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11-28-2011, 11:51 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 93
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Chemo build up
Hello again,
Mom is having her 5th chemo treatment tomorrow. Usually she would have severe nausea, fatitgue, etc a week or so after chemo and then start feeling better.
After chemo 4 this did not happen. The nausea, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, did not go away. Is this normal? Assuming the chemo drugs have built up over the first4 treatments? She is taking taxol and another chemo that starts with a C every 3 weeks along with herceptin.
She is just getting really down because she feels like S...!
She says she can barely stand to swallow water.
Help if you have any advice.
Thanks,
Kim
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11-28-2011, 12:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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Re: Chemo build up
Is the "C" Carboplatin? That can be a little rough. I had it too. TCH. I found the side effects to be cumulative so it is probable that is what she is experiencing too. But best to ask her oncologist to be sure nothing else is going on. And see if they can offer any relief. Is she getting anti-nausea meds? Perhaps sucking on ice slivers would help if she cant tolerate drinking water. She needs to stay hydrated. Does she like ginger ale? It can relieve nausea.
The thing to remember is that this won't last forever and she is in the home stretch. Keep the faith.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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11-28-2011, 03:06 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3,142
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Re: Chemo build up
Some oncologists will consider reducing the dose temporarily if a person is having too many side effects.
Or an oncologist can delay treatment a week or so if a person is having too many side effects.
Most oncologists want people to hang in there and get as much chemo as possible, but if a person is having alot of side effects or getting depressed about all the side effects and is ready to give up they are willing to make adjustments to the treatment ocassionally.
Most oncologists can offer other kinds of help or prescribe things to conteract some of the more unpleasant side effects.
Your mom should be up front and discuss her concerns and problems with her oncologist openly. If she won't or can't do it try to accompany her to some of her appointments and express your concerns to her oncologist.
Last edited by ElaineM; 11-28-2011 at 03:10 PM..
Reason: addition
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11-28-2011, 03:20 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: El Paso ,Tx
Posts: 436
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Re: Chemo build up
I also did the TCH and felt the last 2 treatments seemed to take longer to get rid of side effects, it does have an cumulative effect.
__________________
 dx: DCIS 6/8/10, HER 2+ 7/26/10; Stage I Age 41
Double mast w reconstruction
6 TCH w 1yr herceptin
Tamox.
25 radiation tx
Removal of expander on L due to infection. Tried to save it had 3 bouts of antibiotics and went to see plastic surgeon 2-3x wk to get drained. Saving it was my idea not his. But lost it anyway.
Reconstruction set for December 21st,2011
Finished chemo 12/2010
Finished Herceptin 8/26/11
Reconstruction 12/21/11
Expanders exchanged for silicon 3/19/12
Nipple reconstruction 5/18/12
Nipple tatooing- 7/9/12- All done yay!
11/22/12-Went back to get scar tissue stretched to even the outside of breast, didn't work due to it being radiated skin.
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11-29-2011, 06:35 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Re: Chemo build up
I had adriamycin/cytoxin, after the first 2 treatments...similar to your mom, I would "recover" enough to drag myself to next treatment. However, after the second treatment, I was so wiped out, WBC way down, could barely lift head off pillow...my onc. delayed the next treatment. This happened twice. All I can say, looking back, I am glad I stuck it out...toughest ride of my life...hang in there Mom!!!
__________________
 Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year
as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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11-29-2011, 07:43 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 93
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Re: Chemo build up
Bonnie,
Yes I do believe it is Carboplatin and Taxol that she is taking. She is getting anti-nausea meds but does not think they are helping. She started one today that starts with a Z because I read in a thread in this support group it helps many people.
They do give her an infusion before/during chemo to help keep her hydrated. She sounded better last night, but she definitley has some sadness.......but who wouldn't.
Susan,
So far (First 4 treatments) her counts have been high enough she has been able to take the chemo. Her 5th one is today, so hopefully it is okay.
Elaine,
I agree. I hope she can just get through these last 2 rounds and not delay taking them. Right now Dec. 20th is her last one (hopefully). We head back to mayo clinic after christmas for another scan to make sure.
