Research new strategies and resources for dealing with cancer treatment side effects at our supportive online forum. Share information and experiences with other patients at CancerCompass.com. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/after-treatment/side-effects/1,0,120,117.htm Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hello all Im new to the site.  My name is Eric and Im 25 years old.  I was diagnosed with NPC nasalpharengeal carcinoma and recently finished 35 IMRT radiation treatments and 3 rounds of cisplatin chemotherapy.  After my third round of Cisplatin I began noticing an annoying ringing in my ears that doesnt seem to be improving.  I had been through cisplatin before and never experienced this. Today I am 10 days past my last Chemo treatment and I  still have the ringing.  It is driving me insane and I can barely manage sleeping.  I have read from other people that this is a permanent effect of the cisplatin but I have also heard of this going away eventually. It has left me depressed and down..... Has anyone been through this before and is there someone out there that can give me some hope that maybe this will go away or at least lessen in severity.....????? I know its only been 10 dayz past my last cisplatin but I'm a worrier Any feedback is greatly appreciated Thanks   Eric http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,41451,0.htm echun Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Test Message http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,41425,0.htm Vipergtsrz Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Has anyone out there been given the Depocyt injections?  If so, what were your side effects? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,41002,0.htm drummer Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT My dad had cancer of the larynx 10 years ago.  Went through multiple rad treats then chemo w/port and office visits few times a week.  Beat it.  Since then the scar tissue in his throat has been slowly closing the air way and esophagus over the yrs.  He went in for a permanent tracheostomy 2 wks ago.  Had complications w/esophagus and couldn't swallow after the trach was put in.  He went a week on an IV hoping the swelling would go down enough to swallow again, but no luck, kept asperating even water.  He was given a peg tube in the stomach.  He will be now going for weekly esophagus stretchings in hopes it will stay open enough at least for a liquid diet.  He refused to go to speech thearpy after finishing his treatments 10 years ago which I believe was the #1 worst mistake.  Reading over the years the benefits of speech thearpy teaching how to swallow and talk with scar tissue - to not aggrivate it more with forced talking, swallowing, coughing, etc.  He is 68, retired from owning a successful business, bored and depressed without the grind he loved and hated.  Entertaining and going out for a good meal with friends and family was one of the few things he really enjoyed.  He won't see friends - too depressed with the secretions of the trach, too depressed to have to be fed through a stomach tube.  It is still early and we keep telling him it will get better, friends keep calling, hope they don't give up...He does look a lot better since the trach- dosn't have to use the sleep apnea machine, his color is back, energy level is better, eyes are brighter, more aware.  Doc said he was slowly asphyxiating, was a matter of time the airway would collapse completely.  Damn scar tissue - damn radiation, thought it was hell seeing him going through the treatments just to wait 10 years to see him go through hell because of side effects from it.  He is up half the night coughing up secretions, both parents only getting a few hours of sleep here & there.  Any advise out there, will the secretions subside enough for a good nights sleep? It's been 2 weeks, how long before the secretions subside?  Anyone have the issue with the esophagus after the trach?  Any hope the esophagus will open enough to swallow again?  Love to hear from someone with similar experiences. Lori http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40995,0.htm lorialbrecht Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT my grandmother is in a lot of pain it seems after chemo and radiation she has 3 new sores down her throat that she knows about where not getin the answers of why ? what caused it? is the cancer coming back? her docter told her theat he forgot to put a mouth peice in her mouth at every chemo session , could that be a part of these new soars that are preventing her from eatin much, some times not being able to talk some days they got her on all the meds you can imagine, and it scares us feels like the docter just just gave the meds and gave up, if u could please help us answer what to do ? if the docter is not doing the right thing? what on nutritional foods is easier on her? will help ease the the pain? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40957,0.htm savenancy Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT I am new on this site and my mother language is not english...anyway3 mounths ago , after sever headaches and vomiting my brother (25 years old) had an MRI in which it showed that he has a massive talamic tumor and they have to insrt a shunt urgently. after the surgery he was recovering very fast but we had no idea about the type of the tumor , therefore he was send to an international center for brain deases in germany. There he had a biopsy and fortunatly the result showed that its a grade2 type and beigne. The Professors declared that the location is unoperable and after lots of discussions they started chemotherapy with Temodal.the doze of temodal taken is 210 mg which he has to take every 2 week ( one week on , one week off) for 8 weeks, last sunday was the last day of week 1, in which he had a high fever at night. I have read about side-effects of this medicine but as my brother s having problem with his short memory and mental confusion( place, time and condition) specially after he wakes up , I want to know if it is normal or not ( he was very sharp before taking medicine). he also have problem with his eyes and sees far thing double.it would be very nice of you if you tell more about side-eefects of this medicine and how we can reduce it for example by nutrition. thanks a lot p.s: my brother is no longer in germany and have returened home ( in Iran) http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40864,0.htm farab22 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greetings:Has anyone experienced dizziness and loss of balnce while walking. I have sarcome cancer and have a dose of radiation treatments ending this past April.  