Tarceva Treatment

Hi,

 

My Mom started taking tarceva about a 1 1/2 weeks ago.  Can anyone tell me how long it takes to know if it is working?  So far she is not really feeling better or worse.  Still a lot of pain and nausea.  When would the rash or diareha start?

Can anyone share their experience with this drug? 

I asked this same question when my mom was taking Tarceva. Her oncologist felt that she should start feeling better quickly, but the messages I've read show this is not always the case. My mother did not get the rash or diarrhea, but did have nausea and extreme fatigue. Scans showed after a month that her cancer had grown, so clearly Tarceva did not work for her and she was taken off of it last Tuesday.
A lot of people believe that the rash is an indicator that Tarceva is working so I asked on the message board if anyone had had success without the rash. I did get a positive response, so it's possible.
Good luck to you and your mom fighting this terrible disease.

I am so sorry the tarceva did not work for your Mom. What treatment are they recommending next?
My Mom is getting very tired of fighting this horrible disease and I don't know if she will try something else if this doesn't work. I hope your Mom does well with her next treatment.

My mother was on Tarceva as a first line of treatment. This was a study for Dana Farber, since Tarceva is generally used after chemo. Next she will have 10 days of radiation treatments to try to shrink one of the tumors that is causing her pain, then chemo.
Has your mother been through chemo? Have you tried any kind of alternative therapies to help her feel better? I'm trying to convince my mother to try acupuncture. I think there is a great possibility that it might help with the nausea and fatigue. Plus, I know of one that will come to her house. Right now she is just considering it. I know she is tired of appointments and anyway, just tired period.

My Mom has had three kinds of chemo and some radiation before trying the tarceva. She has been on it for two weeks so far. She does not seem to have as much nausea as before but still is having pain and is tired and weak. Can't tell yet if this is helping.

My Mom has had three kinds of chemo and some radiation before trying the tarceva. She has been on it for two weeks so far. She does not seem to have as much nausea as before but still is having pain and is tired and weak. Can't tell yet if this is helping.

Hi Bonnie,
Just saw your message. What dose Tarceva is your mom on? I started out at 150mg. It took about 2 weeks before the rash and other symptoms showed up. The nausea was bad at first so they put me on Kytril (nausea drug for cancer patients) but that didn't help much. Then they put me on a drug called Promethazine 25mg tablets every 4-6 hours and that worked wonders. Now I only take it when needed. They also put me on Hydromorphone HCL 2 mg every 4-6 hrs for pain. There was also a terrible itch but don't have the name of that drug with me since I no longer take it very often. If she gets the rash it's a good sign the Tarceva is working. Don't give up yet. There are all kinds of new things coming out. I'm hoping that by the time Tarceva stops working for me that they have something else to take it's place. Just keep fighting. I know it isn't easy but it's sure worth it. If you have any other questions, I'll be glad to try and answer them. I've been on Tarceva for almost a year now and still doing very well. Have stage IV lung cancer.
God Bless and keep your faith. I'll say a prayer for you and your Mom. Nancy

Hi Nancy,

My Mom is on 75mg of tarceva. She has been taking it for about 2 1/2 weeks. So far the only side effect she shows is soreness of the mucus membranes. She is getting very weak and tired from it. Are these common side effects? I am glad the tarceva is working for you. God bless you and good luck with your treatment.
Bonnie

Hi Nancy,

My Mom is on 75mg of tarceva. She has been taking it for about 2 1/2 weeks. So far the only side effect she shows is soreness of the mucus membranes. She is getting very weak and tired from it. Are these common side effects? I am glad the tarceva is working for you. God bless you and good luck with your treatment.
Bonnie

Hi Bonnie, Weak and tired are side effects. I get them from time to time even now after all this time. But I'm on 150 mg a day. I started out on 150 and that brought on the rash and diarhhea within the first couple weeks. Since your Mom's dosage is lower, it may take longer to build in her system. You might want to try taking liquid Red Panax Ginseng Extract. That helped me with being tired and restored some of my energy. You can also get it in pill form at any drug store or Walmart. I also found that if you take the pill a couple hours after dinner before going to bed you don't get as tired either. I also take daily vitamins, Flaxseed Oil, and pomagranate daily. It makes a big difference once it gets into your system. I do hope and pray that it works for your Mom. I have a very good quality of life that I thought for sure I had lost when first diagnosed. As for the mucous, my primary doctor prescribed a drug called
Cofex-DM 1000/55 CYP325 which keeps the mucous broken up and my membranes aren't as dry. I also drink a lot of iced tea and Diet Coke for the nausea. God Bless you both. It's not an easy road but the Lord has brought us this far and he'll take us the rest of the way. Take care. Nancy

My mother had nausea and fatigue while on Tarceva. The oncologist told her it would not affect her blood counts, but she ended up needing a blood transfusion. You may want to have your mother checked for anemia.

My Mom just started with diarrhea last nidght.  Is Imodium the best thing to use for this?  How long does this side effect last?

I really appreciate everyone's responses. Thank you so much.

Bonnie