treatment?

druidshadow
druidshadow Member Posts: 85
edited February 2012 in Colorectal Cancer #1
is there anyone else on here that is takeing Folfiri chemo?

Comments

  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    I did, Stage 1V, have been
    I did, Stage 1V, have been off chemo. since Oct. no progression so far, we'll see with next scan if I have to go back on it or not.
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    Yes
    My hubby is on this minus the 5FU. He gets Zofran, Decadraon, Avastin and the Camptosar also known as CPT-11 part. He is Stage IV, mets to liver and lungs since diagnosis, diagnosed 3/09. Do you have a question about this chemo? He has been on it 3 weeks on, one week off for some time now.

    Take care - Tina
  • druidshadow
    druidshadow Member Posts: 85
    geotina said:

    Yes
    My hubby is on this minus the 5FU. He gets Zofran, Decadraon, Avastin and the Camptosar also known as CPT-11 part. He is Stage IV, mets to liver and lungs since diagnosis, diagnosed 3/09. Do you have a question about this chemo? He has been on it 3 weeks on, one week off for some time now.

    Take care - Tina

    yea kinda
    i am just on the cpt-11 and the fu5 right now but i also have a open wound that is healing so i will soon be on more on top of those 2 i am wondering side effects and what to expect it seems to be the least given combination for the folks on the board, i know that i will also in the next 2 months be on avastin after the wound heals. so i guess i am just really wondering about the effects on a personal level, i am just really nervous i have my second round monday.

    john
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member

    yea kinda
    i am just on the cpt-11 and the fu5 right now but i also have a open wound that is healing so i will soon be on more on top of those 2 i am wondering side effects and what to expect it seems to be the least given combination for the folks on the board, i know that i will also in the next 2 months be on avastin after the wound heals. so i guess i am just really wondering about the effects on a personal level, i am just really nervous i have my second round monday.

    john

    Hi John:
    Since you asked I will give you George's experience with this drug. First, it works very, very well and while on it George's CEA is the lowest it has been in 3 years.

    Now for the side effects. This is George's experience. George lost all his hair, head, chest, south of the boarder, all of it. (I believe Craig did too on this combo). Now many people do not experience complete hair loss but a thinning but George lost it all.

    Fatigue so take a nap if you need one. I don't know if you are still working but when George comes home he will nap for an hour or so before dinner and then goes to bed early.

    Diarrhea. George had it bad and we let it get out of control and he ended up in the hospital for a few days due to dehydration. When you get dehydrated then your potassium and blood counts can be off so stay on top of it. I know it can be hard but drink, drink and then drink some more. Gatorade has the electrolytes in it. Incorporate the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) into your diet. As an example in the morning I now give him toast (no whole grain), banana, some Greek yogurt and low acid orange juice. I recently was in contact with an oncology nutritionist and was surprised at the things he should not have so if diarrhea is a problem let me know and I can e-mail you the diet stuff I got from the nutritionist at the hospital. You may need to take Immodium AD. Costco's house brand is the exact ingridients and the name brand at less than half the cost. I asked the pharmacist and he compared the two and they are exactly the same.

    He does not experience nausea. Some days he is gassy and will jump up to go to the bathroom only to find out it is only gas.

    That's all I can think of. Hopefully others will chime in.

    Take care - Tina
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    geotina said:

    Hi John:
    Since you asked I will give you George's experience with this drug. First, it works very, very well and while on it George's CEA is the lowest it has been in 3 years.

    Now for the side effects. This is George's experience. George lost all his hair, head, chest, south of the boarder, all of it. (I believe Craig did too on this combo). Now many people do not experience complete hair loss but a thinning but George lost it all.

    Fatigue so take a nap if you need one. I don't know if you are still working but when George comes home he will nap for an hour or so before dinner and then goes to bed early.

    Diarrhea. George had it bad and we let it get out of control and he ended up in the hospital for a few days due to dehydration. When you get dehydrated then your potassium and blood counts can be off so stay on top of it. I know it can be hard but drink, drink and then drink some more. Gatorade has the electrolytes in it. Incorporate the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) into your diet. As an example in the morning I now give him toast (no whole grain), banana, some Greek yogurt and low acid orange juice. I recently was in contact with an oncology nutritionist and was surprised at the things he should not have so if diarrhea is a problem let me know and I can e-mail you the diet stuff I got from the nutritionist at the hospital. You may need to take Immodium AD. Costco's house brand is the exact ingridients and the name brand at less than half the cost. I asked the pharmacist and he compared the two and they are exactly the same.

    He does not experience nausea. Some days he is gassy and will jump up to go to the bathroom only to find out it is only gas.

    That's all I can think of. Hopefully others will chime in.

    Take care - Tina

    Hey there, my hair thinned,
    Hey there, my hair thinned, I have long hair, no one noticed the thinning. It's coming back in fast. Took the no-name Immodium every morning 3 pills would control things. I worked throughout, but I have a desk job. Fatigue would come and go, seemed to be more fatigue as time went on, but again that was on and off, sometimes I wouldn't notice any side effects at all. I didn't get avastin so I can't help you there. I'm looking at the above post from Tina....oh yeah, the gas!!! Yep same issue there. Hope this helps :)
  • druidshadow
    druidshadow Member Posts: 85
    geotina said:

    Hi John:
    Since you asked I will give you George's experience with this drug. First, it works very, very well and while on it George's CEA is the lowest it has been in 3 years.

    Now for the side effects. This is George's experience. George lost all his hair, head, chest, south of the boarder, all of it. (I believe Craig did too on this combo). Now many people do not experience complete hair loss but a thinning but George lost it all.

    Fatigue so take a nap if you need one. I don't know if you are still working but when George comes home he will nap for an hour or so before dinner and then goes to bed early.

    Diarrhea. George had it bad and we let it get out of control and he ended up in the hospital for a few days due to dehydration. When you get dehydrated then your potassium and blood counts can be off so stay on top of it. I know it can be hard but drink, drink and then drink some more. Gatorade has the electrolytes in it. Incorporate the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) into your diet. As an example in the morning I now give him toast (no whole grain), banana, some Greek yogurt and low acid orange juice. I recently was in contact with an oncology nutritionist and was surprised at the things he should not have so if diarrhea is a problem let me know and I can e-mail you the diet stuff I got from the nutritionist at the hospital. You may need to take Immodium AD. Costco's house brand is the exact ingridients and the name brand at less than half the cost. I asked the pharmacist and he compared the two and they are exactly the same.

    He does not experience nausea. Some days he is gassy and will jump up to go to the bathroom only to find out it is only gas.

    That's all I can think of. Hopefully others will chime in.

    Take care - Tina

    hey tina
    no i am not working now cause i was working taking care of other people and my doctor told me i would not be able to continue due to the side effects of treatment so i am currently disabled i would like a copy of the the diet if it makes things easier to deal with, thank you for the responding to my question and thank everyone that has replied to my post.

    john