Anyone having Doxil side effects????

[mariak]

Can anyone tell me how they handle the side effects of Doxil. After my 4th infusion I started to get a rash on my legs and stomach, some blisters that itch, my feet are red and blotchy and itch and so are my hands and wrists. I use the Udderly Smooth cream but it doesn't seem to do much. I work  so I can't go around without underwear or shoes on. The good news is that my CA125 dropped to normal after the 3rd infusion. Tomorrow I'm going to have a CAT scan and maybe continue with a few more treatments. I'm so afraid of the side effects getting much worse. Any comments would be a big help. Thanks

[SimplyStar]

My daughter is on doxil, has had 4 infusions, she developed foot and hand syndrome after the second one, the doxil web site says that  the side effects are dependable, hers came 2 and 1/2 weeks after second infusion, then she started using ice to the feet and hands during chemo,  but it has returned now after the forth.  Bathe in tepid wter, no rubber gloves to wash dishes, in fact stay clear away from hot water, hot drinks, spicey food, keep exercize to a minimum for at least 4 days after each treatment, do not wear tight banded clothers, elastic waistbands, tight bras, get Gel foam inserts for your shoes, anything about your clothes that applies pressure can trigger it. Leslee is now taking 100 mg of Vit 6 daily, they think this helps heal and prevent. Leslee missed a  week of work the first time, only 2 days this time. she goes barefoot at home but makes sure there is nothing on the floor for her to step on. she is using hydrocortizone ointment now as told to by her clinic doctor. Try not to scratch the blisters as this can cause infection.  She removed all her rings and wrist watch. she made a tent over her feet at night and trys to keep them on lambs wool.  the blisters will form hard skin which will peel and  drop off, or they told her she could cut the skin off after it had completely dried. she compares her feet to the appearance of egg plants with the blue/black areas. they say the f/h syndrome lasts about 10 days, but with her it was longer.  she doesn't tell them too much because she does not want them to cut down on her dose.  this seems to be the only side effect that she has suffered from. and the counts are going down for her too.

[rmarie]

I used utterly smooth and cortisone cream, when the rash got bad.  It was mainly between my knees.  It came 1 week after chemo and took 2 weeks to go away.  I narrowed the cause down to one pair of pants that rubbed my legs wrong.  I wore cotton scrub pants with ties, because they were lose and did breathe.  For me the rash came with friction.  Switch creams, to find one that has more of a moisturiser.  Vaseline ultra healing helped.  My hands got red however I stayed away from the hot water and have not washed dishes in 6 months.  I ended up being bothered more by muscle spasms, they were not nice, they arrived after the 4th treatment.  I had 6 treatments of carbo and doxil and hopefully am done.  Get news Monday on my scan.  Good luck to you.

[crecco]

My problem was mainly on my feet which got very red and dry and itched liked crazy. I also tried udderly smooth, bag balm, avon silicone glove, hydrocortizone cream, and never did find anything that really worked fpr any length of time. Above all though, make sure and let your onc know and show all problem spots to him. They decreased my dosage and put me on vitamin b-6. When it didn't clear fast enough to suit him, I missed a treatment and he doubled my b-6 dosage. Then my CA started rising a little so they just took me off of it. Be sure and follow the directions given by SimplyStar (I was given the same directions) but like I said, most importantly, inform your onc. and let him take a look at it and see what he thinks. (Shoes and socks do irritate it when its on your feet, sweating and friction, I wore sandals for 7 months but that will be hard to do before long.)