CancerCompass message board discussion started by myhubby on 5/10/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23916,0.htm Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My husband has just started chemo for colon cancer withs mets to the liver. Two weeks ago, he started with just oxiplatin. He tolerated his first dose pretty well. Just tired and upset stomach for about 2 days. Yesterday he recieved the oxiplatin and avastin. Later in the evening, he developed a fever of 103. I wanted to take him to the hospital, but he refused to go saying he felt fine except for the fever and chills. I had read that the fever could mean an infection, however his blood levels were checked before recieving the treatments and all were within normal range. Has anyone else dealt with this side effect? Could it be an allergic reaction? I gave him some fever reducer and it went away. Although he has been hovering at about 99 degrees ever since. Thanks for any help. myhubby Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT at the beginning of my husband's chemo treatments the chemo nurse gave us a list of do's and don't and one of the do's was- if you run a fever of 101 or higher to contact them.   luckily that never happened in our case.   i would definately give them a call and let them know- esp. since the tylenol only got it down to 99. good luck  debbie Debbie2 Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT 98.7 is considered noraml.  99 is probably not critical.  If you can keep it at around 99 it should be ok Arnold Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thanks guys. I am concerned as to why it went as high as it did. Should I expect the same results next time?  I know you guys probably cant answer these questions, and we will ask his doctor. I guess I am just venting.Thanks for listening. myhubby Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT One of the symptom's of my mother's cancer was low-grade fever.  When she started to have radiation treatment, her fevers became quite high.  (103 to 104)  She was kept in the hospital for twelve days and they repeatedly looked for signs of infection, but never found any.  Some people did not seem to believe that her radiation treatments could be related to the fever, but some of her doctors said that they were.  I was completely convinced; she would spike a high fever a certain amount of time after the radiation every time.  Later, when her radiation treatments were finished, the fevers went away.   Roz Rosalind Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Yeah, I would think it's just one of his side effects. I know he doesn't have an infection. His temp is gone now, I just took it. I wonder if it was from the oxiplatin or avastin. Lord, next time they are even adding the 5FU I believe. It's going to be a LONG six months!! myhubby Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT dobn't look at it as 6 long months-  take it one treatment at a time- much easier to handle that way.  watch out for neuropothy on the oxilaplaton.  my husband is 1 yrs post chemo and still having a lot of trouble with the neuropothy.my suggestion that i found very helpful for me was to keep a journal.  i would keep track of everything that was related to my husband's treatments and dr appt. .  i refered back to it many many times it is really hard to "remember" everything that is happening. hang in there you will make it thru this- keep a postive attitude and take it one treatment at a time.   also it helps if you have a friend to you can talk to and vent as needed.  my girlfriend has been a godsend thru all this.good luck- deb Debbie2 Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Yeah, we have been warned of the neuropathy. He is taking the L-glutamine and B6 which people on here have suggested. We'll just have to wait and see.Thanks for the encouragement. We have been through chemo before. 2005. He had his colon removed then. He was only on the 5Fu at that time though. He tolerated that extremely well. I think this time will be a little different though. myhubby Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi...I had posted here just the other day...see "vomitting husband"...because my husband is stage iv with extensive liver mets.  He has had 9 rounds of folfox w/oxi and he tolerated it very well, but it stopped working about round 5 but that provider wouldn't change the mix of chemo.  At new facility and they put him on Folfox w/ oxi and Avastin.  My husband has been very sick.  On the first cycle of chemo without Avastin, he would still be bubbly and active in every way.  With the Avastin, he was sick immediately after he came home and has been almost completely bed ridden since...much naussea, which he didn't have before, and throwing up several times..got a case of the hickups and severe belching/acid reflux which he has never had previous to cancer.  Very tired and not able to eat.  We have our oncologist visit tomorrow and can't wait to hear what the doc has to say and what he may do for my husband.  I have felt horribly bad for my guy.  I empathize with all you are going through and for your hubby as well.  Don't know if this helps, probably just has frightened you which I didn't mean to do.  Hopefully your hubby won't have these symptoms at all.  I wish the best for him.PrayersMardilove mardilove Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thanks. It's a little scary, but I would much rather be informed as well. Please let me know what your doctor has to say about his reactions to Avastin. Goodluck.   myhubby Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Some chemo treatments side effects are high fever, such as INTERFERON, causes flu like symptoms.  If not a side effect all patients with a 101.5 fever should contact doctor immediatley. You must find out all side effects, you can never take for granite it is something else.  With this you don't have other chances if you are wrong.INFECTIONS CAN BE DEADLY, Belive me I can testify.  A lot patients fighting cancer lose their life by infections, not cancer.  Chemo brings down the white blood counts(white fights off infections) after treatment the white counts can be extremely low and this is when the infection can jump in. In my situation it went to the heart causing endocarditis. Dean in Georgia Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT I would agree that SOME patients loose their life because of infections but not always from low white cell counts. My Oncologist reviews my blood tests every 2 weeks prior to our meeting before proceeding with folfox infusion.  He then adjusts levels of chemo or delays chemo for a week to assure the platelett and white cell counts rise to an appropriate level to guard against infections, etc.  I would suggest that all patients assure that their Oncs are accomplishing this review. Arnold Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Yes, they are tracked, however if you are on 4 different chemos at the same time, on very strong chemos, even though you are monitored, you can still get an infection. Dean in Georgia Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Well he feels really good now. Playing with our 4-year old in the back yard. I absolutely HATE that he has to go back to that place in a week and a half. myhubby Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT But the infection won't be because of low white cell counts if it is monitored properly.  I have had three different series of chemos and the latest one with a mix of 4 chemos and have never had a infection.  My concern here is that some will not agree with certain chemo regimens because of the potential of infections.  It is somehing to be aware of and guard against but not to the point where you are overly cautious. Arnold Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Your husband sounds like he is going through the exact same thing as my husband Terry. He's only made it through 5 so far and the last one made him sick as a dog. He can't do every 2 weeks. He does it every 3 weeks but this time I believe it will be 4 weeks because he still isn't fully recovered. Just starting to eat better and he is just to thin and weak. He took some of the treatments pretty well. he has a colostomy and seems to be having alot of trouble with blockage or something. He's going to a gastro specialist tomorrow. he wants a recection before any more treatments and is very insistant about it. They did a scan before his last one and the tumors are shrinking so I hope he doesn't give up. princesssugar Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT This is princess-I was responding to mardilove with my post. Just wanted to explain. Thanks princesssugar Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT