Avastin and Xeloda

Kazenmax
Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

Well my oncologist is stopping the Avastin, Irinotecan and  5-fu because of low WBC. He's ordered Avastin and Xeloda. I'm not sure how long i will be taking this stuff. Probably the full 12 treatments.

Has anyone been on this combination? I was on Xeloda pills and Oxiliplatin previously. I tolerated it ok. I only had a few delays in treatment because of WBC while on that. I had a little neuropathy that remains in my feet. The only problem was taking a boat load of huge pills (Xeloda). It got very very hard towards the end and I would sometimes forget to take them at the right time. I think I would rather get the Xeloda via pump this time.

k

Comments

  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    Xeloda and Avastin

    I was on this combo twice - the 1st in 2005 was also with oxaliplatin.  In 2009 I had Xeloda and Avastin, followed by Avastin only for up to 2 years (Stage 4).

    As far as I could tell, I had no Avastin side effects other than nasal congestion (which sucked, but as side effects go was pretty mild.).

    As for the Xeloda pills, yes they are huge, and even though it's been 9 years since I had one, I can still smell / taste that slightly smokiness (to me).  To not forget, I would eat breakfast and then as soon as done set the timer for 20 minutes.  Then I took the pills.  Same for dinner.  Also I used a lot of water to wash them down - that helped.

    Take care,

    Betsy

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    That is interesting. My post

    That is interesting. My post chemo scan showed spots that my doctor thinks are cancer. He went on vacation, so I have a nice long 3 weeks to ponder before I find out what treatment and such (depends on what the pet ct scan shows). I have considered how I will handle all the various treatments since I don't know what I will get. When I considered 5fu, I was thinking, "no pump, this time I want the pills!!!!!" I guess grass is always greener

  • mountainhiker
    mountainhiker Member Posts: 54
    edited August 2018 #4
    Pills vs port

    Never had Avastin or Xeloda, however I can relate to your boatload of pills problem.  About 2 months into chemo I contracted Nocardia bacteria and was on IV antibiotics for 3 straight months.  Needle and tubing hanging out of my port 24/7.  I would pull the needle on Tuesday nights and the nurse would stop by 6am Wednesday to plug me back in so I'd be good for another week.  When the dr said there was a possibility of switching me over to oral antibiotics I jumped at the chance.  She was concerned that I wouldn't want to do it since I would be taking a bunch of pills each day for the next 9 months.  I told her I would take a whole bottle full of pills everyday if it meant getting unplugged from that IV line.

    mountainhiker

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

    Xeloda and Avastin

    I was on this combo twice - the 1st in 2005 was also with oxaliplatin.  In 2009 I had Xeloda and Avastin, followed by Avastin only for up to 2 years (Stage 4).

    As far as I could tell, I had no Avastin side effects other than nasal congestion (which sucked, but as side effects go was pretty mild.).

    As for the Xeloda pills, yes they are huge, and even though it's been 9 years since I had one, I can still smell / taste that slightly smokiness (to me).  To not forget, I would eat breakfast and then as soon as done set the timer for 20 minutes.  Then I took the pills.  Same for dinner.  Also I used a lot of water to wash them down - that helped.

    Take care,

    Betsy

    Timer!

    What a good idea! I will definitely do that. 
    I must say, it's wonderful that the first response is from someone who's been NED for so long. I hope that I can get the same response!

    thanks

    k

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    My husband

    took avastin only side effect was small jump in his blood pressure. They put him on hydorchlorathiazide (water pill basically) he was fine. He could not tolerate irinotecan only got one dose before it gave him pancreatitis. Good luck! 

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    abita said:

    That is interesting. My post

    That is interesting. My post chemo scan showed spots that my doctor thinks are cancer. He went on vacation, so I have a nice long 3 weeks to ponder before I find out what treatment and such (depends on what the pet ct scan shows). I have considered how I will handle all the various treatments since I don't know what I will get. When I considered 5fu, I was thinking, "no pump, this time I want the pills!!!!!" I guess grass is always greener

    pills

    Yea, the pills sounded so much better to me the first round of chemo but they were hard to manage. You have to take them at exactly 12 hours after the last time. I would be busy with whatever and totally forget to take them until later. You really need to take them after you eat so that you stomach can handle it.

    I don't know. I was on the pump these past 3 treatments. It was 5-FU/Avastin/Irintecan. While the side effects of the chemo were rough, the pump didn't really bother me that much.

    Like you said, the grass is always greener.

    k

     

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

    Pills vs port

    Never had Avastin or Xeloda, however I can relate to your boatload of pills problem.  About 2 months into chemo I contracted Nocardia bacteria and was on IV antibiotics for 3 straight months.  Needle and tubing hanging out of my port 24/7.  I would pull the needle on Tuesday nights and the nurse would stop by 6am Wednesday to plug me back in so I'd be good for another week.  When the dr said there was a possibility of switching me over to oral antibiotics I jumped at the chance.  She was concerned that I wouldn't want to do it since I would be taking a bunch of pills each day for the next 9 months.  I told her I would take a whole bottle full of pills everyday if it meant getting unplugged from that IV line.

    mountainhiker

    that sounds pretty rough

    Yea, pills would definitely be better than that situation. I hope you are doing better now.

    k

     

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

    My husband

    took avastin only side effect was small jump in his blood pressure. They put him on hydorchlorathiazide (water pill basically) he was fine. He could not tolerate irinotecan only got one dose before it gave him pancreatitis. Good luck! 

    blood pressure

    I've never had a problem with my blood pressure until recently. I think the chemo drove it up. I will ask the doc about this med.

    thanks so much

    k

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    Kazenmax said:

    blood pressure

    I've never had a problem with my blood pressure until recently. I think the chemo drove it up. I will ask the doc about this med.

    thanks so much

    k

    On infusion day, my blood

    On infusion day, my blood pressure would be something like 150 over 90 something. Two days later on disconnect from pump day, it would be normal. I was always so happy on disconnect day! Exhausted, but happy

  • Tunadog
    Tunadog Member Posts: 235 Member
    I had Avastin infused and took Xeloda together more than a year

    Infused with Avastin and then Xeloda pills. My Cancer is about gone, butt I have a nasty infection. My Rectal Surgeon told me that sometimes an infection is harder to deal with than cancer.

    It sent me to the hospital. My WBC got low and I an getting Antibiotics now. It's about cleared up now. I have a tube draining my rectum to a bag. So the infection is on the wane. They indicated that l was going Septic (almost).

    Looking for relief 

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    Tunadog said:

    I had Avastin infused and took Xeloda together more than a year

    Infused with Avastin and then Xeloda pills. My Cancer is about gone, butt I have a nasty infection. My Rectal Surgeon told me that sometimes an infection is harder to deal with than cancer.

    It sent me to the hospital. My WBC got low and I an getting Antibiotics now. It's about cleared up now. I have a tube draining my rectum to a bag. So the infection is on the wane. They indicated that l was going Septic (almost).

    Looking for relief 

    Was that from the drugs or

    Was that from the drugs or because more susceptible with chemo?

  • plsletitrain
    plsletitrain Member Posts: 252 Member

    I had avastin twice and had it in combo with xeloda (without the oxaliplatin).  Its at this time that the blistered/dry feet came upon, so I'm not sure which one's the culprit. I'm guessing its the xeloda.  I think the worse side effect of xeloda is the irregular heartbeats I've experienced.  Another is I think the oxaliplatin is set to a higher dose when it is paired with the xeloda so on infusion day, I felt weaker than when I had the 5Fu.  In response to your post on the other thread, I think my doctor would want me to do 12 treatments but he knows I'm stubborn (I didn't complete my previous treatments, some schedules I missed, etc. for various reasons) so he knows I may not be amenable to a 12-course treatment so he just told me, at least do 6.

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    Tunadog said:

    I had Avastin infused and took Xeloda together more than a year

    Infused with Avastin and then Xeloda pills. My Cancer is about gone, butt I have a nasty infection. My Rectal Surgeon told me that sometimes an infection is harder to deal with than cancer.

    It sent me to the hospital. My WBC got low and I an getting Antibiotics now. It's about cleared up now. I have a tube draining my rectum to a bag. So the infection is on the wane. They indicated that l was going Septic (almost).

    Looking for relief 

    That's rough

    I hope you recover soon. Thanks for the info.

    K

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member

    I had avastin twice and had it in combo with xeloda (without the oxaliplatin).  Its at this time that the blistered/dry feet came upon, so I'm not sure which one's the culprit. I'm guessing its the xeloda.  I think the worse side effect of xeloda is the irregular heartbeats I've experienced.  Another is I think the oxaliplatin is set to a higher dose when it is paired with the xeloda so on infusion day, I felt weaker than when I had the 5Fu.  In response to your post on the other thread, I think my doctor would want me to do 12 treatments but he knows I'm stubborn (I didn't complete my previous treatments, some schedules I missed, etc. for various reasons) so he knows I may not be amenable to a 12-course treatment so he just told me, at least do 6.

    If I recall I didn't have any

    If I recall I didn't have any skin problems with the Xeloda. Hoping I do as well this time.

    Thanks

    K

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Pills

    Hated taking the pills because you need to take them with food and I'm not a breakfast person and forced myself to eat.  Had to really figure out when to eat even though really not wanting too.  They were big and didn't like looking at how many that were layed out for the day because they didn't go down well for me.  I've not done the Avastin.  Wishing you well on this new combination.

    Kim

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,800 Member
    edited August 2018 #17
    Pump over pills for me

    I was hooked up to the pump (5FU) for six weeks straight, and it was way easier than I had imagined. The only problem I had, was the pump quit one night.  

    Yeah, I'm a big pump advocate.

    Tru

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited August 2018 #18
    Trubrit said:

    Pump over pills for me

    I was hooked up to the pump (5FU) for six weeks straight, and it was way easier than I had imagined. The only problem I had, was the pump quit one night.  

    Yeah, I'm a big pump advocate.

    Tru

    Wow

    Pump for 6 weeks - that would be hard.  It was hard for me to sleep, take a shower, move with that.  Never had mine quit but it did run out before it was supposed to.  Must have gotten too much at one time.  The pump was only 3 days for me every other week.  That was after Xeloda pill though.  That was during my actual hard chemo and at the same time to go home with.  You've been through alot Tru.

    Kim

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,800 Member

    Wow

    Pump for 6 weeks - that would be hard.  It was hard for me to sleep, take a shower, move with that.  Never had mine quit but it did run out before it was supposed to.  Must have gotten too much at one time.  The pump was only 3 days for me every other week.  That was after Xeloda pill though.  That was during my actual hard chemo and at the same time to go home with.  You've been through alot Tru.

    Kim

    Full of dread

    I hated the pump for 48 hours, and knowing I would be hooked up to it 24/7 filled me with dread.  BUT, it ended up being much better than the 48 hour deal.  

    I think I was just so desperate to get that thing removed and knowing that it was going to be removed on day 2, that I ended up hating it. When I knew that it was there for the duration, well, it just became a part of me and much easier to accept.

    I would recommend it over the pills; but then, I hate taking pills. Even my teeny weeny Synthroid tablet makes me gag, and I've been taking it 20 years. 

    Tru

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    Pills

    Doctor told me that the only option was the pills. Ugh. Not sure what the dosage is yet. 

    K