"Acidophilus & Bifidus"/TYKERB/XELODA

[Joanna S]

First of all please let me thank my friend StephanyN. for introducing me to this web site. My thanks also to Lolly for helping me with information when I recently was newly diagnosed with cutaneous breast cancer [skin cancer to my right lymphedimic arm].

I am currently on TYKERB/XELODA, since 8/28/07. I too have experienced "horrrrrific" diarrea for a few days initially upon starting the medication. I took immodium, but it only helped for a while. I thought I would have to give up the new medication! Then, my son suggested to me that since the new medication was "eliminating" all of the good bacteria from my intestins, that I should take Acidophilus/Bifidus to reintroduce "good bacteria' into the intestins; It was like magic: within a couple of days I was better, and have been since. I now take one Acidophilus/Bifidus capsule 30 minutes after my lunch each day and I tolerate the new cancer med beautifully. [I take TYKERB at late night, and XELODA 30 minutes after breakfast and 30 minutes after dinner].
I hope this will help some of you that have and/or are experiencing the above "horrrrific" problem from TYKERB/XELODA that I experienced. Please let me if I was of any help to you. Joanna S

[RhondaH]

Welcome to our corner of the internet. Acidophilus/Bifidus is whats in yoghurt like Activia (http://www.activia.com/). When my 6yo son was dx w/ an ear infection, strep AND pick eye all at the same time, the pediatrician SAID the antibiotic he was going to be put on was SO strong he would have diahrea (sp) and prior to taking the med to eat some yoghurt (I PERSONALLY am against all this "man made" stuff and am becoming more and more convinced that whole, organic, local AND slow foods are the way to go and he/we eat organic yoghurt) and other than the ONE time he didn't want to eat it (and boy did HE find out) we had no problems w/ diahrea. Good luck and take care. May you continue to have good health.

Rhonda

[julierene]

Acidophilus/Bifidus
Doesn't that sound like a magic spell from Harry Potter?! HAHAHA! Cool. I have had problems with the combo causing diarreaha. It did calm down a bit after about a month. But I still have the runs about once a day. At least it's only once! So where do you get this magic spell... I mean pill anyway?

[Esther]

Julierene, check www.iherb.com (http://www.iherb.com), they have several brands of it. I really like this website for my supplements, they have everything in stock and ship very quickly.

[Joanna S]

Dear Jullierene,
You can get Acidophilus & Bifidus at any health food store. Joanna s

[Yorkiegirl]

I have been taking this for many years. My Yorkies (doggies) even take 1 cap a day and have been for many years as well.

I know when I was in the Hospital last year with that horrible infection and was on IV antibiotics, they gave this to take since it was part of my daily routine.

[R.B.]

http://www.lepicol.com/s/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=103

This is quite a useful product which I found helpful in the past.

RB

[julierene]

I just found it at Walgreens. Maybe now I can have 1 normal BM a day instead of 1 irregular M a day!

[StephN]

to Joanna, another Tykerb Tiger, to the best cybergroup on the net. She knows as we have been discussing our various twists and turns as stage IV for several years now, going to the same cancer center. I have passed on some great info garnered from this site's participants.

Joanna did not mention this, but she got a few years of stable from Herceptin/Navelbine/ Femara. She has been fighting for something like 12 years now.

I am sure she will have some wisdom to add now that she is a "card carrying member" here.

[Lolly]

Hi Joanna :) Glad to "see" you here!

Me too on the Acidophilus gel caps; have been taking them for years. Before BC, would take them whenever I had to be on an antibiotic, as I would always end up with a yeast infection otherwise. This was on my P.C.'s advice. Then when diagnosed with BC, have taken it daily for general intestinal health. I didn't have horrific diarreah with Tykerb, but did have to take Immodium once or twice each week even with Acidophilus, but I think it is in general very beneficial to your health.
I always buy mine from the REFRIGERATED section at my local health store, but from what I understand you can now buy "freeze-dried" caps off the shelf.

<3 Lolly

[fauxgypsy]

I had one of the disappearing emails happen to me. I posted last night and it is gone today. When I was getting TCH I drank three or four bottles of DanActive yogurt each week and I had very few problems with diarhea. I also felt like it helped my immune system as they advertise and it was much more pleasant for me than pills. I had very few problems with my white blood cell count and I was never given Neulasta. I doubt if the yogurt was the only reason but I believe that it helped.

Leslie