Zometa round 1, laid me low

m_azingrace
m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
This past Friday I went for my first Zometa infusion. I had to have "training" first, to learn about the possible side affects, and what I can do about them. (Zometa is a drug that is used to strengthen bones against the affects of Femara)
It seemed to go very well, and I went out of there feeling very good. I'm thinking "I must be one of the lucky ones...no side affects."
Well! What I wasn't told in the training is that the side affects don't show up until the next day. Saturday I awoke feeling like I'd been beat up, then shoved in front of a bus. Every muscle, joint & bone ached. I had chills, fever, nausea & headache. All day, all that night, and all day Sunday. Today I have a lingering headache. I hate taking pain meds, so I'm toughing it out and drinking lots of water to flush out the toxins.
Now, I was told that only about 10% of people on Zometa experience side affects this severe, and that is usually only for the first treatment.
I'd like to hear from others who have taken Zometa, or are now taking it, for what I might reasonably expect to happen following each monthly treatment.
God bless you all. Gracie

Comments

  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #2
    mzingrace,
    My mom has had
    mzingrace,

    My mom has had two different infusions of Zometa because of metz. to her bones. She handled it fine. She was already in pain, though. And the Zometa helped her. The first one may have made her a little more tired than she already was.

    The second one, she had no apparent side effects.

    Hopefully things will get better the next time.

    God Bless you, Gracie!
    d.h.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #3
    Gracie ..
    So sorry about the side affects of Zometa .. I've not been on this drug, maybe down the line.

    If med's given, you may want to take a few .. Hoping you are ok by tomorrow.


    VickiSam
  • curecancer
    curecancer Member Posts: 8
    #4
    VickiSam said:

    Gracie ..
    So sorry about the side affects of Zometa .. I've not been on this drug, maybe down the line.

    If med's given, you may want to take a few .. Hoping you are ok by tomorrow.


    VickiSam

    Zometa
    Hi there, my name is Patty and I have been having Zometa for the last 6 years. Sometimes I feel alittle low the next day however, normally I don't have any side effects. I used to have it every month, now I get it every 3 months.
    I sure hope the next time you have it you will feel better. It truly is a wonderful bone strengthener. I call it my bone juice.
    Take care~ No fun having cancer thats for sure.
    Sincerely,
    Patty
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #5
    curecancer said:

    Zometa
    Hi there, my name is Patty and I have been having Zometa for the last 6 years. Sometimes I feel alittle low the next day however, normally I don't have any side effects. I used to have it every month, now I get it every 3 months.
    I sure hope the next time you have it you will feel better. It truly is a wonderful bone strengthener. I call it my bone juice.
    Take care~ No fun having cancer thats for sure.
    Sincerely,
    Patty

    Patty, VickiSam & Dawne.Hope..
    Many thanks for your encouraging replies. I am feeling much better today. Although still a little headachey, I was able to eat some toast this morning, and I expect the headache to wear off before too long.
    It's good to know that I can hope for the side affects to diminish with each treatment. Yes, Patty...no fun having cancer, but if I were to look for something good in it..I see myself making many new friends whom I would never have met otherwise.
    Thank you all again! God Bless. Gracie
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #6
    m_azingrace said:

    Patty, VickiSam & Dawne.Hope..
    Many thanks for your encouraging replies. I am feeling much better today. Although still a little headachey, I was able to eat some toast this morning, and I expect the headache to wear off before too long.
    It's good to know that I can hope for the side affects to diminish with each treatment. Yes, Patty...no fun having cancer, but if I were to look for something good in it..I see myself making many new friends whom I would never have met otherwise.
    Thank you all again! God Bless. Gracie

    Hi Gracie, I get zometa
    Hi Gracie, I get zometa every month, and I get achy after my treatments also. I seem to get a stiff neck mostly, but it usually is not too bad. I was getting it every 3 weeks, but after I complained, he made it every 4 weeks.
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #7
    meena1 said:

    Hi Gracie, I get zometa
    Hi Gracie, I get zometa every month, and I get achy after my treatments also. I seem to get a stiff neck mostly, but it usually is not too bad. I was getting it every 3 weeks, but after I complained, he made it every 4 weeks.

    Thanks meena1
    I am hoping that the SE will diminish over time as they do for others. I can do a few aches and pains...it's being in bed not able to sleep that I don't look forward to. I am feeling almost like my old self today, although I still have minor aches in places I didn't know I had. Hopefully the once a month schedule the doctor has put me on will allow the toxins to dissipate before the next insult occurs. Whatever it takes to stay strong.
    Thanks again, and God Bless. Gracie.
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #8
    m_azingrace said:

    Thanks meena1
    I am hoping that the SE will diminish over time as they do for others. I can do a few aches and pains...it's being in bed not able to sleep that I don't look forward to. I am feeling almost like my old self today, although I still have minor aches in places I didn't know I had. Hopefully the once a month schedule the doctor has put me on will allow the toxins to dissipate before the next insult occurs. Whatever it takes to stay strong.
    Thanks again, and God Bless. Gracie.

    Gracie, I'm glad you are
    Gracie, I'm glad you are feeling better today. My husband said I am like the Bionic Woman with all these drugs I am taking! So when i am down, I think of that.
  • curecancer
    curecancer Member Posts: 8
    #9
    m_azingrace said:

    Thanks meena1
    I am hoping that the SE will diminish over time as they do for others. I can do a few aches and pains...it's being in bed not able to sleep that I don't look forward to. I am feeling almost like my old self today, although I still have minor aches in places I didn't know I had. Hopefully the once a month schedule the doctor has put me on will allow the toxins to dissipate before the next insult occurs. Whatever it takes to stay strong.
    Thanks again, and God Bless. Gracie.

