husband is having a harder time.
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #3
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    Bill:
    My hubby George is having a horrible time with this. He is getting CPT-11 which is the same as you mentioned. His diarrhea is ongoing, eat a spoon of food, go to the bathroom. The PA last week just told us to load up on fiber. Ok, that might be good advise but loading up on veggies can cause a lot of gas and that pain just might be worse. She also said Metamucil. He takes Immodium but only a few a day. My daughter said to get dad some dried pears. She gets them from Trader Joes but most stores should have them. Each slice has 10 grams of fiber and no sugars so I'm going to try that. Also, in the past, several members said coconut helped big time with the runs, so I got some macaroons and we will try that. I notice George lost a bit of weight from this problem and looks pale so I make him drink, drink, drink until he gets mad and says I can only drink so much. Don't know if this helps or not. NanaB told me her Jim is having the same problems. I got George some wet wipes and he said that does help with the oh so sore bottom. I'm going to try Ensure again since food is running through George he probably isn't absorbing much.

    Take care - Tina
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #4
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    Bill
    Bill, make sure they are giving him ATROPINE with his pre-meds...diarrhea has not been a big issue on my side (mercifully. Also, Lomotil eases bowel spasms and can help, it's by Rx, so ask for one.

    Folfiri knocks me for a pop each and every time - it is mean and nasty to me. I usually suffer 11 of 15 days of the cycle to some degree, try and come out of it, then back down again. The cycles are starting to run together though.

    Tina, coconuts do give you the runs. Remember the movie "Castaway" with Tom Hanks? That's all that he had to live on, and he had constant diarrhea. Just wanted to mention this to you:)

    -Craig
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #5
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    geotina said:

    Bill:
    My hubby George is having a horrible time with this. He is getting CPT-11 which is the same as you mentioned. His diarrhea is ongoing, eat a spoon of food, go to the bathroom. The PA last week just told us to load up on fiber. Ok, that might be good advise but loading up on veggies can cause a lot of gas and that pain just might be worse. She also said Metamucil. He takes Immodium but only a few a day. My daughter said to get dad some dried pears. She gets them from Trader Joes but most stores should have them. Each slice has 10 grams of fiber and no sugars so I'm going to try that. Also, in the past, several members said coconut helped big time with the runs, so I got some macaroons and we will try that. I notice George lost a bit of weight from this problem and looks pale so I make him drink, drink, drink until he gets mad and says I can only drink so much. Don't know if this helps or not. NanaB told me her Jim is having the same problems. I got George some wet wipes and he said that does help with the oh so sore bottom. I'm going to try Ensure again since food is running through George he probably isn't absorbing much.

    Take care - Tina

    Hey Tina
    Has George been tested for digestive enzymes? Chemo (Folfiri namely) had ate up 1 of mine and they prescribed Creaton to aide this missing enzyme which is what what causing my intense poops. It worked well. I stopped taking the Creaton about a month ago when I started taking prenatal vitamins and probiotics..... they made things take shape...if ya know what I mean. I tried the macaroon coconut cookies too but had to eat a lot of them to work and I could not eat that many cookies... I read to eat just a plain spoonful of coconut but that was yucky too so I ate mini Mounds bars.... 3 per day..... it worked for me but then I found out about that missing enzyme...... Take care...oh, when my rear got raw I could not even wipe it... I used a squirt bottle to cleanse after every poo and pat dry...then applied A&D ointment... cleared it up..... I read that cleansing with water after pooing....like using a bidet(sp?) will cut down on bacteria by like 75-80%. Things that make ya go hummmmm....... lol.

    Jennie

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