Trip to the ER

JADot
JADot Member Posts: 709 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had a big day yesterday.

I was diagnosed with Stage II colon cancer at 39, as a lucky winner of the HNPCC lottery. Had surgery in Dec and have been on 5FU/Oxaliplatin/Leucovorin since Feb.

Yesterday I went in for my oxaliplatin , as I have done 7 times before. Half way through the infusion I got a horrible abdominal pain. Then I started vomitting. The pain was so unbearable I eventually had to roll up in fetal position and just whimpered. Then they sent me to the emergency room. A round of some strong antihistamine and steroids finally got the pain under control, and with it, the vomitting stopped too.

Just as every cloud has a silver lining, today I was told no more Oxaliplatin for me. They are afraid that I would just go into shock next time. I have 4 weeks of 5FU left, after that, I am done w/ chemo! a whole month ahead of schedule. I am thoroughly please!

Comments

  • JADot
    JADot Member Posts: 709 Member
    #2
    ...continuing from earlier....hit the wrong button earlier.

    I told my oncologist that as much as I dread more Oxaliplatin, I dread the return of cancer 1000 times more. I asked if they can just put me on some other drugs and we try to finish all 12 runs of Oxaliplatin. She said that given my severe allergic reation, even if I were a stage III, she would have still stopped it.

    Any of you guys have had strong allergic reactions to Oxaliplatin and what was done after?

    Cheers,
    JADot
  • terril
    terril Member Posts: 296
    #3
    I hope you are feeling better. This was a nasty day for you. I believe this is the way your body is saying "enough!" I hope you feel better. Prayers and thoughts to you for a great recovery and good news of being NED forever. Fight the beast and win!!!! Terri
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #4
    terril said:

    I hope you are feeling better. This was a nasty day for you. I believe this is the way your body is saying "enough!" I hope you feel better. Prayers and thoughts to you for a great recovery and good news of being NED forever. Fight the beast and win!!!! Terri

    I had a severe reaction to oxi on my #2 infusion. Spiked a very high temperature which was very scarey! I have now completed 25 radiation/continuous 5Fu treatments and am on a 1 month rest period. My oncologist says that she will "re-visit" the Oxi problem when it comes times for me to re-start chemo but she is of the opinion that she is "here to cure me not kill me"....so I will have to wait and see what she decides is the best course of action for me.

    Stage III x 2 lymph node involved rectal cancer - sig resection 4th January 2006. Operation successful with clear margins.
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #5
    JADot -

    I am a lotto winner, too. I didn't get the Oxaliplatin (it wasn't invented yet) - I did 6 mo of 5FU and Leukovorin. Been NED for nearly 5 years now.

    No need to kill yourself to get well, right? Hang in there and enjoy that month of "easy" chemo! Glad you didn't have a "violent" reaction (wink) - but I am glad they got you better.

    Cheers

    - Bob
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #6
    JADot,

    I did 8 months of oxy and wish I had stopped it sooner then I did. I have lingering side effects that are permanent. It is a wicked chemo drug and some of the cancer clinics are discovering that the short term benefits don't justify the long term side effects. Just think that dose that sent you to the emergency room cost you and your insurance company $15,000.00. You paid for someone's lovely summer vacation.

    I personally am happy you are off it.

    Lisa P.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #7
    Aw, dearheart, I am soooo glad you are better!

    I had only 2 4-day infusions of Cisplatin...and that was ENOUGH for me...The 5-FU is being spotlighted in a new (January 06) clinical trial at my center that involves rads and pump 5-FU pre-surgical...vs surgical first....
    Hey, wait, I HAD that...and....my 2 inch tumor DISAPPEARED!!!!!
    I agree that your bod is telling you enough, already!
    Hugs, Kathi
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    #8
    JADot said:

    ...continuing from earlier....hit the wrong button earlier.

    I told my oncologist that as much as I dread more Oxaliplatin, I dread the return of cancer 1000 times more. I asked if they can just put me on some other drugs and we try to finish all 12 runs of Oxaliplatin. She said that given my severe allergic reation, even if I were a stage III, she would have still stopped it.

    Any of you guys have had strong allergic reactions to Oxaliplatin and what was done after?

    Cheers,
    JADot

    Yes, I had reactions.... Stopped the whole damn thing after treatment nine. They had me on pretreatments, but my body pushed through. I also found out that with my body reacting, my bloodwork was haywire...I would check. I tolf my doc that I would not start again unless my bloodwork came back into balance; it did not and I stopped. I do not call it quitting. My body had all it could stand. I have never been happier with a decision. Take care and recupe!! - Maura
  • debralla
    debralla Member Posts: 203 Member
    #9
    KathiM said:

    Aw, dearheart, I am soooo glad you are better!

