Extreme Fatigue on Camptosar???

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r2424243
r2424243 Member Posts: 51
in Colorectal Cancer #1
My dad was on oxalyplatin(?), then they stopped it for awhile and switched him to just lecuvorin/avastin/5fu, that combo quit working so now he is on Camptosar. He is extremely tired, falling asleep without warning, ect. His last chemo cycle ended last Wed. It is now Monday. This is his 2 round of this. Is this normal? Also, Im afraid it is just going to get worse and worse. Is it true that each round builds up in your system and the systems stay around longer? Thats what seemed to happen on the Oxy stuff. He slept 80% of the time. My dad seems to think that the side effects (fatigue and nausea) will get better each round because he will get more use to it. Any opinions? Thanks for the advise!

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  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #2
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    Camptosar:
    Yes, extreme fatigue is quite normal on this drug, at least for my George. George has been on this drug for quite a while. Some days the fatigue is worse than others. He can be watching TV and I look over and his eyes are closed. Our doc said get all the rest your body needs. A good nap really perks George up. Lots of evenings come 8:00/8:30 pm he is done in and goes to bed for the night. Don't fret too much, the extreme fatigue is quite normal.

    Take care - Tina
  • r2424243
    r2424243 Member Posts: 51
    #3
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    geotina said:

    Camptosar:
    Yes, extreme fatigue is quite normal on this drug, at least for my George. George has been on this drug for quite a while. Some days the fatigue is worse than others. He can be watching TV and I look over and his eyes are closed. Our doc said get all the rest your body needs. A good nap really perks George up. Lots of evenings come 8:00/8:30 pm he is done in and goes to bed for the night. Don't fret too much, the extreme fatigue is quite normal.

    Take care - Tina

    Hi Tina,
    I appreciate your
    Hi Tina,

    I appreciate your help! My dad is 62 years old. He is sleepy or out of it 85% of the time and it is only round 2. He has also started with constant hiccups. He is really miserable. I hope your George is doing well! My dad lives alone and is adament about not moving in with me. He just doesnt like change. He likes being at home. Luckily, we only live about 20 miles away from each other. Do you happen to know if the fatigue gets worse with each round? Like I said before, when my dad was on Oxaliplatin he was basically bedridden between the hiccups, stomach pain and fatigue. Im praying this stuff wont be as bad. My dad has Stage 4 colon with mets to liver. What does George have?
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #4
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    R2
    I agree with Tina - it is pretty rough stuff. I had a bad time with it and was sick all but about 5-days of each month for the entire time. I'd pass out sitting up watching tv too. I slept alot. I was ready for bed most nights by 7pm even on the w/ends. And sometimes that was with taking a nap so i could try and stay awake in the evening.

    It made me feel pretty bad most of the time, but it did help me get back to another watch and wait state. It wasn't a drug for me to live on, and fortunately we were able to stop it, at least for awhile.

    Watch for renal issues, as this drug can impact the renal system. I know it didn't do me any good there either.

    -Craig
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #5
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    r2424243 said:

    Hi Tina,
    I appreciate your
    Hi Tina,

    I appreciate your help! My dad is 62 years old. He is sleepy or out of it 85% of the time and it is only round 2. He has also started with constant hiccups. He is really miserable. I hope your George is doing well! My dad lives alone and is adament about not moving in with me. He just doesnt like change. He likes being at home. Luckily, we only live about 20 miles away from each other. Do you happen to know if the fatigue gets worse with each round? Like I said before, when my dad was on Oxaliplatin he was basically bedridden between the hiccups, stomach pain and fatigue. Im praying this stuff wont be as bad. My dad has Stage 4 colon with mets to liver. What does George have?

    Sorry for the late reply:
    My George is 62, has Stage IV colon, mets to liver and lungs. He was diagnosed 3/09. One other thing to watch out for on this drug is diarrhea. It can get pretty bad. Make sure you dad stays well hydrated. Gatorade is good. George prefers the low cal Gatorade, orange. Get him some and just put it in his refrigrator. He probably does not feel like cooking for himself so I suggest taking over some stuff that you know he likes to eat so he keeps some weight on.

    Take care - Tina

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