irinotecan and erbitux, ER tonight

newperson · July 2010

Dear Friends, I've been reading here a lot but not posting much. You all gave so many helpful information and so many inspiration.

Now I feel so down. My husband ended up in ER tonight after two days severe pain in this tummy. CAT scan revealed partial blockage in his small bowl. He was dx. in Dec. 2006 with rectal cancer. He has been on two times of Folfiri+Avastin for his rectal cancer recurrences for the past couple of years. Three months ago he wanted a break anyway. But his cancer made progress. More modules throughout his body are lighting up in the recent PET scan. So he started irinotecan + Erbitux last Thursday. He was doing pretty good for the first 4 days until this Monday after he took Monicycline for prevention of the rash. He had so much pain in his tummy and he didn't have any sleep at all in 40 hours since. Now he is in ER with a lot of pain medicine. The doctor in the hospital said it looked like it was the bowl twist that caused the blockage. They just try to make him feel comfortable to see if the bowl can be normal. If that fails, he will need surgery. I am so worried and scared that he has to do the surgery. He will be too weak to do the chemo after surgery. I'm so scared by his cancer.

His blockage happened after he took Monicycline. Did Monicycline cause the problem or did the chemo caused the problem? Does anyone have this experience? His doctor put him on this regimen every week (irinotecan+erbitux) for 4 weeks, then 2 weeks with erbitux only. Then start it again. Does anyone have this schedule? How do you handle the rash when you are on Erbitux? Please help. -- Lucy

lisa42 · July 2010

chemo
Hi Lucy,

I'm sorry for what you're experiencing and what your husband has had happen. To my knowledge, it would not be the antibiotic monocycline (minocycline?) that would cause such a thing. Is your husband also taking Avastin in addition to the chemo you mentioned? The reason I ask is that Avastin can cause such problems. Maybe the bowel twisting is even a result from adhesions growing after bowel surgery- although you said the small bowel- meaning small intestine? I honestly don't know what would cause that, but I doubt it would be the minocycline.
I was on Erbitux a couple of years (took 2 months only because that was right when they started testing for the kras mutation- I was tested after the fact and was found to have the mutation- so erbitux wouldn't work for me). Anyhow, while I was on it, I got a horrible rash- I mean monstrous- my chemo nurses said they had never seen anyone with such a bad case (there goes the theory of if you get the rash it must be working, since it didn't work for me). I didn't start taking minocycline until after the rash set in & it did help and started to make the rash get better after a few days. It's good that most oncologists now give the minocycline ahead of time to prevent the rash. Preventing it is important. Not everyone gets it as badly as I did, but most do get it at least some.
Hopefully this will work for your husband against the cancer.

I hope that all will go well in trying to figure out what needs to be done for this blockage or twisting of the bowel.

You take care- many people on the board have had blockages and, although it's really scary and serious, they have pulled through and recovered alright afterwards.

Hugs,
Lisa

5678dance · July 2010

Bowel Obstuction
Hi Lucy,

I had the same thing happen to me this past February, although I have colon cancer. My colon was resectioned in two places last November. With me, they felt the small intestine hooked onto some scar tissue, got twisted up with it, and was not allowing food to go through. I had severe stomach pains as well.

My story turned out good, but not until after a 2 week hospital stay. I had a blood clot develop earlier that month, so they had to back me down off of Coumadin, and give me belly shots, then heparin, so they could operate if they needed to. Our first plan though, was to wait it out for a while, as a lot of these untwist themselves. It took over a week, but if finally happened! I will be praying that it turns out the same for your husband. Hang in there!

Hugs,
Kathi

pluckey · July 2010

I was on the same reginmen
I was on the same reginmen my entire time of chemo - april 2009 thru June 2010. I don't beleive the chemo caused the blockage. I had a blockage last fall- I also had an ileostomy at the time as well. Scar tissue with abdominal surgeries is common.

I hope he can get back to chemo soon, those drugs really helped reduce my tumor burden tremendoulsy, i had a great response and was able to get surgery on my liver this year- 9 tumors in all! didn't get antibiotics before, so I deal with rash the entire 15 months. Summer is worse/heat etc...I wear hats and scarves while driving to cover my face. Long sleeves for arms- the erbitux makes you very sun sensetive, I'd get burned thru the car windows. (pale skin)

Hang in there

Peggy

Shayenne · July 2010

pluckey said:
I was on the same reginmen
I was on the same reginmen my entire time of chemo - april 2009 thru June 2010. I don't beleive the chemo caused the blockage. I had a blockage last fall- I also had an ileostomy at the time as well. Scar tissue with abdominal surgeries is common.

I hope he can get back to chemo soon, those drugs really helped reduce my tumor burden tremendoulsy, i had a great response and was able to get surgery on my liver this year- 9 tumors in all! didn't get antibiotics before, so I deal with rash the entire 15 months. Summer is worse/heat etc...I wear hats and scarves while driving to cover my face. Long sleeves for arms- the erbitux makes you very sun sensetive, I'd get burned thru the car windows. (pale skin)

Hang in there

Peggy

I had
Quite a few blockages last year! I was in the hospital 5 times with them, one of them was a colostomy, since my bowels were bleeding into my belly, and I needed an emergency colostomy, they made it a temporary one, but I still have it, and could get it reversed, but just don't bother, it's just another surgery to me, and something that I may have a hard time recovering from.