    I had only 2 4-day infusions of Cisplatin...and that was ENOUGH for me...The 5-FU is being spotlighted in a new (January 06) clinical trial at my center that involves rads and pump 5-FU pre-surgical...vs surgical first....
    Hey, wait, I HAD that...and....my 2 inch tumor DISAPPEARED!!!!!
    I agree that your bod is telling you enough, already!
    Hugs, Kathi

    Hello Ying
    I was on Oxy as well and my platelets kept dropping . I had to skip treatment twice . My fingers toes and feet are still giving me problems . This all started around treatment #8 waited 5 weeks then had #9 and #10 then another platelet drop . received avastin only . My platelets were back up again .So had chemo this past Wed without the Oxy . My Onc. wants to take it out for awhile. I am stage 4 . So it worries me as well .. But on the other hand it worried me more that I was not getting chemo at all because of it . My Onc reminded me of his 17 year stage 4 surviver and that he only received the 5fu /luc .
    Take Care and God Bless
    Debra
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #10
    JADot -

    I never had any long term issues with oxaliplatin - although I hated it - in fact I had just short term, but very intense, neuropathies which resolved within 2 weeks of treatment. But, given your reaction, and especially given that you are "only" stage II, I don't think you should spend a minute worrying about stopping the oxy. A scary way to get there, but congrats for being almost off chemo.

    Take care,
    Betsy
  • DK2006
    DK2006 Member Posts: 126
    #11
    Hi JADot,
    I'm sorry to hear about your reaction. I also had an anaphalatic response to the oxaliplatin at treatment #7. I had incredible abdominal pain, hives all over my body, vomitting, and I felt my head would explode. I was really opposed to taking any more oxaliplatin. (I'm stage 3a with 1 out of 32 lymph nodes positive.) My oncologist reduced the amount of oxaliplatin by one third and I take pre-meds. (Cimetidine, Decadron, and Benadryl the night before treatment, morning of treatment, and then again by IV right before treatment.) The reduced amount of oxaliplatin has significantly reduced side effects to the point where I feel toxic because of the 5 FU. I have had no further reaction to the oxaliplatin. I have one more treatment to go next week and I'm really looking forward to healing. I know what you mean about the fear of the cancer coming back. It's my greatest fear. Good luck with your decision. Best wishes, Donna
  • jerseysue
    jerseysue Member Posts: 624 Member
    #12
    I had a reaction on #9 and they stopped oxy and kept on going with all the others. Sue
  • Jen28
    Jen28 Member Posts: 45
    #13
    Hi Ying,

    I'm sorry to hear that you had such a nasty reaction. That sounds pretty awful. Definitely sounds like stopping the oxali is the right thing for your body. Congrats on having only one month left!

    Jen
  • fedester
    fedester Member Posts: 753 Member
    #14
    spongebob said:

    JADot -

    I am a lotto winner, too. I didn't get the Oxaliplatin (it wasn't invented yet) - I did 6 mo of 5FU and Leukovorin. Been NED for nearly 5 years now.

    No need to kill yourself to get well, right? Hang in there and enjoy that month of "easy" chemo! Glad you didn't have a "violent" reaction (wink) - but I am glad they got you better.

    Cheers

    - Bob

    hey bob,
    five years ned ,great.
    be well
    bruce
  • Believermjh
    Believermjh Member Posts: 36
    #15
    Is Oxilaplatin known by another name?
  • JADot
    JADot Member Posts: 709 Member
    #16
    Believermjh said:

    Is Oxilaplatin known by another name?

    Oxaliplatin is the generic name for the platinum-based compound. The brand-name drug for it is called Eloxatin.
  • JADot
    JADot Member Posts: 709 Member
    #17
    Hi!

    You guys are the best! Thanks so much for the information you've shared and for all the sympathy and encouragement. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Then again, I guess I will never find out, teehee :)

    Had a long talk with oncologist the day after my big event. She's taken me off Oxaliplatin for good. She said given the severity of my reaction, it would be medically reckless for her to give me any more of that sutff. Next time I could just go in a full anaphlactic shock, which sounded darn right dangerous.

    She did say that since I've had 8 out of 12, I would have had most of the benefit from it anyway. So that made me feel better.

    I will of course continue with 5FU. I have it on good authority from SpongeBob that 5FU is his scret to 5 years of NED! So I am counting on it doing the same for me!

    Thanks again to all of you!

    Ying

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