Need Advice

Gavin63
Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello Friends,

I am half way down with my 2nd cycle of Chemo (Oxaliplatin + Xeloda) For the last 3 or 4 days I am experiencing a constipation, mild bleeding though my nose as well as an un controlled passing of a colourless mucus from down when I pass wind (But not all the time) There are occasional pinkish stains in the mucus which I suspect is blood.

I gained my appetite back, one week after the IV infusion of Oxy (Thank God) But I still managed to eat during that week too though the appetite was not all that great. Apart from this symptoms I do not have any major issue & I am feeling normal & eat well too.

The problem I have is my Onc has gone on vacation & will be back only on 4th of January. He wanted me to text him if I need any advice while he is away or contact his assistant. Unfortunately she too has gone on vacation & may god help the patients Cry

Did any of my friends on the board  had Oxy + Xeloda experienced these side effects & how did you manage those side effects ? What advice you had from your Oncs in managing those side effects ? I will be pleased to hear your advice / experience.

Gavin

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #2
    Symptoms

    Although my oxy was after my surgery, one thing common is the bleeding nose which mine did a lot.  If you had radiation the mucus could be caused by the shedding of the interior lining of the colon due to radiation along with some bleeding.  Too bad that both your doctor and assistant are gone.  If your doctor said to text them while they are away with questions, you should feel free to do so.  Hope you do well with the upcoming treatments.

    Kim

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #3
    Sounds allot like my symptoms

    I too had nose bleeds.

    The mucus from the anus I had during and after radiation, though not during chemo. 

    Surely you can still contact your Oncology nurses. There should be someone on call at all times. They are extremely helpful and can probably tell you just as much as your Onc. 

    Try not to panic. I know its hard. 

    As for how to help with these symptoms, I know that with the nosebleeds a humidifyer helped me allot. 

    Keep well hydrated. Lots of water, OK. 

    Keep us posted. 

  • mdm2
    mdm2 Member Posts: 17
    #4
    I just started my first

    I just started my first oxi-xeloda on the 23rd. I'm just tired and have the cold sensitivity. They said to watch for bleeding but I haven't had that problem. The mucous I just thought was "normal" since my resection. Maybe I should ask about that too. Hope your doing well. 

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #5
    Just to be on the safe side,

    I would text your onc, since he gave you the ok to use that route.  For most people, getting and sending a quick text is no big deal, and that way you can have additional peace of mind that all is well.

  • lp1964
    lp1964 Member Posts: 1,239 Member
    #6
    Chemo kills...

    ...even the normal cells that devide faster, not only the cancer cell. Cells that produce mucus to moisturize the nose, mouth, throat, glands in the skin, hair and nail follicles, intestinal cells also die. Therefore nose bleeding, dry skin etc. Use a humidifier and lot of lotion. I Agree, text your doctor just in case.

    All the best,

    Laz

  • fatbob2010
    fatbob2010 Member Posts: 467 Member
    #7
    Side Effects

    Gavin,

    I had the nose bleeds and constipation, but w/o the mucus issue.  My situation may be very different from yours since there was a problem with platelet counts that was unable to be controlled.  Since it was only my second recurrence more radical measures, such a surgery to remove spleen were reserved for later, if needed.  

    There must be someone at the hospital or clinic that is covering patients over the holidays (?).

    I have to agree with the previous posters that a quick text to your Oncologist is in order.

    Hang in there,

    Art

  • Gavin63
    Gavin63 Member Posts: 98 Member
    #8
    THANK YOU

    Thank you friends for your spontaneous replies. 1st thing I did was sending a text to my Onc as he suggested. Unfortunately I had no responses from him. May be the roaming facility of his mobile has gone to sleep & he was not receiving my text messages. Then I thought to post seeking advice from the board which had been the most effective mode.

    Good news is that I didn’t have the mucus issue since yesterday & hope it will go away. Nasal bleeding is mild & not a big issue as of now. constipation too is manageble.

    I am eating normal with gained appetite & catching up what I missed during the last week.  My Once had told me the best way to counter the side effects of Chemo & be on top of the situation is to eat well even though I have a poor appetite. I am following his advice 100 % & may be it is helping me. Trubrit, thanks for your tip on being hydrated & to drink lot of water. I start my day with 1 Litre of Lemon Juice & drink as much water as possible. Again the Lemon Juice tip was also from a friend on the board. Why I come back to the board when I have trouble is because I get good advices from my new found family. Love you all. Wishing a Happy & Prosperous New Year to all my friends of CSN. Let us all hope & pray that year 2014 would bring btter quality of life to all of us.

    Gavin        

  • thxmiker
    thxmiker Member Posts: 1,278 Member
    #9
    Gavin63 said:

    THANK YOU

    Thank you friends for your spontaneous replies. 1st thing I did was sending a text to my Onc as he suggested. Unfortunately I had no responses from him. May be the roaming facility of his mobile has gone to sleep & he was not receiving my text messages. Then I thought to post seeking advice from the board which had been the most effective mode.

    Good news is that I didn’t have the mucus issue since yesterday & hope it will go away. Nasal bleeding is mild & not a big issue as of now. constipation too is manageble.

    I am eating normal with gained appetite & catching up what I missed during the last week.  My Once had told me the best way to counter the side effects of Chemo & be on top of the situation is to eat well even though I have a poor appetite. I am following his advice 100 % & may be it is helping me. Trubrit, thanks for your tip on being hydrated & to drink lot of water. I start my day with 1 Litre of Lemon Juice & drink as much water as possible. Again the Lemon Juice tip was also from a friend on the board. Why I come back to the board when I have trouble is because I get good advices from my new found family. Love you all. Wishing a Happy & Prosperous New Year to all my friends of CSN. Let us all hope & pray that year 2014 would bring btter quality of life to all of us.

    Gavin        

    Eat, Drink, exercise

    Eat a little at a time all day long.  I did not have an appetite to eat a big meal, but if I ate a little hear and there, i could get callories.  Bananas and Ginger cookies were my friend!

     

    Drink all day long.  I peed a lot during chemo.  Many nurse and Doc friends told me this will help fluh out the toxins.  I believe this to be true. It also helped me sleep.  I used lightly citrused water, Ginger Tea and Mint Tea to help me drink fluids.  I also used Gatoraid.  this was not as good as I thought at the time.  The sugar aided the bad flora in me and I got C.Diff. thaty helped dehydrate me and made me sick enough to et me a hospital stay.

     

    Get up and take a walk.  The fresh air, and the exerciise was a good mental break for me.  We lived in SoCal during my first chemo and walking was quite pleasurable.  During my Second Chemo We lived in the Mountains in winter and walks could be cold.  I did bundle up and ended up getting a couple of miles in every day.  The trick was layers and getting out.  I never once regretted getting out for the walk or the fresh air. 

     

    I also made a trip or two to the local market every day.  this gave me some social outlet.  I ran into a clerk that I had seen a few years ago.  She told me I look different, but remembered me smiling and coming in every day.  i told her that I had cancer, and that I needed a little social outlet every day.  

     

    I also learned to bake while I was on Chemo the first time.  The smell of food helped me want to eat.  I also gave baked goods to every neighbor.  lol   I can now make bread or a cake with no recipe. lol 

     

    The mucus poops are normal and will continue after chemo.  Some of this is due to the change in our colon's ability to absorb water.

     

    We are sending our thoughts and prayers for a positive treatment!

    Best Always,  mike

     

    PS  Also Exercise your mental health.  Get out and say Hi to the neighbors, friends, relatives, etc....   We met many neighbors during my chemos. 

     

     

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