Anyone been through Hyper-CVAD?!

catwink22
catwink22 Member Posts: 281
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

Looking for anyone who has experienced Hyper-CVAD treatments? Scarey stuff!

Comments

  • po18guy
    po18guy Member Posts: 1,509 Member
    #2
    Not so scary a little at a time

    All I can say is that I have received each of those drugs, plus 14 more, at least four of them twice. First was CHOEP14, as intense as CHOP-based therapy gets. Take Hyper-CVAD, add Etoposide and sub Prednisone for the Dexamethasone. We receive these drugs one at a time, in carefully measured doses. Dosage is modified or infusion stopped if we have adverse reactions or suffer excess toxicity. It is best to keep the enemy in mind, first and foremost. I chose to accept the side effects of the drugs over the primary effect of the lymphoma. You can do this!

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    #3
    Tough

    Yes, cat, the doctor saw fit to perscribe you a tough regimine.  Let us just pray and hope that it is successful. 

    My neighbor did six months of R-EPOCH, and was bedridden for months. How your body reacts is yet to be seen, but some people have much easier experiences than others.  For now the focus is on getting well. I would make logisctical plans for possibly being incapacitated, and then rejoyce when it doesn't happen.

    Wishing you a speedy full remission,

    max

  • catwink22
    catwink22 Member Posts: 281
    #4
    po18guy said:

    Not so scary a little at a time

    All I can say is that I have received each of those drugs, plus 14 more, at least four of them twice. First was CHOEP14, as intense as CHOP-based therapy gets. Take Hyper-CVAD, add Etoposide and sub Prednisone for the Dexamethasone. We receive these drugs one at a time, in carefully measured doses. Dosage is modified or infusion stopped if we have adverse reactions or suffer excess toxicity. It is best to keep the enemy in mind, first and foremost. I chose to accept the side effects of the drugs over the primary effect of the lymphoma. You can do this!

    Thanks po! Any encouragement

    Thanks po! Any encouragement is appreciated! I am also having methotraxate chemo in spine as precautionary measure until labs com back. Wow does life change in a day.

  • catwink22
    catwink22 Member Posts: 281
    edited December 2016 #5
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

    Tough

    Yes, cat, the doctor saw fit to perscribe you a tough regimine.  Let us just pray and hope that it is successful. 

    My neighbor did six months of R-EPOCH, and was bedridden for months. How your body reacts is yet to be seen, but some people have much easier experiences than others.  For now the focus is on getting well. I would make logisctical plans for possibly being incapacitated, and then rejoyce when it doesn't happen.

    Wishing you a speedy full remission,

    max

    Thanks Max!

    Thanks Max!

    Yes that's me too, plan for the worst hope for the best. I always say if you don't have it u will need it & if you do have it, u won't. 

  • preciousmom
    preciousmom Member Posts: 22
    #6
    Introduction

    I just want to say hi. About 5 years ago, just as she was getting ready to retire, my mom was diagnosed with follicular, b-cell lymphoma too. She went into remission after retuxin, then relapsed summer before last. Another course of rituxin, this time with a single chemo agent, seemed to do some good but the remission was brief. In September they prescribed r-chop followed by stem cell transplant (likely transforming...). She's done four cycles then had some bad luck and wound up in the hospital with an infection this week. The good news is, she's better and likely to proceed with next two cycles. Anyway, sounds like you are on a similar path. I hope the CVAD isn't too bad and that it does the trick and is bearable. 

  • ginablakeslee
    ginablakeslee Member Posts: 3 Member
    #7
    My hyper-cvad-R adventure

    In 2012 I had four rounds of hyper-cvad-R to battle Mantle Cell Lymphoma. It was all done in-patient and I handled it fairly well. Five months later I went to the stem cell transplant unit and had the BEam protocol followed by an auto SCT.  In total I spent 70 days in the hospital in 2012.  After the SCT I was diagnosed with heart failure. Likely from the Adriamycin in the BEAM.  Cardiac rehab and medication got my heart pumping better and now I only see the cardiolgist yearly.  I still get maintenance Rituxan and IVIG as needed. I feel wonderful and am thrilled to say have really good blood counts.  No longer need regular scans.  I am still a lymphoma patient and do worry about relapse.......... but am living normally now. Best to you and yours, Gina

     

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    #8

    Your story is a remarkable ordeal, Gina.

    I too was tested for Adriamycin heart damage due to shortness-of-breath, but it ended up being Fibrosis and asthma instead, no heart damage. 

    I am living normally now -- wonderful to hear.  Your testimony is iof great value to the MCL and maintenance people here, of whom there are a lot.

    max

  • catwink22
    catwink22 Member Posts: 281
    edited January 2017 #9
    Thank you

    Thank you for your replies! It looks as though our stories all have a unique twist for each of us. I will be having 8 cycles of the CVAD along with spinal chemo for the 1st four cycles (2 each cycle). It helps to know this nightmare ends, I wish I could sleep through it & wake up done. I haven't even been through the hard part yet! I will make it through, there really is no other options. Just knowing what's down the road is hard to face. Lots of prayers for all.

  • illead
    illead Member Posts: 884 Member
    #10
    hello Gina

    I was thrilled to see your post. We are coming home from a road trip so I just wanted to let you know 

    then I will private message you when I get home. I am so glad to hear you are okay but sad that you had to go through everything that you did. Bill is still doing good so I will talk to you soon. And Max I will also private message you when I get home.

     

    Becky

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