Tips for managing side of effects Oxycaliplatin infusion

ghabla

Hi, I stage 3 colon cancer and the tumor was removed by surgery. I am now undergoing CAPEOX treatmetnt. I am posting this question in hope that you might share insight on managing side effects.

I have read all the patient education information about the cold sensity after oxaliplatin infusion, but I believe those of you who may have had this type of chemotherapy will be the experts in managing the side effects. I am wondering what items worked for you to help you continue with daily activities at home or at work. Any recommendations on gloves, scarves, face protection from cold? I understand the cold sensitivty may last longer as treatment goes on.

Any recommendations on skin care lotions, managing nausea?

Grateful.

bibliophile

Hi! Sorry I didn't see this when you first posted. I was diagnosed in July 2023 with stage IIIC colon cancer, had surgery, and followed it with 6 months of CAPEOX, so similar to you. I will try and address some of the things I remember, but if you have more specific questions, feel free to ask.

As far as the sensitivity to cold, I just wore normal winter gear and was fine. I did regularly wear my scarf over my mouth and nose to prevent breathing in the cold air. For me the cold outdoor air caused some pain, but also muscle contractions/cramping, so hat and gloves were good, but when I would breath cold air for too long it did cause breathing difficulties for me so a long scarf I could wrap around my mouth and nose helped. Not eating or drinking anything even remotely cold was also imperative for me. Even "room temperature" water was sometimes too cold in the winter because we keep our thermostat down. I drank a lot of peppermint tea, which also helped settle my stomach.

The peripheral neuropathy was sneaky because it came on gradually, but it continued to get worse even after I finished treatment, so don't under-report that symptom even if you think it is manageable. The good news is that it did reverse in time, but because I thought I could handle the levels it was at during treatment, I didn't think it would get as bad as it did (almost complete loss of feeling in my feet leading to balance issues, inability to do some fine-motor skill activities like putting on jewelry) before those symptoms improved again.

I took the capecitabine 3x a day, so one was right before bed and I found that if I didn't eat enough I got stomach pains and if I ate too much I was in the bathroom all night. That just took trial and error to figure out. Protein was good, so a small dish of plain greek yogurt or a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter made from just crushed peanuts (no sugar) became my go-to at night.

I didn't have an issue with nausea, personally.

The skin on my feet did get raw and I just used a regular lotion during the day and vaseline to lock in moisture at night.

I hope that you have mild side effects. Overall, I didn't think mine were too bad. They never kept me from doing all the things I wanted to do, although some fatigue meant maybe things took longer or I had to rest more, but I felt like I could still live my life well. I wish you all the best!

DanNH

I was able to buy silicone covers for door knobs and put them on all the door knobs in the house. I found them on Amazon that was a big help.

I bought cooling mittens and ice caps for her head and hands to use during the infusions. This was in 2021. There was literature blood flow to the hands and head during to avoid damaging those cells.

Unfortunately for us, the first week after I brought those items she had a reaction and Ceased oxaliplatin. We never got to use them. It’s my understanding that many of the cancer centers now use cold to reduce hair loss from the infusions. I have no personal experience using these cold packs. Our oncologist recommended bag balm for her hands and feet. It worked OK and was readily available. When we went to Dana Farber, they prescribed a medication to give her relief.

My son purchased eating utensils that were made with silicone handles. They were manufactured for people with arthritis who had trouble holding utensils. They worked well for my wife.

if you’re interested in herbs, you could try slippery which soothe the lining of the stomach and intestines.

I always kept a good Supply of low sugar ginger , like Baby and Me available on Amazon. They really helped with nausea. There are also some very effective acupressure points just below the knee on the outside of the were very effective against nausea when they were . You can find those points online.

Sorry that I got off topic with the nausea. These were wife.

DanNH

iron9nadin

Icing of the hands and feet helped me greatly. It was against the nurses advice and we agreed if it caused me pain, I would stop. It caused me no pain, I did hands and feet and bags of ice and sucked on ice cubes as well. Starting icing 20min before the oxali started. This can help with any platinum based treatments.

Later in my treatment plan, I learned about fasting during infusions and that worked great for me. I fasted the day before treatment and the 3 days during infusion. Also, very mindful of breaking the fast smartly and nutrition for longevity and health. The book, "Fast like a girl", was a great start.

-Nadine

bibliophile

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1724699#Comment_1724699

Do you mind sharing what your specific fasting plan was? Were you water only for those four days? How did you break your fast? Do you mind sharing what chemo meds your were on when you were doing the fast and how it impacted your side effects? How did fasting affect your management of GI symptoms both during the fast and when you broke the fast? Thanks for anything you are willing to share. 😊