Folfiri

melo72
melo72 Member Posts: 36
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everybody,I haven't written anything here since long time ago which my mom started folfiri after liver resection!Now she finished third one and because of sever diarrhea and weight reduction the onco gave her 2 weeks rest.
But can anybody help me to know what is the normal dosage of Fofiri for a person 50 kg?because as I searched, the onco did all these three cycle with the very high dosage for her and now we have faced the situation that she doesn't accept to continue chemo because of diarrhea and very bad side effect. Now she is deeply depressed and doesn't talk,smile or even wanted to walk or do anything.always she wanted to sleep in bed!!!
thanx to all,hope everything would be fine...
melo

Comments

  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #2
    I Was
    On Folfiri for 14 months, but just got switched to Folfox for a couple months, I have to do just 4, but I have no idea about the dosage with weight, I never looked at it. I'm sorry I couldn't be much help there, but for diarrhea, can she take an Immodium-AD?? and what very bad side effects is she having? does she have good anti-nausea meds? I know the fatigue is a killer, I'm going through it with Folfox as well now, but she should regain some energy back a few days after being disconnected from her treatment (does she have a pump?) How long has she been doing the chemo?

    I would also suggest trying to talk to her onc about anti-anxiety and anti-depressant meds, they can help as well, and have her get out abit, the sunshine is coming, and it will be good for for her, the chemo just doesn't make you feel like yourself for awhile, but after a few days, she needs to try and bounce back, I felt the same at first, but it's ok now, I'm just trying to get past these darn Folfox treatments now :)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    #3
    Salam Melody!
    I am sorry to hear that your mother is having such a difficult time with chemo. I've been on irinotecan a couple of different times and know that it can be very hard. Sorry, I don't know how they calculate the dose. The diarrhea can be particularly bad. Dehydration is a problem and the general feeling of malaise that comes with it can leave us very down.

    Your chemo nurses should be able to recommend something to reduce the diarrhea. I take Immodium, lots of it! One one occasion I had to get fluids by IV to restore what I lost. They haven't given my irinotecan since.

    Your Mom is stage 4 so this treatment is important as a follow up to the liver surgery. All you can do is help her to cope with the side-effects and encourage her to carry on.

    I hope she feels better after her chemo break.

    Bye for now... Rob; in Vancouver
  • jbaugh
    jbaugh Member Posts: 3
    #4
    Hate the side effects
    Found some ref. to dosing with Irinotecan. When I changed from Folfox to Folfiri the main chemical change was Irinotecan. They told me I would experience sever dirrhea within the 1st 24 hrs after treatment. I showed them, I got constipated!
    Try these sites
    http://www.cancercare.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=12850
    http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/20/1/81
    http://www.cancernetwork.com/display/article/10165/82808?verify=0

    Looks like lower dosing is more effective.
    I know how she feels, but don't let her give up. Have to fight the side effects or they will get you.
    Good luck,
    Joe
  • C Dixon
    C Dixon Member Posts: 201
    #5
    Hi, they can also prescribe
    Hi, they can also prescribe Lomotil for rand there is also a shot that can be given for extreme diarrhea. My docs gave me atropine before the camptosar to help prevent the early onset diarhea but I didn't need it and discontinued it.
  • C Dixon
    C Dixon Member Posts: 201
    #6
    Hi, they can also prescribe
    Hi, they can also prescribe Lomotil for diarrhea and there is also a shot that can be given for extreme diarrhea. My docs gave me atropine before the camptosar to help prevent the early onset diarhea but I didn't need it and discontinued it.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #7
    CPT-11 and diarrhea
    You see, there are lots of names for the same drug. CPT-11, Irinitocan and Camptosar are all the same drug, what your mother is getting in the FOLFIRI combo, and the diarrhea is FIERCE! Imodium never touched it for me, i took Lomotil and that rarely worked either. Hyocyamine is an anti-spasmodic for the colon and really worked for me. A shot of Sandostatin (sic?) did wonders for managing it the most; didn't get rid of it, but made it more manageable. Also helped with the tiredness and emotional turmoil that always came with the treatments for me. It's given once a month. Definitely talk to her onc about the side effects she's having, there are drugs to counteract them all!
    mary
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #8
    msccolon said:

