CancerCompass message board discussion started by Jean2 on 8/15/2005 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,2742,0.htm Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My doctor started me with 50 mg of Tarceva, will increase to 100, then 150. After 2 weeks, slight original nausea has gone away, but horrible fatigue. No rash at all yet. I cannot stay awake long enough to function much at all. Anyone else have this problem? Jean2 Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT Hello Jean2, My doctor started me on 150mg about a month ago. My side effects have been dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. My rash was almost immediate. So perhaps 50mg isn't enough to bring it out on you...but believe me, it will blossom soon enough. The first two weeks were bad, but now it has subsided since I was given antibotics. I have a feeling it will all be back as soon as I'm finished with the medication. I have 2 weeks left on it. There was a message on this site under a different title which gave me an idea. Instead of taking the Tarceva in the morning, like I had been doing, I switched to 'two hours after suppertime'. This way if I do have fatigue, like you do, I'm sleeping, so no problem? That theory has not completely worked out, still get dizzy at times, and nauseaous but it's not as bad as before. Looking forward to your reply. Jeanne Jelly Bean Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT Jeanne O,thank you for your reply. The doc has now upped my dosage to 75mg and in two more weeks to 100, etc. I've been taking it 2 hrs after lunch. I tried morning at first but got too hungry and also needed to take other meds. Night won't work because of meds again, so I just try to sleep immediately after lunch then take the Tarceva. I am utterly exhausted all the time though, has this happened to you? Thanks, Jean2 Jean2 Sat, 27 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT Hi Jean2, Thank you for answsering me. I am soo glad that your doctor raised the dosage. I know Traceva has some unpleasant side effects but Chemo wasn't very pleasant either. You didn't say, but did you get the rash yet? If you haven't then that should be on the way soon. My doctor started me with the highest dose and my rash appeared immediately. It might have better to do it gradually like they are for you...but who knows. It's soo hard to second guess doctors. In the beginning I took Tarceva the first thing in the morning. But it put me back to sleep and I had a hard time functioning during the day. So I decided to take it 2 hours after supper so that I could sleep the night. Well, that works better, but it doesn't put me to sleep. I need to take something else to do that. I am soo sick of taking meds. My room looks like a drug store exploded. I have been exhausted since the day they diagnosed me - I had a very hard time breathing because of fluid on my lungs. That itself will exhaust you beyound belief. Still having a problem with getting around. I haven't left the house on my own steam for months now because of being exhausted all the time. Jean, if you want you can email me directly to --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---. Please feel free to do that. Not sure this message board allows this, but our communication is very slow, so it might be better if we have any quesitons about this illness, that we can do it directly. If anyone has any other views on this subject, I would love hearing from them. Thank you. Jeanne O. Jelly Bean Sun, 28 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT you said that you were given a antibotic for your rash did it help and did the rash come back after antibotic Maggiem Thu, 22 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT Hi Maggiem, I did stop the antibotic because it was making me sicker then when I didn't. I did this with my doctor's permission. It did help, and No, the rash has not come back after I stopped. Now, every once in a while there is a little white head that appears on my face. But nothing like the awful stuff that was all over my nose and cheeks in the beginning. If you are still having a problem with the rash, you might like to call your doctor and see if an antibotic is an option for you. I still have alligator skin. I'm told that this is from the Tarceva too. Also I have constantly 'cold'. Does anyone else have this problem? My doctor said to use skin softener, but since I am allergic to most of that stuff, I haven't found one that works without giving me itchy eyes and sneezing. Help, please! Jeanne Jelly Bean Thu, 22 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT Anybody on this combination? I have ben on it for 5 chemo sessions. Really got rid of my cancer in the lung, hip and back. Now I find that I have spots on my liver? No one knows what it is. Could be lung cancer...another primary cancer in the liver.....though I have been told that what it looks like is atypical for liver cancer. Maybe toxicity to all the drugs? Help! Candu Candu Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT I started Tarceva on Sept 7 ---By the 