Gemzar side effects etc., for a friend

[Donna]

Hi Amazing Group,

One of my very dearest friends met with his oncologist today for inoperable stage 4+ bladder cancer. He will be on Gemzar weekly and Cisplatin once a month. I don't know much about Gemzar from the real source, meaning from the people who take it.

I know from experience the side effects listed by the drug companies can be incomplete or skewed. The side effects listed by the drug companies are ususally not the ones people have most often or the things that bother them the most. Nausea can be handled, lack of energy all those things that you think are gonna be the big deals are not because there is something you can do to make them tolerable, a little bit better. It's the taste, the hearing, the persistent disruption of your senses that is the kicker - because that is what is non-stop and not fixable and the window we see, hear, taste, feel and smell our lives through.

I do know where to go to find the REAL story - right here!

Anyone with any personal experience or know someone who has had experience that will be more relevant than the description on the box?

Thanks so much to all of you for your caring, your warrior spirits - you are my family!

Donna

[Faith in Him]

Hi Donna,

I have been on Gemzar with herceptin for a few months now. I find it real easy to do. I don't have any side effects at the moment. After the first couple of infusions I had aches in my hands. It was even painful to touch things. This lasted for a few days and then I was back to normal. I no longer get painful hands.

I live a busy life caring for my hubby and two children. So for me, Gemzar has been relatively easy. I also have been able to get rid of most of the rash on my skin.

I hope your friend does well on it.

Tonya

[Carolyns]

I found Gemzar easy compared with other chemos. Mainly it made me tired and it was hard on the counts.

I haven't had Cisplatin but I think it is related to Carboplatin. Carboplatin was hard for me but getting pre-meds of a steroid and Aloxi for nausea made it easier. I would recommend getting the pre-meds with the first treatment. I had to tough it out the first treatment and wish that I would have had all of the pre-meds.

Carolyn