5fu iv versus 5fu orally. Any advice???

bailee2012
bailee2012 Member Posts: 60
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Dr is considering halting oxi temporarily and continuing 5fu and is offering to continue the iv every two weeks with pump for 2days like we have been doing or switching to oral 5fu which I believe is daily.  wondering about any of your experiences with this.  thanks

Comments

  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    #2
    Folfiri starting soon

    Any tips will be helpful for me, too. My team is focusing on a lung nodule then liver. I am the rare rectal cancer w/recent brain met. I feel fortunate to have no paralysis etc, and be able to move forward? I dread chemo.... Barb

  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    #3
    Oral 5fu

    The drug is the same and there is no evidence that really says either is better at killing cancercells so the main differential is convenience and side effects. I  have done both and found little differeNce in side effects which I think is common and found ingeneral it was very tolerable- worked full time through long courses of oral xeloda (5fu). The convenience aspect is important if it can untie you from regular long trips to hospitals so really in my thinking that is the main difference. It is certainly no less effective than the IV. 

     

    Steve

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #4
    Xeloda

    I had the oral  5fu, Xeloda, I asked my on what the difference was, he said convenience.  I did not Suffer any side affects from the Xeloda. Xeloda for me was 3 pills taken in the morning, 3 pills at night for two weeks with one week off.  It worked very well for me. And two weeks of pills and one week off is standard.

    Winter Marie

  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #5
    herdizziness said:

    Xeloda

    I had the oral  5fu, Xeloda, I asked my on what the difference was, he said convenience.  I did not Suffer any side affects from the Xeloda. Xeloda for me was 3 pills taken in the morning, 3 pills at night for two weeks with one week off.  It worked very well for me. And two weeks of pills and one week off is standard.

    Winter Marie

    5Fu Oral vs. IV

    I have had both. I had hand & foot problems with both. Orally was much more convenient. The one problem to consider for me was that with my BC/BS plan IV 5 FU was covered 100% whereas the pills go on the prescription plan and I had a co-pay of $60.00. As I was on 2 different strengths my co-pay was $120.00 every 3 weeks.

     

    Best wishes!

    -Pat

  • Coppercent
    Coppercent Member Posts: 158
    #6
    5FU vs. Xeloda

    I have been on both and did not have side effects with either.  I did Xeloda with my radiation and liked the convenience.  I worked throughout my treatments and found the Xeloda to be much more convenient.  No trips to the infusion center was convenient.  However, I was told that Xeloda had to be taken exactly 12 hours apart so I set my phone alarm to remind me to eat so that 30 minutes later I could take my Xeloda.  I had Folfox with 5FU and switched to Xelox with Xeloda.  My understanding is that the results were pretty much the same.  But I guess the insurance payment would be a factor to consider.  My insurance paid the same for both.

  • ktlcs
    ktlcs Member Posts: 358
    #7
    oral 5fu

    Which I believe is Xeloda.  My husband tolerated the oral teatment much better that infusions.  As a matter of fact he had little to no side effects.  As long as he ate before he took the pills he was fine as far as side effects went

     

    Kathy

  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #8
    ktlcs said:

    oral 5fu

    Which I believe is Xeloda.  My husband tolerated the oral teatment much better that infusions.  As a matter of fact he had little to no side effects.  As long as he ate before he took the pills he was fine as far as side effects went

     

    Kathy

    I tried 3 months of xeloda, 

    I tried 3 months of xeloda,  was not effective for me.....so I'm back on folfiri..... my oncolog. said it's not as effective as infusion.    I found it very convenient, no side effects.....I would have preferred to stay on xeloda.    

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #9
    5fu

    I had the third option, a Chemo pump delivering 1 1/4 cc an hour. 24/7.  It was easy to function with the pump. I had the bag refilled each week.

    During this time I was also getting radiation Monday thru Friday for five weeks. It all worked! i'm now over 3 yrs beyond initial dx, NED living a normal life!! LOL    

  • bailee2012
    bailee2012 Member Posts: 60
    #10
    thanks for your replies!

    I have come to trust you guys and your experiences more than what I read other places.  thank you for taking time to reply.  we will see what husband decides to do as this is ultimately his journey.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #11
    danker said:

    5fu

    I had the third option, a Chemo pump delivering 1 1/4 cc an hour. 24/7.  It was easy to function with the pump. I had the bag refilled each week.

    During this time I was also getting radiation Monday thru Friday for five weeks. It all worked! i'm now over 3 yrs beyond initial dx, NED living a normal life!! LOL    

    You and me

    This is the same regime that my Onc has me scheduled for after my 4 1/2 months of FOLFOX. 

    I'm glad to hear it worked well for you.

    Did they keep you plugged into the port for the whole time you were on the pump?  Was it for the five weeks of raditation? 

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #12
    Trubrit said:

    You and me

    This is the same regime that my Onc has me scheduled for after my 4 1/2 months of FOLFOX. 

    I'm glad to hear it worked well for you.

    Did they keep you plugged into the port for the whole time you were on the pump?  Was it for the five weeks of raditation? 

    Trubrit

    The pump was connected to the port.  Each week they would flush the port, and give me a new bag of chemo. After a 6 week rest, I had the resection & ileostomy.  That was reversed, but a fistula occurred which ultimately healed itself from the inside out..  A colonoscopy the following year showed me NED.  As I have been since.  Good luck to you!!! 

  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #13
    bailee2012 said:

    thanks for your replies!

    I have come to trust you guys and your experiences more than what I read other places.  thank you for taking time to reply.  we will see what husband decides to do as this is ultimately his journey.

    Is it possible for him to get

    Is it possible for him to get xeloda with Avastin??    I think it would be more effective (although possibility of more side effects) ..... 

  • bailee2012
    bailee2012 Member Posts: 60
    #14
    smokeyjoe said:

    Is it possible for him to get

    Is it possible for him to get xeloda with Avastin??    I think it would be more effective (although possibility of more side effects) ..... 

    Unfortunately not

    We tried avastin a couple months ago.  They gave him half a dose for first time to see how he handled it and the side effects started with just that.  High blood pressure, terrible chest pains and bleeding that resulted in a trip to ER and couple days in hosp.  Doc took that med off the table unless we would need to risk the side effects to try to get the cancer to respond.  It is responding well so far I just hate to pull the oxi off the table also even for a short time.  The doc is thinkin that the oxi is causing the side effects similar to portal hypertension.  I am gonna have them do his cea again before making the decision.  Sometimes it's hard to know what to do....

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