whatda

so how long after bx do they start your tx?

[genedog]

where do you get meds?

[cuteus]

it seems that the thing to do is ask your GI, we have no way of knowing how your practive operates.
at your next appointment, have all questions ready for your MD to answer.

[Lucky Lou]

Hey gene Dog! How are ya? From the time of my bx to the time of my receiving my meds, which is in 2 days it will be about 6 weeks I believe. However I have been pushing both my HepC doc and the insurance people very hard. I think I got lucky and the gal handling the meds had two members of her family with Hepc, one died and another had a liver transplant. So I did not need to push her very hard. She was motivated. I am getting the Pegasys and Riba from a place called Caremark pharmacy. They are shipping it directly to my Hepc doctor where I will pick it up once a month. He wants to do blood work every month and he suggested that process and I agreed. So from the BX results to the actually Tx I would say, for me about 6 weeks. And from what I have heard that is normal and reasonable. Good luck, by the way my VL went up to 37.5 million from 8.5 million (or the first test was wrong) So I got cha on the VL! Good luck my amigo. If you want results fast, I suggest you hit the phone, hard!

LOU

[genedog]

hey  lou what was your bx mine was grade 2 stage 3

[tina-b]

How you doing today? What did the doc say about the numbness?
TinaB

[tina-b]

Does anybody know how to look up an old post. Say from Sept 1, 2004 or there abouts? How do we find a post once it has disappeared? Thanks!
TinaB

[Lucky Lou]

BY bx was  a big fat O! I had no scaring. I only had inflamation (inflammation). How? I have no clue. I was sober for about twelve years so I am sure this helped. But I drank like a fish for probably 15 years. i guess i earned my nick name here "Lucky" We shall see. Remember our bet tough guy!I'm counting ona good fight by you!!

Lou

[Lucky Lou]

Yes, I decided to have the med sent to the clinic  also be cause of the insurance issue. As no one is home during the day if I waved the

[TnHepGuy_]

Thank you very much for asking.

I spoke with my doc's office yesterday and got the response I expected - "we don't know much about that kind of thing" - and they want to slough me off on some nuerologist. Well I don't really want to just go and see any old 'Joe Neuorlogist', who most likely doesn't see patients who have ongoing nueropathies as a result of current interferon treatment. So my thought was to contact an oncologist I know - under the assumption that a certain percentage of his chemotherapy patients will have experienced neuropathies. I could hopefully gain good first-hand knowledge through him about treatment-related neuoropathies - and also find out what neuorlogist he sends his patients to. Only thing is - he happens to be away on vacation right now. So I get to wait a bit longer - and test my patience some more, too.



If you happen to see fewer posts by me these days, please excuse me. But at this point in time, participating less is working out for the best.



Hope all is well with you, your husband and family.


TnHepGuy

[Califia]

And they called _us_ the drug generation?  It seems that current psychiatric practices are taking "Better Living through Chemistry" to unimaginably dangerous extremes.   Instead of  actually investing in education and reducing classroom size, we simply introduce Ritalin as an instrument of social control.   It boggles the mind.  Someone distract me, please....   thanks, Lou, that almost worked....

[tina-b]

You are right to want to see an Oncologist on this one, all things considered. You are getting there, you too (like my man) are 35/48 this weekend. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, you will make it just fine.

He said the other day when we were talking, he was now counting down the next 5 weeks and then he will be able to look at it in single digit weeks.

So far, so good on the home front.

Let us know what the doc tells you.


God's Speed to you and yours Dave!

Tina

[BobK]

During the treatment of various cancers glutamine is reccomended to help prevent or reduce the severity of neuropathies....a common problem with cancer chemotherapeutics.  

good luck,
BobK




Cancer Treat Rev. 2003 Dec;29(6):501-13. Related Articles, Links
    Click here to read
    Prevention of chemotherapy and radiation toxicity with glutamine.

    Savarese DM, Savy G, Vahdat L, Wischmeyer PE, Corey B.

    Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. ***@****

    GOALS OF THE WORK: Malignancy produces a state of physiologic stress that is characterized by a relative deficiency of glutamine, a condition that is further exacerbated by the effects of cancer treatment. Glutamine deficiency may impact on normal tissue tolerance to antitumor treatment, and may lead to dose reductions and compromised treatment outcome. Providing supplemental glutamine during cancer treatment has the potential to abrogate treatment-related toxicity. We reviewed the available data on the use of glutamine to decrease the incidence and severity of adverse effects due to chemotherapy and/or radiation in cancer patients. METHODS: We performed a search of the MEDLINE database during the time period 1980-2003, and reviewed the English language literature of both human and animal studies pertaining to the use of glutamine in subjects with cancer. We also manually searched the bibliographies of published articles for relevant references. MAIN RESULTS: The available evidence suggests that glutamine supplementation may decrease the incidence and/or severity of chemotherapy-associated mucositis, irinotecan-associated diarrhea, paclitaxel-induced neuropathy, hepatic veno-occlusive disease in the setting of high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, and the cardiotoxicity that accompanies anthracycline use. Oral glutamine supplementation may enhance the therapeutic index by protecting normal tissues from, and sensitizing tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiation-related injury. CONCLUSIONS: The role of glutamine in the prevention of chemotherapy and radiation-induced toxicity is evolving. Glutamine supplementation is inexpensive and it may reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal, neurologic, and possibly cardiac complications of cancer therapy. Further studies, particularly placebo-controlled phase III trials, are needed to define its role in chemotherapy-induced toxicity.

    Publication Types:

        * Review
        * Review, Academic


PMID: 14585260 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Clin Cancer Res. 2001 May;7(5):1192-7. Related Articles, Links
    Click here to read
    Reduction of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy with glutamine.

    Vahdat L, Papadopoulos K, Lange D, Leuin S, Kaufman E, Donovan D, Frederick D, Bagiella E, Tiersten A, Nichols G, Garrett T, Savage D, Antman K, Hesdorffer CS, Balmaceda C.

    Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA. ***@****

    PURPOSE: Dose-limiting toxicity of many newer chemotherapeutic agents is peripheral neuropathy. Prior attempts to reduce this side effect have been unsuccessful. We report on the possible successful reduction of peripheral neuropathy with glutamine administration after high-dose paclitaxel. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients entered a high-dose chemotherapy protocol in which the first high-dose cycle was paclitaxel at 825 mg/m(2) given over 24 h. The first cohort of patients did not receive glutamine, and the second cohort of patients received glutamine at 10 g orally three times a day for 4 days starting 24 h after completion of paclitaxel. Neurological assessment was performed at baseline, and at least 2 weeks after paclitaxel, and consisted of a complete neurological exam and nerve conduction studies. RESULTS: There were paired pre- and post-paclitaxel evaluations on 33 patients who did not receive glutamine and 12 patients who did. The median interval between pre- and post-exams was 32 days. For patients who received glutamine, there was a statistically significant reduction in the severity of peripheral neuropathy as measured by development of moderate to severe dysesthesias and numbness in the fingers and toes (P < 0.05). The degree and incidence of motor weakness was reduced (56 versus 25%; P = 0.04) as well as deterioration in gait (85 versus 45%; P = 0.016) and interference with activities of daily living (85 versus 27%; P = 0.001). Moderate to severe paresthesias in the fingers and toes were also reduced (55 versus 42% and 64 versus 50%, respectively), although this value was not statistically significant. All of these toxicities were reversible over time. CONCLUSIONS: Glutamine may reduce the severity of peripheral neuropathy associated with high-dose paclitaxel; however, results from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials will be needed to fully assess its impact, if any. Trials are currently ongoing to assess its efficacy for standard-dose paclitaxel in breast cancer and other tumors for which peripheral neuropathy is the dose-limiting toxicity.

    Publication Types:

  * Clinical Trial


PMID: 11350883 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[TnHepGuy_]

Thanks alot for doing some great research on peripheral neuropathy. Currently my symptoms are waxing and waning somewhat, which gives me hope that this is more tranisent than long-term. I'm going to follow-up with a talk with the oncologist I know - and most likely a vist to a neurologist he would recommend. And I'll definatley be looking further into Glutamine, too.


TnHepGuy

[layla]

The symptoms waxed and waned for me too but one thing that was constant was that when they started they kept progressing for about 3 to 5 days before the sx started to subsides, so I was alwyas anxious about it. I hope I don't get it again. Last time was much less tingly than the last time.  I hope is subsides for you soon. LL