Flofox

CyniD · September 2017

Good morning one and all, just wondering if you have a history with flofox chemo? We are starting it on Turs for my husband's stage 4 colon csncer. It is located to cecum and has spread to liver. Nothing we can do about the liver I guess until we get this primary mass shrunk. Any info would be so appricated.may your day be blessed with sunshine and a few laughs.

Trubrit · September 2017

Hello CiniD

I did the FOLFOX back in 2013 for nine sessions.

Treatment affects everyone differently. Some breeze through it with mild side effects. others are hit hard and then there are those who are somewhere in the middle. Hopefully you hear from all of them in answer to your post.

Sadly (for me) I was one who got hit hard. I will post a link to a list of all of the side effects I suffered through. It will give you an idea of what to look out for, though few, I think, go through so much, and hopefully your dad will be a 'breezer'.

Here is the link https://csn.cancer.org/node/292593

I wish your dad all of the best. You will find support here, and lots of information. Hope to see you post often.

Tru

Annabelle41415 · September 2017

Treatment

It can vary from one to another like Tru said. My symptoms were a lot like hers but my hair never fell out it just thinned a lot. I'm not sure if he is getting the Oxyplatin but that did a number on me. I'm still reeling from the side effects from that with neuropathy. Make sure if he is on that that it is monitored where he doesn't get to numb in the hands and feet like me where it is irreversable. I'm on mediction now daily but you can ask your doctor to reduce the Oxy if it becomes intollerable. Unfortunately there are a lot of side affects with treatment but a lot can be managed by medication and talking to your doctor - don't be afraid to bring up your concerns. Most doctors won't tell you all the side effects because they are afraid you won't choose to do it but it is tolerable if you communicate. Wishing your husband well. Remember a lot of have been through it so it is possible to continue to function during treatment. Steroids might keep him up for 3 days also. Keep track of everything and discuss with doctor.

Kim

CathC · September 2017

Hi! I'm new to this forum too

Hi! I'm new to this forum too. My mother (aged 79) started folfox just over three months ago. It began six weeks after surgery. Her cancer was in the same location as your husbands but it was almost a complete blockage and it had also spread. Straight away we started on a healthy diet with supplements and unprocessed organic food. Lots of juicing! He first round of chemo hit her hard, she was exhausted. But then it improved, every round became a little easier. In the beginning, about a day or two after disconnecting from the pump her apetite would dip and she found it difficult to eat. Her third and fourth round were much easier. Then the fifth round the exhaustion came again but not as bad. After her 6th round she was no longer as tired and is beginning to do things that she hasn't done in months, like coooling and baking!!! I know it's so different for everyone and so different each round. Although life becomes very different with the health issues we have had so many lovely times together since her diagnosis. We were always a close family but it has made us closer. Sending you prayers and best wishes. Cathy

zx10guy · September 2017

The key to minimizing some of

The key to minimizing some of the nausea side effects of FOLFOX is to take the anti-nausea meds before he goes in for his infusion. I found that if I start taking Zolfran (and I forget the second anti nausea med prescribed to me) the day before, I recover much more quickly. Doing this, I shrank the time for me to recover from 3 to 4 days to 1 to 1.5 days. I also took the advice of being vocal about every side effect I had with my oncologist. Because of this, the anti nausea pre-meds before the actual infusion were shuffled around. I ended up getting Emend and Ativan which also helped.

One last thing, have you looked into getting a second opinion on your husband's diagnosis. The reason I bring this up is your mention of the tumor in the cecum. That's the area where the small intestine joins the large intestine and also where your appendix is located. I would want to rule out if this isn't just colon cancer but appendicial cancer.

Watersprite3 · September 2017

As everyone else has said,

As everyone else has said, Folfox affects people differently. I have heard of those who breeze through the treatments and others who are hit hard. I was somewhere in the middle. I would get sick around the time my pump was disconnected even with having an infusion of pre-meds that were to combat the nausea. I learned a lesson because the nurses told me to go home after infusion and start taking the Zofran round the clock. I usually didn't feel that bad the day of or the day after so I sometimes let it slide and then the nausea hit me hard on the third day. I had Ativan for that but Zofran is supposed to be taken before the nausea hits in order to be most effective.

