Ab Pain and Avastin

going2win
going2win Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I am looking for information from people who have used Avastin for an extended period of time. I am currently experiencing abdominal pain that I think may be a side effect of the Avastin and am becoming very frustrated in getting it diagnosed.

Here is some background: I completed 10 cycles of Folfox/Avastin/panitumumab (trial drug like Erbitux). I had really good results - clean scans and CEA between 1.5 and 2.5. At that point, because of the neuropathy, my Dr changed the treatment to just the Avastin and panitumumab. Around that time I developed abdominal pain. At first it felt like a pulled abdominal muscle (about this time I had started to become much more active). It is now pretty much constant (mostly a pulling and spasm pain)– especially intense when I cough, sneeze, etc. Much like it did right after my resection. I had a clean scan in early July after the pain had started. I have also had an endoscopy to rule out an ulcer. None of the Docs think it is a hernia since I don’t have a bulge and the pain is not close enough to the incision. I re-read the side effects of the drugs in my treatment and found that Avastin can cause abdominal pain. In my last treatment we skipped the Avastin to see if that might help. Next steps are another PET/CT and a colonoscopy next week. Anyone with similar experience?

Comments

  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #2
    Hi -

    I only had 6 Avastin treatments and no problem. I've been off all chemo since Dec 05. But, in my end of June CT scan, a tiny ventral hernia was reported (causes no problem except when I cough and even then not really a problem - I only realized that I really have a hernia in retrospect after getting CT report and realizing it made sense and explained my occasional odd sensations). My oncologist had me do various leg lifts etc and she could FINALLY locate it, but it is not apparently obvious on physical exam. These are not uncommon following surgery - my surgery was in early June 2005 and this hernia did not show up until late June 2006. I have no buldge and the occasional "wierd" feeling I have is no where close to the incision, but the CT reveals a hernia and to me that accounts for the wierd feeling. So, perhaps the CT will reveal something. As far as I can tell I had no side effects at all from Avastin, but there were only 6 treatments and the oxaliplatin side effects probably overshadowed all. Still, just so you know, even with small diagnosed hernia, no abdominal "pain" - just "wierd" feeling from time to time.

    Take care,
    Betsy
  • Susanbm
    Susanbm Member Posts: 61
    #3
    I had lots of pain with the Avastin. I was on a clinicial trial which lasted a year, I receive the Avastin every two weeks. My pain was more in my joints, arms, legs, ankles, shoulders but I did have some abdominal pain. I actually had more pain on the Avastin once I finished my chemotherapy, possibly because the chemo drugs helped keep the pain under control. It was very frustrating not knowing what to do about the pain and my oncologist was a little baffled because most of the patients have no pain. I almost quit the clinical trial but decided to stick it out because of the potential benefit. Anyway, we ruled everthing else out so attributed the pain to the Avasin. I finished the clinical trial in April but my shoulder continued to give me pain and eventually became "frozen" and "encapsulated". I tried physical therapy but it did not help. I am actually have a procedure done next week to "manipulate" my shoulder to see if it will relieve some of the pain and give me a better range of motion. Having said all that, I am grateful that I was able to participate in the trial. I am Stage III with 1 lymph node and normally Avastin is given to Stage IV only. At this point, I'm hoping the benefit was worth the pain. God Bless you and hang in there!
  • nanuk
    nanuk Member Posts: 1,358 Member
    #4
    I would be inclined to suspect the Panitumumab..I haven't been on it, but it does have quite a few side affects. I was on Avastin, and did not experience abdominal pain. Also, I discovered that hydration, or lack of it, can cause a lot of pain symptoms. Are you drinking 64+ oz of water daily? Bud

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