Blockages can be caused by other past surgeries, and the adhesions and scar tissue from them do make blockages. Also, things and how much (portions) of what you eat can also cause blockages. A big plate of pasta with cheese landed me in the hospital with a blockage, I could feel the severe stomach pains, and nothing was passing, in a few hours, I was at the hospital, and knew I had a blockage once I started puking! sure sign of a blockage as well.

Once you feel that intense pain, that will bring you to your knees (I swear it's worse then childbirth) then you know it's a blockage.

The last thing they want to do is surgery to it, they made me wait 3 weeks to see if I passed anything before they went in, and when I still hadn't, they did go in and untwist it. I had a kink in my bowels, and it was something that wasn't going to fix itself, usually it will fix itself, but not this one. Once they do surgery, it can always cause more blockages, more adhesions and scar tissue, so you just have to watch those.

Chew in small pieces, stay away from really gummy stuff, just for awhile till the digestive system gets used to being your new system. Now, I am at a point, where I can eat or drink anything I want, and have not had any other problems digesting anything.

Good luck and feel better! My doctor said chemo doesn't cause blockages. It's mostly due to past surgeries and what goes down your system. Chew slowly!

Hugsss!
~Donna

newperson · July 2010

Thank you all
Lisa, Kathi, Peggy and Donna, Thank you all so much for the replies. You made me feel much more released.

I just got back home from the hospital. Tired and scared even more. My husband's condition hasn't got any improvement. He has to get pain medication frequently to make him comfortable. He is running a little fever since this afternoon. He cannot eat and drink anything, only hooked up with IV. The more days to wait, the more worried and scared I am. But your experiences make me feel that we can wait a few days more. This makes me feel a little better. Yes, What I meant the small bowel is small intestine. I just hope that it will untwist itself. I pray that God would help him go through this.

He had surgery in 2007. I don't know what caused this problem, the surgery, scar tissue, chemo, minocycline, or big plate of meal. He did have a pretty good appetite. We will definitely watch out for having a small portion of meal at one time.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it. - Lucy

Erinb · July 2010

Hi Lucy,
I am sorry you have
Hi Lucy,
I am sorry you have to go through this. I am scared now with my husband's cancer and would be scared if he was in the hospital from twisted intestines. You wouldn't think that would happen so far after surgery. Now I am more informed myself.

My husband was on Folfox and Avastin and now is on 5FU, Irinotecan and Erbitux. To address the last question, my husband gets his treatment every two weeks. Usually a 3 1/2 hour infusion at the office and he brings a pump home for 46 hours. We are tired of Chemo, but what is the alternative when you have tumors? It amazes me that so many on this board have handled it well and have been doing it for years.

Positive thoughts for your husband!
Erin

vhtqm1 · July 2010

t
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vhtqm1 · July 2010

same situation
my treatment schedule is a little different but i too experienced much of what your husband is going through. it ended up being diagnosed as a 'paralysis of the bowel.' just as chemotherapy caused diarrhea it too can have the opposite effect by turning off the switch so to speak. after my last treatment everything was going quite well then one day my bowell movements just stopped. well, after a couple days of non stop vomiting and extensive pain i checked into the hospital. they determined i was dehydrated and that my intestinal tract had shut down. so it took re-hydration and rest of digestive system. slowly but surely things have been improving. once your husband does get things going they will probably recommend and low residue diet for a week or two and then gradually add in additional bulk and fiber. i'm on the mend now. no additional surgery was required and that for me a non evasive tactic was used to get me back and going. hope this helps in some way.bottom line it was an effect of chemotherapy.

ed

newperson · July 2010

update
Hi all friends here, Today my husband's blockage is resolved finally. He is still hooked up with IV only now to wait his digestive system get recovery from this. He may need to stay at the hospital a couple of more days. Hopefully tomorrow (actually this morning he will be able to start with clear food, then liquid food, then regular food.

Now I'm back to worry about him because of the cancer. He skipped this Thursday's treatment. I hope he will be able to have chemo next Thursday. I hope and pray the chemo will work for him. Pray for the miracle from God.

Thank you all for you care and encourage words.

Lucy

leonesq · July 2010

newperson said:
update
Hi all friends here, Today my husband's blockage is resolved finally. He is still hooked up with IV only now to wait his digestive system get recovery from this. He may need to stay at the hospital a couple of more days. Hopefully tomorrow (actually this morning he will be able to start with clear food, then liquid food, then regular food.

Now I'm back to worry about him because of the cancer. He skipped this Thursday's treatment. I hope he will be able to have chemo next Thursday. I hope and pray the chemo will work for him. Pray for the miracle from God.

Thank you all for you care and encourage words.

Lucy

Good to hear things are getting better for your hubby
You and your husband will be in my prayers tonight (this morning). Your husband is very fortunate to have you in his corner. Keep up the good fight and don’t forget to take care of yourself (eat, sleep).

irinotecan and erbitux, ER tonight

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