I was exhausted the day after disconnect and for the first four or six sessions I gradually improved over the next week. By the time I got to the sixth session I was tired, developed anemia and was dehydrated. Drink lots of fluids to flush the toxins out of the system - if you can tolerate water that is the best but sometimes it can taste bad. Also, the first few days, nothing cold - you won't be able to drink anything cold because it feels like glass shards going down your throat. For me that passed within a couple of days but it was no fun when I had it.

If your husband has a good oncology team and they listen to you, keep track of anything that happens to him as the treatments progress. Some things like the nausea and allergy to the meds can be treated as you go along, but other effects such as neuropathy and lowered blood counts can change the course of treatments. Be proactive and consult his team if anything concerns you.

Eileen

CyniD · September 2017

CathC said:
Hi! I'm new to this forum too
Hi! I'm new to this forum too. My mother (aged 79) started folfox just over three months ago. It began six weeks after surgery. Her cancer was in the same location as your husbands but it was almost a complete blockage and it had also spread. Straight away we started on a healthy diet with supplements and unprocessed organic food. Lots of juicing! He first round of chemo hit her hard, she was exhausted. But then it improved, every round became a little easier. In the beginning, about a day or two after disconnecting from the pump her apetite would dip and she found it difficult to eat. Her third and fourth round were much easier. Then the fifth round the exhaustion came again but not as bad. After her 6th round she was no longer as tired and is beginning to do things that she hasn't done in months, like coooling and baking!!! I know it's so different for everyone and so different each round. Although life becomes very different with the health issues we have had so many lovely times together since her diagnosis. We were always a close family but it has made us closer. Sending you prayers and best wishes. Cathy

Thank you Cathy. Sharing your

Thank you Cathy. Sharing your journey has helped me. Did your mom is Fentynol? I hate that drug and it scares me. Enjoy everyday with your mom. They are each a gift, right?

CyniD · September 2017

zx10guy said:
The key to minimizing some of
The key to minimizing some of the nausea side effects of FOLFOX is to take the anti-nausea meds before he goes in for his infusion. I found that if I start taking Zolfran (and I forget the second anti nausea med prescribed to me) the day before, I recover much more quickly. Doing this, I shrank the time for me to recover from 3 to 4 days to 1 to 1.5 days. I also took the advice of being vocal about every side effect I had with my oncologist. Because of this, the anti nausea pre-meds before the actual infusion were shuffled around. I ended up getting Emend and Ativan which also helped.

One last thing, have you looked into getting a second opinion on your husband's diagnosis. The reason I bring this up is your mention of the tumor in the cecum. That's the area where the small intestine joins the large intestine and also where your appendix is located. I would want to rule out if this isn't just colon cancer but appendicial cancer.

Thank you so much for your

Thank you so much for your suggestion. Yes we have had a second. I am giving my husband suppositories for nausea. I want to keep it in his system. I wish you well. Appricated ever word.

CyniD · September 2017

Watersprite3 said:
As everyone else has said,
As everyone else has said, Folfox affects people differently. I have heard of those who breeze through the treatments and others who are hit hard. I was somewhere in the middle. I would get sick around the time my pump was disconnected even with having an infusion of pre-meds that were to combat the nausea. I learned a lesson because the nurses told me to go home after infusion and start taking the Zofran round the clock. I usually didn't feel that bad the day of or the day after so I sometimes let it slide and then the nausea hit me hard on the third day. I had Ativan for that but Zofran is supposed to be taken before the nausea hits in order to be most effective.

I was exhausted the day after disconnect and for the first four or six sessions I gradually improved over the next week. By the time I got to the sixth session I was tired, developed anemia and was dehydrated. Drink lots of fluids to flush the toxins out of the system - if you can tolerate water that is the best but sometimes it can taste bad. Also, the first few days, nothing cold - you won't be able to drink anything cold because it feels like glass shards going down your throat. For me that passed within a couple of days but it was no fun when I had it.

If your husband has a good oncology team and they listen to you, keep track of anything that happens to him as the treatments progress. Some things like the nausea and allergy to the meds can be treated as you go along, but other effects such as neuropathy and lowered blood counts can change the course of treatments. Be proactive and consult his team if anything concerns you.

Eileen

Thanks Eileen, that is a

Thanks Eileen, that is a great suggestion. I was keeping the antinausea med in my husband but he decided he did not need it. Sure enough within a few hours he started vomiting again. Will do my best to keep on top of the side effects. I wis you well.

Flofox

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