Lionel http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40705,0.htm aznative Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT There was a message posted about the use of alpha lipoic acid for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. I am curious to know of any success stories related to the use of this. I have severe problems with my feet and I finished chemo in Sept. of 2008. The chems were 5FU and Oxalyplatin and I had 11 treatments every 2 weeks. They were supposed to give me 12 but I had so many side effects they stopped. My left foot is worse than my right and the symptoms vary from tingling to burning to shooting pains. Any response to this would be appreciated. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40716,0.htm gg1964 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hello everyone, I am new to this message board, but not newly diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have had brain tumors for eleven years now. While it seems that we have the tumors finally under control, my memory is progressively getting worse. In November I will be taking cognition tests and then possibly prescribed Ritalin for the memory loss. Does anyone have experience with using Ritalin for memory loss?  If so, what are some of the major side effects associated with using Ritalin? I am very excited to be part of this message board community and I anticipate hearing back from you.Thanks!   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40662,0.htm amberada7 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT my dad has just been taking tarceva for 1 week, seems to have the awful rash especially through his scalp and hair, can anybody help me if this happens? very short of breath also?How long do the side effects linger on?off food today? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40671,0.htm louyou Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT I underwent my second chemotherapy treatment for six months this year.   FOLFIRI plus Erbitux.   I understand how desperate it is to deal with the side effects while researching for what can help control them.  I wish to share what finally helped me with other patients in the hope that it will help in any way deal with these painful and overwhelming side effects: Mouthsores -  Found Canker Cover at Walgreens.  Its an oral canker sore patch.  Great relief!  Would use a small flashlight to find the sore and use the patch precisely.Avoided toothpaste that contained sodium lauryl sulphate.  Used a childrens toothpaste throughout the treatment Sensodyne Pronamel.  It was great!  Found at Walmart.   The magic mouthwash would numb the pain, but not heal the sores.  What would heal the sores was using Lysterine diluted in water, one part mouthwash to one part water.   Had avoided Lysterine at first because of the alcohol, yet it was a great relief to healing the mouthsores!  Would use this mouthwash various times a day to simply avoid new sores.   Generic brand ADA approved worked just fine.  Would ask for ice chips while getting my chemotherapy infusion. Acneiform Skin Rash –Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream is great to treat this rash!   Also, was prescribed  Minocycline from my oncologist the second time I broke out with the rash.  I didn’t get the rash throughout the rest of the treatment.Would use face wash Topix Glycolix Elite Ultra Gentle Cleanser recommended by an oncology nurse.  Found at www.skin-etc.comAlso, used Lindi Skin Face Serum.  It’s a very good product for this rash!  Purchased online.For the body, would bath with Selson Blue Moisturizing Shampoo. Conjuntivitis, Red Itchy Eyes – Was recommended Zyrtec Allergy tablets 10mg by an oncology nurse.  It worked great! Sores around Toe Nail –Foot spas with warm water and Epson salt were a relief.  Daily twice avg 20-30 minutes better.Also, used Mercuroclear antiseptic.The use of bandaids on the toe area helped walk easier with closed shoes. Greatly recommend the use of a port for chemotherapy infusions instead of using the veins in your arms or hands.   Had painful results due to neuropathy with first chemo treatment without a port. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40676,0.htm Myrna2 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT I finished 6 months of chemo on 5/29/09, had double mastectomy on 6/23/09 and finished 30 radiatiion treatments on 9/9/09.My side effects are tingling of toes, feet, hands & fingers..swelling of left ankle & foot...tightness of chest.  abtained a good positive attitude until the last 3 - 4 radiation treatments and now I seem to be going down hill wanting all the side effects to leave immediately. Can anyone out there give me a time line on when these will go away,..completely?Thank you for any and all answers,Emma http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40683,0.htm Attitude_effected Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hello,My father has Stage IV colon cancer (mets to omentum) and is taking leukovorin enhanced 5FU every two weeks with scheduled chemo vacations. He is doing very well, in fact there has not been any evidence of tumor on his last two scans. However, during a recent appt with his cardiologist, the EKG showed that he is in atrial flutter and the doctor mentioned coumadin therapy. Since 5FU affects platelet count, I am concerned that 5FU may have to be discontinued. We will be seeing his oncologist later this week so will know more soon. Has anyone had any experience with this scenario? We would very much appreciate hearing about your experience. Thank you- Connie http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40430,0.htm conniekae Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT My husband had stage IV cancer of the throat and base of tongue.  He completed 36 radiation treatments, 9 chemos and had a radical surgery to remove part of his tongue and replace the back of his throat with grafts from his arm (including the main vein in the arm to replace that in his throat).  