Xeloda

Hi Everyone,
Well it looks like my sister isn't have much luck with this drug either. She just started it last week and had to stop it today because she has pretty severe mouth sores. The doctor told she had to stop immediately, as this could be quite dangerous. She hasn't had any of the peeling of the toes or finger...it's like layers of skin are peeling off in her mouth. Has anyone had this? Also, she was taking 3 pills twice daily. Is this the standard? She will see the doctor next week and I'm wondering if he might suggest lowering the dosage. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Hi Celina,
My mom took Xeloda for 3 days, I don't remember how many pills she took a day, but she began having breathing problems. She went to the ER and was told they thought she was having brochial spasms from the Xeloda. Her onc. thought maybe it was anxiety. She was quite nervous about trying this drug because of an interaction with her blood thinner. So she went on it again and after 3 days the same thing happened with her breathing. They didn't want her taking it anymore even at a lower dose. I'm told that this is usually tolerated with minimal side effects. I guess some people just react differently than others. I hope your sister can go on a lower dose because alot of people have had good results with this.
Good Luck,
Penny

I've been on it since January taking 8 pills per day 14 days on and 7 off. I have just started getting sore feet and hands. Onc said to stop taking them (I had 2 days left on this round) until Monday when I next see him. I have lung mets that grew when I was on Taxol/Gemzar so I'm keeping my fingers crossed the Xeloda is working. I'm assuming onc will put me on a lower dose. I also have sleeplessness which goes away during my off days. Ambien takes care of that. It's so nice taking chemo pills. I wish all treatments were like this. I am prepared for whatever I have to take next which will probably be Abraxane.

Cindy H.

I was on Xeloda in the past and I started out on 1750MG twice a day. I did the same cycle as everyone else (14 days on 7 days off). It was eventually increased up to 2100mg. I tolerated it well but it did not keep my cancer from returning. Good luck.
Michele

Hi I was on Xeloda for skin mets, the maximum dose 8 x 500mg a day for 2 rounds then my feet peeled and I couldn't walk for a week and my thumbs split painfull doing up buttons, my dose was cut back, the skin mets went but then when I was on Herceptin Xeloda for an enlarged gland skin mets came back on my neck this time so I was changed to Navelbine. That was about 2 years back and I am now on Xeloda with radiation for reoccurence in the other breast. While I was waiting to have a biopsy on my breast I started taking the Xeloda on my own initiative so it didn't get any worse while I was waiting for the result, in the past my biopsies have always been made worse once done. I took 2 twice a day for 7 days then my onc told my to stop and once I commenced radiation to take 1 x 500mg a day for the course of the 30 days. Xeloda is the tablet form of 5FU which does cause mouth ulcers and the patients that have it where I go suck on ice while they are being infused and it works, how you would adapt this to tablets I am not sure, the ice keeps the medication away from the mouth by constricting the blood vessels travelling there, when I was on Taxol for enlarged glands in the neck I had a heat pack on my neck which enlarged the blood vessels causing the medication to go straight to the site we were treating and I could feel the lump getting smaller during the infusion, weird but it works.

Love & Hugs Lyn