    CPT-11 and diarrhea
    You see, there are lots of names for the same drug. CPT-11, Irinitocan and Camptosar are all the same drug, what your mother is getting in the FOLFIRI combo, and the diarrhea is FIERCE! Imodium never touched it for me, i took Lomotil and that rarely worked either. Hyocyamine is an anti-spasmodic for the colon and really worked for me. A shot of Sandostatin (sic?) did wonders for managing it the most; didn't get rid of it, but made it more manageable. Also helped with the tiredness and emotional turmoil that always came with the treatments for me. It's given once a month. Definitely talk to her onc about the side effects she's having, there are drugs to counteract them all!
    mary

    Melo
    I was on Folfiri and did the Sandostatin shots (1 per month) and it did the trick for me. i agree with Mary...... mention to the Onc.

    Jennie
  • melo72
    melo72 Member Posts: 36
    #9
    Shayenne said:

    I Was
    On Folfiri for 14 months, but just got switched to Folfox for a couple months, I have to do just 4, but I have no idea about the dosage with weight, I never looked at it. I'm sorry I couldn't be much help there, but for diarrhea, can she take an Immodium-AD?? and what very bad side effects is she having? does she have good anti-nausea meds? I know the fatigue is a killer, I'm going through it with Folfox as well now, but she should regain some energy back a few days after being disconnected from her treatment (does she have a pump?) How long has she been doing the chemo?

    I would also suggest trying to talk to her onc about anti-anxiety and anti-depressant meds, they can help as well, and have her get out abit, the sunshine is coming, and it will be good for for her, the chemo just doesn't make you feel like yourself for awhile, but after a few days, she needs to try and bounce back, I felt the same at first, but it's ok now, I'm just trying to get past these darn Folfox treatments now :)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna

    Dear Dona,
    I read your post
    Dear Dona,
    I read your post about the complication with avastin,I hope you doing well now.thank to your information and support as always for all.we have tried the Immodium,also for the third round Atropine as a premed under skin...but it didn't work for her.the diarrhea still exist sometimes after 1 month!!
    Nausea is controllable and also the worst one is Stomatitis which make her not to eat anything for 3-4 days,just we gave her mouthwash to make inside the mouth without sense to give her some soup!!it's also terrible...
    As I'v searched the dosage of her drug was over the normal dosage.when I asked from onco about the high dosage yesterday, he explain that he wanted to give a shock and really I don't agree because it was a big shock for her too which put her in the risk of death!!!
    because her diarrhea is not controllable after each cycle it causes delay between cycles which is not correct.
    I am not sure if we continue with this onco but now the problem is she doesn't want to continue chemo and I have to find a solution to keep her strong and convince her to start again.
  • melo72
    melo72 Member Posts: 36
    #10
    jbaugh said:

    Hate the side effects
    Found some ref. to dosing with Irinotecan. When I changed from Folfox to Folfiri the main chemical change was Irinotecan. They told me I would experience sever dirrhea within the 1st 24 hrs after treatment. I showed them, I got constipated!
    Try these sites
    http://www.cancercare.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=12850
    http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/20/1/81
    http://www.cancernetwork.com/display/article/10165/82808?verify=0

    Looks like lower dosing is more effective.
    I know how she feels, but don't let her give up. Have to fight the side effects or they will get you.
    Good luck,
    Joe

    Thanks joe,
    My all effort is
    Thanks joe,

    My all effort is to make her not to give up,but really she has had very hard time during these past months which makes her hopeless now.
    The sites were useful and I completely understand that the dosage has been so high...something about double which I don't know why?and was it correct or not?

    melo
  • melo72
    melo72 Member Posts: 36
    #11
    idlehunters said:

    Melo
    I was on Folfiri and did the Sandostatin shots (1 per month) and it did the trick for me. i agree with Mary...... mention to the Onc.

    Jennie

    Jennie,
    I will go to talk
    Jennie,

    I will go to talk about all these drugs that can help her to not to give up...thank you for the information...
    melo

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