11th My rash started and progressively got worse over the next 10 days---My dosage started at 150mg--and I weigh under 100 pounds---The rash seemed to break out almost exclusively where My body had been exposed to the sun---in addition to the inside of my nose and ears. I was taken off tarceva for about 2 weeks and now have started again with 100mg. The rash has somwhat gone away--but still extremely red.My advise to anyone on this drug---STAY OUT OF THE SUN.The doctors said my rash-reaction was very extreme--so I think the sun was partially the problem --and the other problem was giving me too much. I also take it in the evening because it will make you tired. With a 1 and a 2 year old in the house, there is no time for exhaustion! Lilyjana Thu, 29 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT Hi to anyone, Does anyone have insurance for this Tarceeva, or do have to pay yourself? My mother, age 85, has lung cancer and her doctor has now recommended Tarceeva, but it is $2500.00 per month and now coverage for it. Has anyone found a way to get it covered by the government? thanks Sandybeach Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT The company "Genentech,Inc." that makes Tarceva has a dept. that will negotiate with the insurance company. Your doctor would have the info. The company has an information packet for patients. The contact info is supplied in this packet. Sorry, I don't have mine any longer or I would pass on the phone #. Good Luck, God Bless. Vanessajoanne Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 NSCLC on March 25. She started taking 150mg Tarceva two weeks ago and has yet to break out into this rash everyone describes. Is anyone taking Tarceva successfully without ever getting the rash? I keep hearing everyone say that the rash indicates that it's going to work....so I keep hoping for the rash. Us254308 Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT for dry skin try to use vaseline it should not give you any bad side effect. also if you do get dry eyes use refresh PM at night that really helped me. minna Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT my mother in law took Tarceva for 1 month and for a variety of reasons was taken off it.  Her insurance company sent her a three month supply though so she has 60 pills left.  We have called all over to try to donate them but because the bottles could have been opened, ( they are still in original prescription bags)they will not take them anywhere.  We hate to just throw out such expensive medicine.  Any ideas what to do with 2 months worth of 150 mg Tarceva pills? JGAs kids Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT My partner has been on Tarceva for 10 months and the rash is indicative of effectiveness - read the data sheets - google it - but that is a GOOD thing.... Eleni Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT  On 10/25/2007 JGAs kids wrote:my mother in law took Tarceva for 1 month and for a variety of reasonswas taken off it.  Her insurance company sent her a three monthsupply though so she has 60 pills left.  We have called all overto try to donate them but because the bottles could have been opened, (they are still in original prescription bags)they will not take themanywhere.  We hate to just throw out such expensivemedicine.  Any ideas what to do with 2 months worth of 150 mgTarceva pills? You may be the answer to our prayers.Myfather in law has lung cancer has been prescribed Tarceva by hisphysician in Panama. The medial facilities in Panama are state run andhave recently removed Tarciva from thier list of available drugs,apparantly due to the expense.He could have come to the US, and if prescribed Tarciva by a US doctor would have received assistance from the manufacturer Unfortunately his visa was denied for financial reasons. (Limited Income) Asthe pills you possess are the correct dosage, I would be willing totake the unopened pills and forward them to my father in law.Please respond at your earliest convenience.Best regards,        KennethT Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Dear JGAs kidsIt has been a blessing to have com across you mgs. My freind's mom (61yrs of age) has been diagnosed with 4th stage NSCLC since Oct 2003 and has been battling with the dreadful deceased for the last 4 years. she has undergone multiple and endless chemo to fight this cancer. However it keeps coming back. This last Oct it came back and has even spread to her brains. She has just finished 12 rounds of radiation and will only know the outcome this coming Dec11th. As for her lungs it has even spread upwards and nearly covered the whole of her left lung. The doc has just strated her on 150mg Tarceva, but the family is struggling to meet the high expense of this medication. Therefore the family would greatly appreciate if you could share some of the pills with her. Please do respond as soon as possible. The family is willing to pay for any freight charges for the pills to be sent to Penang, Malaysia.Hope to hear from you soon.God bless u.  Sarah22 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT