Oxaliplatin; Results are in.

aprilgreen25 said:

Hi Dylan. My name is April and my husband, who is 29 years old, is battling rectal cancer which has metastasized to his liver. His primary tumor was completely removed on May 13th, 2003. Prior to his surgery, he completed 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy which included 5FU given through his chest port. He started chemo for the liver metastasis on june 24th and is doing the same regimen as you. The Oxaliplatin effects started immediately for him. The tips of his fingers went numb during his first infusion as did his lips. He hasnt had a problem with nausea so far (I'm knocking on wood). He is on a very high dose due to his size (6 foot 7 and 260 pounds).He is having a problem with not only cold drinks causing him to have throat spasms, but also warm. His treatment requires him to get 2 hours of Oxaliplatin at the clinic once every 14 days and his 5FU is given through an implanted port that he is hooked up to for 3 days a week, every other week. He is in his third day of treatment and is still working 50 hours a week as a mortgage broker. Seeing that your treatment with Oxaliplatin started before my husband's, is there anything that you might be able to prepare us for? We have a good doctor, but hearing it from someone else who is going through the same thing seems to help more. Thanks, and I look forward to your reply. -April

Hi, April.
Let me start by saying that I would be happy to help you and your family with all the information and support I have. Congradulations on all the progress you and your husband have already made on this passing journey.

As for me, I have had three chemo sessions to date. The first was the oxaliplatin/5FU combo, week later was just 5FU, and four days ago I had my third oxali/5FU infusion. I didn't have any noticable symptoms when I had the 5FU alone. It's a little bit harder when I get the oxaliplatin. I feel a little queasy, tired, and headachey on the first day. The second day I feel pretty much the same. Days three and four are definately the worst days. Periods of nausea (never with vomiting), a bit of diarrhea (nothing terrible), fatigue and sedation, some jitteriness and I suppose depression. By the fifth day, I'm pretty back to my normal self. Oh, I do get a funny feeling in my throat when I drink cold drinks after the oxali, but no biggy.

Things that have helped: I arranged to get infusions on Thursdays, that way I get to feel horrible at home and not at work. Kytrel for nausea helped some, but adding Tigan for break-through nausea made a big improvement. Tylenol for headache actually works. Use Immodium at the onset of any diarrhea. Eat bland fooods, and never too much food at once. Avoid fatty, spicey or excessively fragrant foods (not good for nausea). Pepernmint tea also helps nausea, and I heard that ginger tea does the same. Oh, and for the fatigue, I tried a time-released caffeine pill (normal coffeee would make the nausea worse, and the jitteriness), and to my suprise it actually helped. Talking to my wife, playing with my kids, and going to church helps the blues. Also reminding myself that the sick feeling I'm experiencing are a direct result of the chemo killing the cells (most importantly any possibly remaining cancer cells) helps me all keep it in perspective.