To all
Thanks so much for the needed reply. I have been pretty strong up to this point, but I really needed the feedback and encouragment. It really does stink to see her not herself and not feel well. I almost feel as if I have turned into the mother, which I am happy to do for her.
God Bless,
Kim G
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11-29-2011, 08:08 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ottawa canada
Posts: 367
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Re: Chemo build up
thx for this thread and its title.
i, too, felt like a million bucks by the time the next chemo was scheduled (in the first four chemos). In the time coming up to the last chemo there was hardly any break in awful symptoms. After the last chemo it is week four with still no respite. (just got prescribed nexium so great hope here, combined with a yoghurt/acidophilus daily plan, thx to people on here giving me advice).
So to answer your question about chemo build up: oh yes!!! chemo builds up in the system and is exponentially worse to recover from each time.
I landed in the hospital after the last chemo. 8 days of diarrhea. febrile neutropenia. (i think that is the name?)
i don't want to be dramatic, but my onc resident said "some people DIE from chemo"
__________________
fall 2008: mammo of rt breast worrisome so am asked to redo mammo and have ultrasound of rt breast.I delay it til january 2009 and the results are "no cancer in rt breast. phew."
found plum sized lump in right breast the day before my dad died: April 17th 2011. saw it in mirror, while i was wearing a top, examining my figure after losing 10 lbs on dr. bernstein diet.
diagnosed may 10 2011
mast/lymphectomy: june 7 2011, 5/20 cancerous nodes. stage 3a before radiation oncologist during our first mtg on july 15th says he found cancer on the lymph node of my breast bone. Now stage 3b.
her2+++, EN-, PN-. Rt brst tumors:3 at onset, 4.5 cm was the big one
chemos: 3fec's followed by 3 taxotere, total of 18 wks chemo. sept: halfway thru chemo the mastectomy scar decides to open and ooze pus. (not healed before chemo) eventually with canasten powder sent by friend in ny (illegal in canada) it heals.
radiations:although scheduled to begin 25 january 2012, I am so terrified by it (rads cause other cancers) I don't start til february, miss a bunch, reschedule them all and finally finish 35 rads mid april. reason for 7 extra atop the 28 scheduled is that when i first met my rads oncologist he said he saw a tumor on the lymph node of my breastbone. extra 7 are special kind of beam used for that lymphnode. rads onc tells me nobody ever took so long to do rads so he cannot speak for effectiveness. trials had been done only on consecutive days so......we'll see.....
10 mos of herceptin started 6 wks into chemo. canadian onc says 10 mos is just as effective as the full yr recommended by dr. slamon......so we'll see..completed july 2012.
Sept 18 2012: reconstruction and 3 drains. fails. i wear antibiotic pouch on my job for two months and have 60 consecutive days visiting a nursing centre where they apply burn victims' silver paper and clean the oozing infection daily. silicone leaks out daily. plastic surgeon in caribbean. emergency dept wont remove "his" work. He finally appears and orders me in into an emergency removal of implant. I make him promise no drains and I get my way. No infection as a result. Chest looks like a map of Brazil. Had a perfectly good left breast on Sept 17th but surgeon wanted to "save another woman an operation" ? so he had crashed two operations together on my left breast, foregoing the intermediary operation where you install an expander. the first surgeon a year earlier had flat out refused to waste five hours on his feet taking both boobs. flat out refusal. between the canadian health system saving money and both these asses, I got screwed. who knows when i can next get enough time off work (i work for myself and have no substitute when my husband is on contract) to get boobs again. arrrgh.
I have a blog where I document this trip and vent.
www.nora'scancerblog.blogspot.com . I stopped the blog before radiation. I think the steroids made me more angry and depressed and i just hated reading it anymore
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11-29-2011, 08:17 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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Re: Chemo build up
Hi KG ... it sure feels like there is a build-up; maybe it's just that
it takes time for the chemo to wear us down. It happened to me after my 4th treatment ... I was waiting for the 'rebound' but it never arrived.
I'm sure your mom will be fine. Talk to her onc and nurses about the nausea . There are many medications to try ... they don't work the same way for everyone. Kytril worked for me. Keep the faith!!!
__________________
PinkGirl
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
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