HELP: On feet all day with Doxil

WishingWell
WishingWell Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hi all - hopefully you can help, my mom is now starting Doxil. Her oncology nurses haven't been very helpful, I'm basically repeating instructions from the Doxil website, and it's like it's the first time they heard it. They didn't know you're supposed to ice the day before and up to 5 days after. They said they just wait to see if a rash even develops before adding ice.(?!) She's getting ready to start back at work from her surgery recovery, where she'll be on her FEET all day. However, it will likely be part-time thank goodness. But we want to stay ahead of the hand-foot syndrome as much as possible. So here are my specific questions:

1) Anyone work on their feet while taking Doxil?

2) How often do you ice?? Do you do it throughout the entire infusion, or is it 20 mins on and 20 mins off? And what about when you get home... how often throughout the day do you ice? (do you do intervals, or just keep them iced for longer periods?)

3) Do you also ice AFTER the 5 day mark?

4) Do you ice your wrists/ankles (like it states on the Doxil site).....or do you apply to the palms and soles of feet?

5) Her wardrobe has consisted of loose shirts and maternity stretchy pants. No bra and she wears Depends undergarments. Will the stretchy waist bands of the stretchy pants and Depends be a problem? Should she always wear night-gowns any time she's at home?

6) Has anyone taken acidophilus for mouth sores, and if so - can you recommend a high-quality product?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

Comments

  • WishingWell
    WishingWell Member Posts: 2
    #2

    ..........anyone?
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #3
    Dear wishingwell,
    I'm impressed with your diligence. I will do my best to share my experience with doxil. I had 7 infusions (Septeber 2009 - March 2010). I got the trunk rash (came and went) and eventually blisters on my feet in December. I continued on a lower dose.

    1. I did not work, but walked a lot the first few months, and have a very busy life. I wore a berky style sandle with a toe (bad choice) for Sep and Octomber. About Novemeber, in between my toes became inflamed and eventually blistered. By December the only thing I could wear was fur lined crocs.

    2. I did the wrist/ankel wrap for infusion, but did not ice after that. I wish I had been a bit more diligent to keep my body truly cold. I did not eat/drink anything hot though, and took tepid showers.

    3. NO, but in early December, I started soaking my feet in ice water, to ease the pain of blisters.

    4. Yes, they supplied the wrist/ankle ice wraps. I was only the 5th patient to receive doxil in this uni hospital in Japan (just got approved by Japanese FDA a few months before that), and they took it very seriously.

    5. I did the loose clothing thing, bought some stretchy syle camis and loose vests, although I occasionally wore a bra. Only after a few hours, I did break out in a rash under my boobs. It did go away after a few days. The key with the tight clothing thing is that it traps in the heat, and that part of your body gets too hot.

    6. I take acidophilus every day. I get a good one from the doctor. Always a good idea when on chemo.

    I got severe mouth sores after the first cycle. It was bad, I could not eat and was in pain for days. The doc recommended IMPACT, by Nestle. I drank it 5 days before chemo and never had a problem after that. You can purchase it on the net.

    I feel I was pretty good with following the instructions on the doxil site, but wonder sometimes if I had worn fur lined crocs from the beginning, and iced more for a few days after infusion, if the blisters/rashes could have been prevented. But, I do know a couple people that did nothing, and even took hot baths and were fine. Go figure. Luck of the draw?

    Wishing you and your mom the best with the doxil!

    kathleen

    dx 6-07
    IIIC grade 3

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