Starting Xeloda Tomorrow

I was on xeloda for 25 days, pills, took them at the end of meal, so no stomach issuess.

Baking soda mouth wash to avoid mouth sores.

xeloda po and 5-fu iv are the same drug, difference is , one is given by mouth, other by intra venous. My feet were cracking, with good cream that got resolved. Feeling tired is part of package, specially about 1 hour taking it.

It was good drug for me, combined with radiation rectal cancer is no longer there.

Wish you good luck Jan!

Jan,

I've taken Xeloda since July 2016.  I had extreme stomach pain several times.  I didn't call the doctor right away, and waited until the next appointment - which was 3 weeks later.  He prescribed antacids which helped to eliminate the stomach pain.  A couple months later, I was told that the one I was prescribed can cancel out the xeloda.  So I stopped taking it, and then was really careful about what I ate.  I think you can take Tums, or similar antacids.  But best to ask your doctor which antacids you can take. 

I had the dry feet, and also brittle nails.  I use a good lotion and California mango balm (which smells really good), or coconut oil on my feet.  Also, I use a good nail & cuticle oil (California mango) almost every day to help keep my nails from breaking.   

I get tired but that seems to have improved over time.

Good luck! 

Jan - After about my 8th chemo, my nausea is much better, and appetite has improved a bit - trying to keep my weight on, as I lost 5 lbs when I had colonoscopy and port put in same week, then started chemo treatments.  So playing "catch-up".  Not sure if it is helping to take pantolac 40 mg (heartburn med) first thing in a.m. (was taking in middle of day) and I suck on ginger chews or some type of ginger, as I'm sure nausea was affecting my appetite.  My appetite seems better in the earlier part of day, and gets a little worse later.  But has definitely gotten better over time.  Although my stomach always feels a bit off, weird, and food ofen doesn't taste right.  I'm trying soda water before meals, as I use baking soda to brush tongue, etc and a mixture called Koolstat to keep mouthsores at bay.  Always a sore mouth.

I try to eat high calorie foods - although I know they are not always the best nutrition, but I look frail (especially when I don't have my wig on, and my hair is pretty much gone).  I feel I Don't look like myself with my hair loss - really believe in "look good, feel better" - lol. I Want to look like my "old" self, as much as I Can, so I am trying to put on the weight I lost, and wear my wig tomgo out (which is as similar as I could find to my hair).  Hope my "break" improves my appetite also. My home nurse really encourages Ensure, if my appetite is not good, and my dietician mentioned a new one "enlive by ensure", but a little hard to find, as it is new to market - added muscle builder and protein, which I need - too much sugar,  but l look at the other benefits of the added calories, protein, etc.  Good luck and hope your appetite improves.

I was picking up ensure at Walmart last week and noticed they had just added enlive to the shelves. It was about 2 dollars more, but higher protein. I haven't tried it yet. I use ensure when I don't feel like eating or my mouth is too sore.