CancerCompass message board discussion started by helpmom on 2/5/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20664,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ How soon after starting treatments with Xeloda & radiation for a residual  rectal tumor did your side effects begin ?? helpmom Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT What side effects are you referring to?Jaynee soccermom Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I am referring to the hand -foot syndrone. helpmom Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I would love to tell you about the hand-foot syndrome, but the entire time that I was on Xeloda I was not bothered with that.   I took Xeloda for the 30 radiation treatments and then took Xeloda again for 5 months, but I never was bothered by anything.  Sorry I can't help you with that.  How is your radiation going?  That can have some nasty side effects so be careful.Jaynee soccermom Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I took Xeloda for thirty eight days, five pills per day at the same time I took radiation for esophageal cancer after I had surgery.  I had redness and tenderness on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet.  I also hd EXTREME nausea the entire time I took it and for several days after I stopped.  My doctor gave me Phenegren.  I also had mouth sores that went down into my digestive tract.  Sometimes when I ate my intestines would hurt so badly that I would have to take a Darvocet and go to bed.  The doctor told me that this was the result of the Xeloda.  He gave me Magic Mouth wash that I was to swich around in my mouth then swallow.  The good news is, I have recovered and have not had any incidence of cancer for almost four years. Its an agravating proceedure, but VERY worth while.  I work and play every day.  God Bless You.  You are in my prayers. Gerri   Gerri Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thank you for your prayers, Gerri. And, it is wonderful news that you have been cancer-free for 4 years.  We are hoping it will do the same for my mom, who has just started her treatments on Monday. I was wondering if i should start her on the bag balm & udderly smooth cream before her symptoms start.  Since, this is new to us, any advice would help.God bless you !~!~! helpmom Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I hope that you have been given detailed instructions on what to eat/not eat, things to do to help minimize the burning and skin care during radiation.   As I said, I breezed through the Xeloda, however, the radiation can really do a number on you.  It has been my experience that the rad oncs also don't tell you everything, so please ask questions.Jaynee soccermom Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I have been on Xeloda since June 2007 with minimal side effects. Be sure to use moisturizers on your hands and feet. Udderly Smooth Udder Cream is recommended, but I have been able to get by with regular body creams. Also, watch your folic acid intake.  I take 2000 mg. of Xeloda Monday-Friday every week with weekends off, which is not the normal way this prescription is prescribed. I think I like it better than the 14/7 I started with or the 10/11 that I was on previously. They had to back off of the 14 days on, 7 days off, as my platelet count was already low from 6 months of FOLFOX6. Pam PammySue51 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I'm just ending my treatment of xeloda & radiation for rectal cancer, well, I have 3 treatments left.  As for the radiation, I didn't start seeing any side effects until I was about 15 days into it.  If you want details of what I'm experiencing, let me know and I'll give you my email and we can talk privately about it.As for the xeloda, they have me on 3 pills (500mg) in the morning and 3 pills after dinner.  I started feeling very nauseated the first night after taking my 3 morning pills.  They had prescribed Regiland for the nausea, but it didn't work, it just made me feel worse.  After 3 days, I had lost 7 pounds from not being able to drink or eat and they then put me on Zolfran, which worked wonderfully.  I started using the udder cream right away for my hands and feet (I'd put it on in the morning and at night before I went to bed) and never had any problem with that.  I faithfully rinse my mouth 3 to 4 times a day with baking soda and cold water and never got any mouth sores either.I hope this helps, I know it's a scarey thing not knowing what your going to be going through.  I'm in the same boat.  tinarich8 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thank you all for your info.  Every bit of info helps where the unknown is concerned.My mom is taking 3 xeloda pills in the am alson with a nausea pill and 2 after dinner. She bwegins her second week of therapy tomorrow.  the first week went very well. We are hoping for the same this week.I truely appreciate all the advice. Thanks,  helpmom Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wow--your last day of treatment, Tina. You must be thrilled.My mom just completed her 7th day--so, we have a long way to go. She is also taking Zolfren & it has helped her so far. She has had no nausea so far.Thanks for all your info.  It has really helped.Good luck, H helpmom Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT To avoid or minimize hand & foot syndrome with Xeloda, take 100 mg of B6 vitamins every day.  This proved so effective in clinical trials that now Roche, the manufacturer, recommends this to physicians and their patients.  I did this for 6 weeks of neoadjuvant treatment & had absolutely no problems with my skin. KarenLee Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I am a rectal cancer survivor and one of the first patients in my city to take Xeloda. I loved it! I never had any severe side effects except diarrhea (and that may have been mostly from the radiation) except it was probably from both because later (after surgery) I took Xeloda again for five months and I did get some diarrhea.  Since the doctors hadn't had much experience, they didn't give me any medication for nausea ahead of time, and guess what, I was never nauseated. I sent on two trips (week-end trips) during my chemo radiation, and as a precaution, my doctors wrote me prescriptions for mediation to reduce nausea, and diarrhea.  Funny thing... I never had side effects bad enough (even the diarrhea) to use ANY of the pills. So you might have your mother avoid lots of medication to cure side effects (like nausea) until she actually GETS the side effect.I'm anti-lots-of-medication (because every medication has side effects, and I'd sometimes rather have the problem caused by the chemotherapy than additional side effects from medication taken to solve a chemo side effect. (it gets compounded as then one has the original side effect from time to time even the medication 'solves' it... and you nave the additional side effects from the treatment of the original side effect.  It can go on forever until you are taking ten or twelve medications in the end.  I took the chemotherapy, radiation and a little immodium (as little as possible). I felt FINE the whole time except for being more tired than usual, and not having as good an appetite.  But not in pain, or feeling awful. As I look back, I think it was because I took as FEW pills as possible.  Just those necessary to treat the cancer, and when I had severe diarrhea, I took Immodium. That's all...I never had anything above level 1 hand-foot syndrome, and most of the time I didn't even have that.  I was never nauseated at all, but some food didn't taste good to me so I avoided the foods that didn't appeal to me. Susan_b_anthony Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tomorrow, my mom will begin her 6th week of Xeloda & radiation treatrments for her rectal cancer T2 NO MO.  At 87 years young, she has done extrememly well with very little side effects. We are hoping for positive results. Being new to this whole experience of cancer, what can we expect to happen next in the way of treatments ???Thanks. helpmom Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT