Diarrhea with Votrient (Pazopanib)

Muleskinner392
Muleskinner392 Member Posts: 1
edited December 2023 in Sarcoma #1

 

In August, 2011, I bumped my elbow on the countertop, immediately causing intense pain and a lump to arise.  After the lump and pain failed to subside with time, I sought medical treatment.  The lump was initially diagnosed as bursitis and drainage was unsuccessfully attempted, due to the thick viscosity of the fluid.  In late September a bursectomy was performed.  About 2 weeks later the tissue was diagnosed as Myxofibrosarcoma, epithelioid variant.  A chest CT scan revealed the sarcoma had matastized to my lungs, leaving about 14 lesions ranging up to slightly over 2cm in size.

 After surgery to remove the entire tumor mass in the elbow (now the size of a grapefruit), 9 months of intense chemotherapy (M.A.I.D. and GemTax) and 7 weeks of radiation treatment of my elbow, no further sign of the cancer could be found in my arm or lungs.  I then started a daily dosage of 800 mgs of Votrient to prevent any reoccurrence of the cancer.

Like most, I have experienced the normal Votrient side effects, including pure white hair, facial spots, rashes, lack of stamina and diarrhea.  I take the Votrient just before bedtime, at about 10pm, and have found that I can count on the loss of strength and stamina from the time I get up until early or late afternoon.  I can also count on starting the day with moderate to extreme un-controllable diarrhea, also lasting into the afternoon, before subsiding.  I have learned that I can usually lessen the diarrhea by eating Activia yogurt, supplemented with a Pro-Biotic capsule each morning.  I also take 3 Beano tablets before each meal and when needed, follow up with Imodium and Gas Relief gel tabs.  However, even with these precautions I can’t trust myself leaving the house before the afternoon, as I still am hit with occasional violent diarrhea with little or no warning.

 A few days ago I had to stop the Votrient so I could have some torn cartilage repaired in my knee.  Surprisingly, all the above side effects also totally stopped.  I will be restarting my Votrient in a few days and am considering making adjustment to the time I take the pills in order to have more of my day free of diarrhea and stamina issues.  However, I am worried that if I move the time I take the pills from 10pm to 4pm, I might subject myself to night-time diarrhea, which would be most unpleasant to both myself and my wife.

I would be very interested and grateful for any advice and experience you may be able to provide with dealing with diarrhea while taking Votrient.

 

Comments

  • florida here
    florida here Member Posts: 2 Member
    #2
    no experience i'm here for support of my friend with same cancer

    just wondering how you are doing? i hope you are feeling better.

  • kphelps12
    kphelps12 Member Posts: 3
    #3
    I take 800 mg Votrient first

    I take 800 mg Votrient first thing in the morning when I wake up for soft tissue sarcoma mets in my lung. I always wait about an hour for breakfast and most of the time I have no side effects. Diarrhea comes in waves though. Sometimes my routine is completely normal and sometimes I really cut it close to making it to the bathroom (no accidents so far...). Perharps certain foods make it worse? I have thought about keeping a food journal and see when the diarrhea flares up if there is a correlation to my food intake. 

  • NessBee
    NessBee Member Posts: 1 *
    #4
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/256143/diarrhea-with-votrient-pazopanib

    Hi. I have been taking Votrient 800mg around 4.30pm each day for mestatic lung Leoimyosarcoma’s. I find my diarrhoea starts around 3am and lasts a few hours and then I only seem to go once sometimes twice through the day, usually in the afternoon. I am having high BP issues and severe body aches and pains along with extreme lethargy. I’ve tossed up taking mine in the morning but I’ve been advised it’s better in the afternoon / evening as you tend to sleep off most of the side effects. Or so I’ve been told.

  • auntiemame562
    auntiemame562 Member Posts: 1 Member
    #5

    I am happy to have found this site. I have been having the same experiences on this medication and felt quite alone. I’ve learned a couple new things from reading these comments like taking probiotics and taking the anti-gas pills. I don’t feel as much alone. Thank you for sharing!

  • fishkit
    fishkit Member Posts: 3 Member
    #6

    I take Votrient 400mg tablet twice a day at 6am and 6pm, an hour before meals. The diarrhea is awful. I learned to eat frequently in small amounts, with a banana or an apple a day to help firm up the stool. If there are important occasions I needed to attend to, I take Loperamide to avoid episodes of diarrhea. I also avoid getting hungry to avoid ulcer-like pain. When I reach that point, my trips to the bathroom quadruples (or even more) within a 2-3 hour time frame. As much as possible, I try to avoid taking other medicines unless extremely needed. This is to minimize chances of hepatotoxicity. I’m sure these don’t apply to everyone. But I hope this helps someone somehow. Thank you also everyone for sharing your own stories. I’ll try some of them this week. :)

  • alsinak
    alsinak Member Posts: 1 Member
    #7

    I have been taking votrient for 7 1/2 years. I am taking it for renel cell carcinoma. In 2016 my cancer had metastasized after radiation I was put on 800 mg a day. I stayed on that dose for 9 months till I couldn't handle the side effects and was dropped down to 600mg a day for another 6 months. Since I have been on 400mg a day. For the side effects of diarrhea I take diphenoxylate-atrop . I take my votrient first thing in the morning . That's what work for me now. I wish you the best to find what works for you.

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