    Sleep
    Dear Grace,
    I hear that....well, advil p.m. works great!! And for the sweats... a low dose of effexor gals works well too!! Anxiety, ativan....I don't know what I would do without my meds.
    They truly get me to the normal kind of level.
    Love,
    Cure
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #10
    curecancer said:

    Sleep
    Dear Grace,
    I hear that....well, advil p.m. works great!! And for the sweats... a low dose of effexor gals works well too!! Anxiety, ativan....I don't know what I would do without my meds.
    They truly get me to the normal kind of level.
    Love,
    Cure

    Thanks cure...
    I looked up effexor, and skimmed through the product information. Its main use is for anxiety disorders and/or depression. Fortunately I don't need meds for those conditions.

    I suppose each of us has her own concept of what is "normal". My ideal normal would be no drugs of any kind. But that's not possible now. So my next best thing is to take what is needed for the condition (Femara to fight the cancer), and only what else is needed to offset the most serious side affects (Zometa to keep my bones strong). While I don't enjoy the hot flashes, I can tolerate them, and I've found that regular mild exercise goes a long way in minimizing them. Also, smaller meals with nutritious snacks in between seem to help.

    This was only my first Zometa treatment. I'm expecting to have one each month. From what I've heard and read, the most severe side affects are behind me, so from now on they should be mild to practically nothing. Even as bad as it was, it was completely over by the 4th day & I can enjoy the next 3 weeks without any problems.

    Thanks to you all. HUGS. Gracie
  • SuzG
    SuzG Member Posts: 6
    #11
    Zometa
    Gracie - I too had my first round of Zometa. It was in May, and I felt exactly like you did. When I had the treatment, they just breezed through the possible side effects and I didn't really think I would have to worry about it. Well I was totally not prepared for the side effects a day later. I didn't take pain meds either because I had to drive my daughter back and forth to work. I go for my second round in November. I'm hoping it's not as bad, but at least I'll be more prepared for it either way!
    Sue
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #12
    SuzG said:

    Zometa
    Gracie - I too had my first round of Zometa. It was in May, and I felt exactly like you did. When I had the treatment, they just breezed through the possible side effects and I didn't really think I would have to worry about it. Well I was totally not prepared for the side effects a day later. I didn't take pain meds either because I had to drive my daughter back and forth to work. I go for my second round in November. I'm hoping it's not as bad, but at least I'll be more prepared for it either way!
    Sue

    SuzG
    Thanks for your response. "Breezed through" is exactly what they did with me too. I think I felt so much worse too because I was so totally unprepared for it. More and more, I am realizing that we need to be our own advocates! Had I done some more research prior to the first treatment, perhaps the outcome might have been a little different. While I was told to drink plenty of water after the treatment, especially during the first 24 hours. I now know that it would have been good to go into the treatment extra-well hydrated too. My next treatment is in October, and I'm definitely going to be ready for it in every way possible!
    Hugs to you. Gracie
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #13
    m_azingrace said:

    SuzG
    Thanks for your response. "Breezed through" is exactly what they did with me too. I think I felt so much worse too because I was so totally unprepared for it. More and more, I am realizing that we need to be our own advocates! Had I done some more research prior to the first treatment, perhaps the outcome might have been a little different. While I was told to drink plenty of water after the treatment, especially during the first 24 hours. I now know that it would have been good to go into the treatment extra-well hydrated too. My next treatment is in October, and I'm definitely going to be ready for it in every way possible!
    Hugs to you. Gracie

    I had the same thing, Gracie
    I thought I would "breeze through" as well. I even planned a weekend away. Well, let me tell you I was holed up in the hotel room for most of the weekend. Same symptoms as you. I had planned to live it up, go to the hotel spa, and drink martinis at the hotel bar. Didn't quite work out that way... My best to you for next time. It should get better, right?!

    Mimi
  • JmG86
    JmG86 Member Posts: 53
    #14
    Hi Gracie
    i have been getting Zometa every month for six years. I had the very same reaction that you did my first time. I had no training, as a matter of fact they told me I wouln't have any reaction at all. I thought I had the flu. I had to call the dr and ask if I was reacting to something. Anyway, after that they started giving me a Benadryl before my treatment, and it worked wonders. After a while I was able to stop taking the benadry first - I guess my body got used to it. I hope your body gets used to it as well - maybe you can ask about the benadryl? Good luck to you!
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #15
    JmG86 said:

    Hi Gracie
    i have been getting Zometa every month for six years. I had the very same reaction that you did my first time. I had no training, as a matter of fact they told me I wouln't have any reaction at all. I thought I had the flu. I had to call the dr and ask if I was reacting to something. Anyway, after that they started giving me a Benadryl before my treatment, and it worked wonders. After a while I was able to stop taking the benadry first - I guess my body got used to it. I hope your body gets used to it as well - maybe you can ask about the benadryl? Good luck to you!

    Benadryl
    Thanks JmG. During the "training" I was told that if I had a shortness of breath or wheezing I could take the Benadryl that is sold OTC, but it wasn't mentioned for the other symptoms. I'm glad you told me about it. I'll be sure to have some when I go for my next treatment. Hugs to you. Gracie
  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #16
    m_azingrace said:

    Benadryl
    Thanks JmG. During the "training" I was told that if I had a shortness of breath or wheezing I could take the Benadryl that is sold OTC, but it wasn't mentioned for the other symptoms. I'm glad you told me about it. I'll be sure to have some when I go for my next treatment. Hugs to you. Gracie

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