On 3/29/2008
JuanaMaya wrote:
I have been on Tarceva now for two and a half months after four months of IV chemo, which began to fail towards the end. I feel very positive effects of my lung power and breathing and being able to walk a long distance , much of it uphill, in the early mornings. My skin 'rash' and dryness is a daily problem and I appreciate reading other peoples solutions to hydrating and treating the skin. I also cannot bear to be out in the sun as I get terribly prickly all over. I have times of anxiety and stress which seems like drug reaction...My hands feel numbish and I feel 'out of control' and unable to focus my energy. Do other people feel this with Tarceva or is it related to the lung cancer and previous chemotherapies?? I wonder if anyone experiences a time frame during the 24 hours between Tarceva pills where they have more body stress and exhaustion.I have been taking Ativan ever since I began chemotheraphy and this seems to get me functioning through the day in 4-5 hour segments. I'm very interested to hear other peoples experiences,especially related to anxiety,memory and body reactions ,as well as hearing from people who have been doing well for a long time on this medication .Its very exciting to me to find this message board with people who are facing the same challenges..Thanks for all comments!
I, too, have had two IV chemo treatment session -- one in '05 after bladder/prostate/lymph node cancer (and removal) and another this winter after being diagnosed with lung cancer. I started Tarceva five weeks ago, but three weeks ago was take off of it because of the severe rash. Today I meet with my oncologist and he will likely put me back on with 1/2 dosage. Even after three weeks being off, I still have remnants of the rash, but it is considerably better. One of the big no nos of Tarceva, or any chemo, is being in the sun. That is why you are having that prickly reaction when you are in the sun. I don't know where you live, but the dryness could be being made more intense because your furnace is running (dry heat), but Tarceva, and chemo in general, tends to made your skin dry. The best I've found, which was suggested on this site, is Aveeno. I slather it on liberally as often as I want, and it really works. I had a terrible case of acne on my face, which was not only a mess, but it also hurt like the devil. Gold Bond powder worked well easing the pain, and of course drying up the disgusting mess. DO NOT USE GOLD BOND CREAM. I though the cream would be better than the powder, and I thought I couldn't get the cream off fast enough. It must have huge amounts of alcohol in it. I'm no doctor, although after what I've been through sometimes I think I should be, but I would think that the anxiety and other feelings you are having are probably pretty normal -- and not necessary just linked to the Tarceva. I had much the same side efffects from the Tarceva as I did my other chemos, and they mirrored what you are experiencing. I guess it's just the nature of the beast. The rash, and I would suspect other symtoms you are having, are a good sign according to my oncologist -- he says that's a sure sign the drug is working for me. Even though I've been off for three weeks, I still have some side effects. And I don't know if it is the Tarceva or the other chemos. But I have a lot of nausea, lack of appetite, fatigue, etc. The fatigue is perhaps the most annoying, because I'm just not a napper and yet I don't have a lot of energy to do much. We live in South Carolina, and it is finally turning beautiful, yet I can't be outside working in the yard or garden. (Along with the lung cancer, I was also diagnosed with bone cancer in both hips and legs, so I have pins in my hips and upper legs, which has pretty much cut down on my agility, anyway.) I've even taken up knitting to keep my hands moving while I watch TV. I'm of course very mobile, but by 1:00 in the afternoon I pretty much done for the day, making the afternoons long until my wife gets home from work. I'm a firm believer in a good attitude, and from the tone of your message, it would seem that you are as well. Good luck.
Craig