Chemo Distress

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bc - 18 Dec 2004 21:12 GMT

Hello All--

As some of you know I had delayed the start of chemo several months in
pursuit of second opinions and travel plans.

Finally got started last Monday on gemciteabine/carboplatin.

I was fine until Wednesday when the stuff absolutely leveled me. I
couldn't get out of bed for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a stretch. A
few steps and I was breathless. Headache. Joints ached. Nausea. No
appetite. Chest pains on both sides. All manner of shooting pains. Total
discomfort. Thursday it was almost as bad. Yesterday slightly better.
Today improved to about 60%.

My oncologist says my reaction was greater than normal. I wonder about
how others may have experienced these drugs.

It's hard to believe that anything this obviously toxic can have an
enduring effect in extending one's life and its quality.

An article in the NY Times today said that Erissa had failed to show any
positive effect in extending life in recent studies. Pretty hard these
days to have much confidence in anything brewed up by these money-
grubbing pitchsters. Is there any hope for corporate medicine?

At least I can say it ain't my fault. I never once voted Republican.

This great rush to privatize everything and let the markets sort it out
could end up as the great train wreck of western civilization.

Sorry guys--I'm not exactly bubbling over with hope and confidence today.

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NY to FL Guy - 18 Dec 2004 21:56 GMT

bc wrote,

>Hello All--
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
>Sorry guys--I'm not exactly bubbling over with hope and confidence today.

I know the feeling. I have been sick as a dog these past 3 days (I unhitched
the pump I wear on Thursday, after 46 hours). I am led to believe that the
chemo burnt my intestines, I had such pains yesterday. I have decided that I
will only do 2 more rounds, tops, of this chemo. The mental affects are almost
as bad also. There should be a better way, with all the money spent on cancer
research.

Hope you feel better. I know I will be better tomorrow.

Reply to this Message

J - 18 Dec 2004 22:21 GMT

> An article in the NY Times today said that Erissa had failed to show any
> positive effect in extending life in recent studies. Pretty hard these
> days to have much confidence in anything brewed up by these money-
> grubbing pitchsters. Is there any hope for corporate medicine?

It was fast-tracked by the FDA, presumably in response to demand by consumers
perhaps based on small studiesor early trials for toxicity. (conjecture - I
would have to research it more)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=18013

Did your combo go through Phase IV clinical trials?
J

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J - 19 Dec 2004 10:29 GMT

Hi BC, well it looks to me that I drew the wrong conclusions because it looks
like Public Citizen and Japan knew about Iressa long before it was
fast-tracked by the FDA. Public Citizen told FDA in 2002 (see "Iressa"
post). So what's FDA's excuse going to be? <rhetorical>
J

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J - 19 Dec 2004 10:38 GMT

> As some of you know I had delayed the start of chemo several months in
> pursuit of second opinions and travel plans.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> It's hard to believe that anything this obviously toxic can have an
> enduring effect in extending one's life and its quality.

I don't want to talk you in or out of anything, but is it possible that the
first week is the worst?
Did the oncologist not have suggestions as to help with the side effects?
Many have mentioned joint pain, there's surely medications for the nausea.
I wonder if Ibuprofen would help with the joint pain and headache, but ask
you doctor. I would have said "Celebrex" but see next post.
Fatigue is expected.
Which leaves us with the breathlessness. Are more fluids building up? If that
gets worse, please call the onc.
I'm hoping you'll improve every day, while on it.
Maybe good thing you did not have radiation therapy yet? (see what Steph
thinks).
J

Reply to this Message

J - 19 Dec 2004 16:33 GMT

> As some of you know I had delayed the start of chemo several months in
> pursuit of second opinions and travel plans.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> My oncologist says my reaction was greater than normal. I wonder about
> how others may have experienced these drugs.

Here's the combo, bc
<http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Treatments/Chemotherapy/Combinationregimes/GemCarb
oregime>

HTH
J

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J - 04 Jan 2005 12:37 GMT

> Finally got started last Monday on gemciteabine/carboplatin.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> My oncologist says my reaction was greater than normal. I wonder about
> how others may have experienced these drugs.

How are you doing? Special thoughts to you, bc.
(in case you're using "watch thread" on your newsreader..
J

Reply to this Message

J - 18 Jan 2005 00:30 GMT

> Finally got started last Monday on gemciteabine/carboplatin.
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> It's hard to believe that anything this obviously toxic can have an
> enduring effect in extending one's life and its quality.

How's it going bc ?
J

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bc - 29 Jan 2005 21:58 GMT

>> Finally got started last Monday on gemciteabine/carboplatin.
>>
>> I was fine until Wednesday when the stuff absolutely leveled me.
> How's it going bc ?
> J

J--

Thanks for asking. I haven't peeked in here for a while.

About the same, I guess. I just had chemo #3 last Monday. As on the
previous two shots I took the hit beginning Wednesday. Wednesday and
Thursday just awful. So weak all I could was get to the bathroom and back
to bed. Yesterday I was a little better. Today I'm up to about 60%.

Aside from the weakness, fatigue, nausea and general malaise the scariest
part kicked in Thursday night and again yesterday. Incredible shortness
of breath--difficult breathing--fits of coughing that would bring on
vomiting even though most of the nausea was gone.

That persists in a milder fashion today. I've never had asthma before.
But this is what I would imagine an asthma attack is like. They did lung
performance test back in Nov. and informed me I had COPD on top of the
cancer. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

They've few inhalers--Albuterol, Atrovent and Aerobid. Sometimes they
help. But last night and today they offered little relief.

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be over the worst of the chemo.

They did another CT scan a couple of weeks ago to check on the pleural
effusion, etc. Apparently the pleral effusion has improved--no longer
loculated--diminished to the point where they do not feel there is a need
for another thoracentesis at this time. I may have mentioned before that
this situation was not helped by the pleuradesis back in September, which
was only partially effective. In November they wanted to do a CT-guided
thoracentesis. I decided to wait and see, which seems to have been a good
decision.

If I've learned anything through all this, I would say "wait and see" is
often better choice than dashing ahead with the latest/greatest procedure
of the "top" practitioners.

I'll check in again when I'm feeling "normal."

Reply to this Message

J - 30 Jan 2005 08:35 GMT

> >> Finally got started last Monday on gemciteabine/carboplatin.
> >>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> They've few inhalers--Albuterol, Atrovent and Aerobid. Sometimes they
> help. But last night and today they offered little relief.

Is there someone you can buddy up with on the above? (and/or a
pulmonologist?)
Sometimes there's a technique that works better for some..

> Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be over the worst of the chemo.

Hope so.

> They did another CT scan a couple of weeks ago to check on the pleural
> effusion, etc. Apparently the pleral effusion has improved--no longer
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> often better choice than dashing ahead with the latest/greatest procedure
> of the "top" practitioners.

Thanks for staying in touch, bc.
Best wishes,
J

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