All of this was completed 8/13/08 and now a year later they say he's cancer free, so he is trying to get off all the meds he was on.  He is still unable to eat and eats through a tube in his stomach.  He was on the fentanyl patch but got it weaned down to 12 mcg and he hasn't had one now for a month.   He just feels so physically awful that I don't know what to do for him - he thinks it's drug withdrawal and the doctors don't seem to know.  He sleeps about 20 hours a day and I'm just scared his body can't handle much more.  Has anybody out there been through this type of thing trying to get off all the meds that were necessary for so long?Thanks so much for any suggestions or thoughts any of you may have.  When we got the pet scan results of cancer free a month or so ago we thought it would get easier but it hasn't.  I just feel so badly for him.Bless you all,Sheila http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40446,0.htm Weblady1995 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT does anyone have nerve pain in their head after taking these two chemo's? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40299,0.htm clairecalif Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT In December 2008 my husband was diagnosed with SCC base of tongue cancer.  Following surgery he went through 33 treatments of radiation and weekly chemotherapy.  During his treatment I sought natural and moisturizing products to care for his skin.  As a result of my search, I have begun making homemade soap with no dyes or perfumes and made of all natural ingredients (olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and avocado or flax seed oil).  It has proven to be quite soothing and well tolerated - especially during chemo where even the lightest scents can prove nauseating and non-irritating to those with skin sensitivities and conditions.  If you are interested in trying some, please email me at --Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, email address removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--  with your name and address. I will not charge anyone undergoing cancer treatment for the soap.  I only ask for you to reimburse my for the shipping charges ($4.95 - flat rate cost from USPS).  To cover to the cost of the materials, and to continue the mission of providing the very best products to those suffering donations are accepted.    Please feel free to email me with questions or to request a special formula.  I'm happy to work with you and your loved ones. May you all find strength during this difficult time.  Remember you are not alone.  God bless! http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,40099,0.htm MN_wife_and_mom Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT I wanted to know if anyone would have any suggestions regarding symptoms prior to chemo.  If a cancer patient even before starting treatment is experiencing a lot of nausea and difficulty eating, how would chemotherapy possibly affect this patient after treatment? My main concern here is the strength of the patient prior to receving the chemicals. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39971,0.htm airmax Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT I'm stage III rectal cancer with pre-surgery radiation/5FU, low rectal rescetion and temp illiostomy followed by illiostomy reversal and 8 rounds of Folfox/Oxyiplatin. I had minimal side effecgts during the Oxy, but develped neuropathy a couple of weeks after treatment ended. Tried neurontin but it had no effect on the neuropathy and made my chemo brain worse.Threre were a couple of stage three trials going on, one for an ointment and one for alpha-lipoic acid. I signed up for the ointment but my blood sugar was slightly elevated so I wasn't accepted (wanted to insure participants didn't have neuropathy due to diabetes). I researched the alpha-lipoic acid test on-line and found I could buy it at health stores.I took 1200 mg, three times a day and within 2 weeks I had some feeling in the bottom of my feet (I was again extremely ticklish as I always had been). I also was less wobbly getting out of bed, didn't fall forward in the shower when I shut my eyes to wash my hair, could tie my shoes in the dark and my fingers were less numb. I'm on the computer all and my typing is nearly back to normal. Since I try not to over medicate, I've since reduced my dosage to 600mg three times a day and still have good results. I drive a 5 speed and can now make out the pedals better than before.I've stopped the pills a couple of times to see if my improvement was just due to time passing, and I would get worse within 12 hours each time. I still fell like I've shoveled snow in bare feet a bit, but it's bearable for me. I found one brand of alpha-lipoic that works best for me, but I'm not pushing buying a particular brand, so I won't name it here.The stage three trial results aren't realeased yet, but as of the stage two trials there were no side effects known regarding alpha lipoic acid.Just thought this was something one might try in lieu of narcotics, psychiactric drugs and other treatments that have their own side effects.Good luck to all. Bart   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39984,0.htm tdcbart Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Can anyone tell me if Chemo and Radiation effect the ability to perform sex?  We were married 6 1/2 months ago and still have not had sex in anyway or form.Belle http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39597,0.htm Proxielocks Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT Greetings:My mom is terminall ill with sarcoma cancer. Although she is eating and gaining weight. She has trouble walking straight and says she tends to lean or walk off line. Has anybody heard of this? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39327,0.htm aznative Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT A quick summary,Had my first primary tumour fifteen years ago in my larynx which was removed, followed by chemotherapy (cisplatin) and radiotherapy. Five years later my second primary appeared in the lower half of my left lung. Bye, bye piece of lung. Two years ago my THIRD primary showed up in my left kidney which was also removed. Last June I was dignosed with a kidney cancer methatasis on a nearby ganglion. Methatasis? I almost started feeling normal as I was getting used to primaries! I am now clean, so they say, and am about to end my first cycle (of six planned) of an adjuvant treatment using Sutent 50. A few spots, terribly sore feet, sore hands, terribly sore mouth (especially the tongue), ocassionaly irritable but not much (not like me).I've been following closely some of the messages for handling these awful secondary effects and have picked up several hints that have helped me. Now that I start my first two week breather next week I understand that I should take advantage and prepare for the next four week session to offset the effects. Any special advice besides creaming up my hands and feet?BTW I'm a university prof and have never missed a class in spite of these problems. I use a voice amplifier for class and lectures and life goes on.All the best to everybody http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39205,0.htm el_profe Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT I had breast cancer in 2002 and had radiation. In 2006 I had overian cancer and had six chemo treatments. My two remaining side effects are my legs ache all the time and I still have some chemo fog. Does anyone else still have these problems. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39184,0.htm silver_butterfly Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT Hi, Does anyone else have this problem? I have just changed from arimidex because of vaginal dryness and loss of libido.  These symptoms have eased with aromasin but now I CANT SLEEP - driving me mad and making my job difficult.  Incidentally my joint pain is identical with both arimidex and aromasin.  I did really suffer with joint pain at first, - but I hope that some of you - like me, will eventually get some ease from the pain. Can anyone tell me the sleeplessness will ease?Rita http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39108,0.htm Rita_H Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT I have been on Sutent for three months now (I just started my third round).  My diagnosis is different from the typical label usage of the drug for RCC, GIST, and even Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Cancer.  I have a Neuroendocrine tumor originating in my Thymus, which was removed (Thymus and tumor) almost three years ago and have been through radiation treatment for my chest, chemo (Cisplatin/Etoposide), and a brief run at biologics (Avastin). Other background info:  I am 41 years old, male, and the cancer has spread to my lymph ( I've had all my left axillary lymph nodes removed) and bone, mainly throughout my spine.  So I have considerable pain from the cancer having spread to my spine. I started Sutent once it showed promise in treating neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas, since there really isn't much else out there for my to us given the rarity of my tumor type and location.Regarding side effects from Sutent however, I haven't really had many.  I have had a slight yellowing of skin that is exposed to sunlight (from when I take the kids to the beach and don't cover up properly) and my beard has turned gray.  I've lost my appetite and generally don't feel like eating, but I manage to keep up with my nutrition and maintain my weight.  The first round of treatment I had mouth sores, but they only lasted for 10 days and then went away.  I used ice chips and some OTC remedies and this seemed to manage the sores really well.  Overall, by the fourth week of treatment, I can't tolerate any spicy foods and brushing my teeth/tongue is uncomfortable, but bearable.The biggest side effect for me is the fatigue.  I am used to riding 100 mile bike rides and staying very active.  Right now, I have decent energy for a couple of days, so I can take the kids to their soccer tournaments, etc., but then I crash for a couple days where I need almost 16 hours of sleep to catch-up.  I had mono when I was in college and it feels like having a constant case of mono to me.I did however make one HUGE mistake.  While at the beach with my kids, I made the mistake of walking on hot sand/pavement only for a few seconds.  This resulted in the dreaded hand/foot disease.  You need to be exceedingly careful with your hands/feet while on this drug because any excess heat/friction will release the drug through the small capillaries in your hands/feet and create burn problems.  These didn't heal until after I went off the drug for my 14 days off, but did heal quickly.  I was lucky, but this can be a source of blisters and potentially infection, so you really need to be careful with your hands/feet.  Doing things as easy as turning a screw driver a bit too hard, may result in hand burn problem, so be very careful and take care of your hands/feet.  I was caught off guard by this, but never again. Overall, however, I am very pleased as the side effects have so far been minimal (a sore stomach here and there, but nothing major "knock on wood".  I am waiting for results of my scans from yesterday and am hoping that my tumors are staying in check so I can continue on the drug because my body seems to tolerate it fairly well.  Compared to the Cisplatin/Etoposide that I was on over a year and a half ago, the Sutent is a piece of cake to handle as far as side effects are concerned.Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I take a significant amount of pain killers for my back which may help mask some of the side effects.  However, I have no idea of knowing how much these help to minimize the impact of the side effects, if at all. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,39120,0.htm markst Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT I have been on Aromasin now for seven months. I have knee pain, swollen tingly feet and blood pressure has increased. Stiff fingers and cannot wears my rings.I am ging to try some of the suggestions from others to help with the stiff knees. I would like to know who has had stiff knees while on aromasin and did this go away after they were done taking the meds. Did it cause damage?  I an thankful there are drugs available to us but will feel better if I know all these symptoms will disappear after my two years on this drug. I feel my body has aged so much in such a short time. Hope symptoms do not increase over time as I have lots of traveling to do!! http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,38973,0.htm Joozy Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT