Temodar Side Effects

Hi all,

             My mother has had her 3rd bain tumor removed just this past september.  The first 2 were pre cancerous but this one is a grade 3 and her doctor at Thomas Jefferson in Philly has prescriber Temodar.  During her 3rd surgery she also had a stroke and had to do rehab so we have only had her on the Temodar for 2 months now.  The 1st month she had back pain and blured vision for about 20min. in her left eye so I expected the same side effects this time wrong.  This time she has had nausea and a bad headache, she took tylenol 3x today and she never takes pills for a headache so I know its a bad headache.  Has anyone else had different side effects with every dose?  She onyl takes 3 pills for 5 nights once a month.  Just looking for some advice on what else to expect.  We have been going through this for 7 years now and it doesn't get any easier but please know our prayers are with everyone and their familys.  Hang in there.      

Drug Information Sheet - Temodar (Temozolomide)

The common side effects of this drug are nausea and vomiting, hair loss, which is not permanent and depression of the bone marrow, the blood forming organ in the body. Bone marrow depression leads to a decrease in the number of white blood cells (important for fighting infection), a decrease in the number of platelets(important for blood clotting), and a decrease in the number of red blood cells (leading to anemia and sometimes requiring a transfusion to correct).

The common side effects of this drug are nausea and vomiting, hair loss, which is not permanent and depression of the bone marrow, the blood forming organ in the body. Bone marrow depression leads to a decrease in the number of white blood cells (important for fighting infection), a decrease in the number of platelets(important for blood clotting), and a decrease in the number of red blood cells (leading to anemia and sometimes requiring a transfusion to correct).

Other common side effects include headache (41%), fatigue (34%), and constipation (33%). Other side effects that are unknown may occur. As with all chemotherapy, there is a low risk of infertility or second malignancy.

Hi,
My mother was diagnosed with cancer of the cerebellum in Sept. 08 - gbm-grade 4.  She had most of it removed but there was a piece they could not get.  She went through 6 weeks of radiation with a low dose of temodar, which she tolerated fairly well.  Fatigue was her worse symptom.  After that she had 3 weeks off of everything.  At the beginning of December, she started the 1 week on and 3 weeks off of the temodar, but double the dose.  She was fine for the first 3 days.  On the 4th day, she was very tired, was nauseated and was vomiting, her speech was bad and was extremely dizzy.  She looked and felt like death warmed over.  The dr. put her back on decadron (a steroid) and she was like a different person.  She just recently finished the second month of temodar while still on the decadron.  It helped her symptoms of nausea and vomiting, plus the dr. changed her anti-puke med. to anzemet.  She said it worked much better than the zofran.  Her speech and dizziness are still not right.  The dr. thinks it could possibly be the location of the tumor. 
I'm not sure of the location your family member's tumor, but like I said, anzemet really helped her nausea and vomiting.  Take care.