 |
10-02-2007, 07:10 PM
|
#1
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 3
|
"Acidophilus & Bifidus"/TYKERB/XELODA
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
|
|
|
|
10-02-2007, 07:46 PM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
|
Joanna...
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
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
|
|
|
|
|
10-02-2007, 08:15 PM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 327
|
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?
__________________
Jan04: Bilateral Mastectomy at age 28
Initial DX: Left Breast: IDC 2cm, Grade 3, HER2+3, 0 Nodes +, ER/PR-. Right Breast: Extensive DCIS ER-/PR+; Stage 1-2a
Feb04-Apr04: 4 AC, dose dense
Aug 04: 4 Taxotere
Dec 05: Bone and Liver METS; Stage 4. Carboplatin/Taxol/Herceptin. DX with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Apr 06: NED, maintenance Herceptin
Apr 07: CA1503=14; masses in liver; Xeloda/Tykerb
Nov 07: NED, Tykerb maintenance
Sept 08: Liver mets again, on Tykerb/Xeloda again, CA=19 and 27
Nov 08: Progression, Tykerb/Gemzar, CA=25
Dec 08: Progression, Herceptin/Navelbine, CA=40, 57, and 130
Jan 09: Progression in bone, recession in liver, Herceptin/Carbo/Abraxane CA=135
June 09: CA27/29=24, chemo break
Sept 09: Progression, CA=24, waiting on clinical trial (4 weeks no treatment)
Nov 09: now have brain mets, trial "on hold", getting 14 WBR treatments starting 11/2/09
Dec 09: possible start on p53 trial
|
|
|
|
|
10-02-2007, 08:20 PM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Riverside, CA
Posts: 484
|
Julierene, check 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. |
|
|
|
|
10-02-2007, 08:23 PM
|
#5
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 3
|
Dear Jullierene,
You can get Acidophilus & Bifidus at any health food store. Joanna s
|
|
|
|
|
10-02-2007, 08:40 PM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 823
|
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.
__________________
Vicki
Texas
Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 Age 48
MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5cm, and 6 cm (right side)
IDC (poorly differentiated infiltrating ductual carcinoma)
5+/16 nodes
Stage III A
Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++
Ki67 78%
Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense , 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)
28 Rad's ended October 13 2005
Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year
Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed incresed micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006.
Brain MRI Feb.2006--All Clear
August 28, 2006 Last Weekly Herceptin.
October 2006--Colonoscopy, 6 Polyp's removed--all B9
PET Scan July 2007
Abdominal MRI Oct. 2007---2 Right Kidney Cysts
Core Biopsy-- Lump on Scar Line 1-10-08---B9
Brain MRI 6-2008--All Clear
PET/CT Scan 6-2008
Sept. 8 2008, 4CM area removed from mastectomy scar line. Proved to be B9.
PET/CT Scan-- July 2009 --All clear
August 17,2009 ---Had Port Removed
6 Years NED -- April 5,2011
DX'd with Melanoma left arm 10-10-2011
|
|
|
|
|
10-03-2007, 11:07 AM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 327
|
I just found it at Walgreens. Maybe now I can have 1 normal BM a day instead of 1 irregular M a day!
__________________
Jan04: Bilateral Mastectomy at age 28
Initial DX: Left Breast: IDC 2cm, Grade 3, HER2+3, 0 Nodes +, ER/PR-. Right Breast: Extensive DCIS ER-/PR+; Stage 1-2a
Feb04-Apr04: 4 AC, dose dense
Aug 04: 4 Taxotere
Dec 05: Bone and Liver METS; Stage 4. Carboplatin/Taxol/Herceptin. DX with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Apr 06: NED, maintenance Herceptin
Apr 07: CA1503=14; masses in liver; Xeloda/Tykerb
Nov 07: NED, Tykerb maintenance
Sept 08: Liver mets again, on Tykerb/Xeloda again, CA=19 and 27
Nov 08: Progression, Tykerb/Gemzar, CA=25
Dec 08: Progression, Herceptin/Navelbine, CA=40, 57, and 130
Jan 09: Progression in bone, recession in liver, Herceptin/Carbo/Abraxane CA=135
June 09: CA27/29=24, chemo break
Sept 09: Progression, CA=24, waiting on clinical trial (4 weeks no treatment)
Nov 09: now have brain mets, trial "on hold", getting 14 WBR treatments starting 11/2/09
Dec 09: possible start on p53 trial
|
|
|
|
|
10-03-2007, 11:16 AM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
|
Welcome
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.
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.
MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
|
|
|
|
|
10-03-2007, 11:24 AM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
|
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
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
|
|
|
|
|
10-04-2007, 06:19 AM
|
#11
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 600
|
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
__________________
In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:58 AM.
|
Linear Mode
