Help with Ip/iv chemo and what to expect

[LizT06]

I would love to hear the good and bad regarding IP and IV chemo treatments.  I will start very soon and would like your experience with this - especially the IP chemo.  I believe the doctor said he would use cisplatinum rather than carbo which is probably a bit more toxic.  

Can you still exercise between treatments?  Is weight loss a big issue?  All input is very welcome...

[Brownie3321]

I had 4 IV chemo treatments of Carbo/Taxol, and I just finished my 1st round of IP Cisplat/Taxol 2 days ago. I will need to have 2 more IP treatments. What I can say is that IP treatment has a high success rate. It is rough on the body, but if you can handle it, I would GO FOR IT. The way I am set up is day 1 IV Taxol, day 2 IP Cisplat. for which i was hospitalized just to make sure I had all the necessary meds and enough hydration (I was released the next morning), then day 8 IP Taxol (outpatient). I handled the IP chemo pretty well while it was being injected. I highly recommend being hospitalized for the 1st IP treatment, just because it helped to have all meds available if needed, plus you're so tired it helped to have them hydrating you. I had some stomach discomfort during the infusion because they are injecting a large amount of chemo fluid into your stomach cavity. The actual infusion took about 2 1/2 hours, but it all depends on gravity, there is no drip for the IP. I then had to move from side to side for about an hour and a half every 20 min to make sure the chemo was evenly distributed. To be honest, I didn't really feel sick until 2 days after IP Cisplat. I am very tired and have had nausea, BUT, thankfully, I have not thrown-up. Tuesday was day 8 IP Taxol and it was done outpatient. I was uncomfortable, but not to the point where I couldn't go through with the rest of my treatments. If you would like to email me any further questions, I would be happy to answer them if I can. Good luck. With love, Deandra

[junamgen]

I also had it all and still having it. I was giving taxol/IV and cisplatin/IP on day 1, taxol/IP on day 8 for each cycle every 3 weeks, finished 6 cycles total.  lost about 15 pounds but no medication needed to boost RBC,WBC or platelet.  I was very exhausted after day 1 of each cycle, mostly I just lying in the bed for about three days.
Taxol/IP was much more tolerable to me.  Had experience of nausea, diariar and constipation,  but  all of them were managable with medications. I do to drink a lot of water after each chemo beacuse you can feel burning inside your body(in chinese word is too much Yang). I would highly recommend watermelon to flush out toxicity.   I was taking complex vitamin B and vitaminE to help reducing neuropathy side effect. I began taking them when my chemo starts.  Right now Im having consolidation chemo with taxol /IV(1/2 dose), having finished 6 cycles and 6 more to go.  I'm 44, dx3C last Nov.  
I also think it is very helpful to have your mind prepared to finish 6 cycles.  
I did it you can do it too!!!
Jun

[Conquerer]

Well I had it all.  6 rounds of taxeter Iv on the sam day I had 6 rounds of IP Cisplatin  for good measuere on day eight I had 3 rounds of IP Taxol.  We stopped that after 3 frounds because my port was a problem and oringinally the tumor did not respond to taxol in the lab.  the tumor responded strongly to cisplatin and taxetere.  I will day it was rough but doable.  One lesson I learned was Cisplatin makes you very dehydrated so on the third day after treatment I went into the office and had IV fluids.  I walked almost every day while on treatment some distance.  The first week mayber two blocks.  on the second week in between treatment a mile and kept increasing the distance until my treatment began again.  I was on a three week cycle.   I ate well most days except the evening of the treatment and the next day or two.   I was given nuelasta when necessary and a shot for the red blood cells.  I stayed on schedlue until the last round when we needed to wait an extra week for my platelets to come back up.  I am 10 months out from chemo and my CA125 is 2.8,   After treatment was were my problems started with PN of my hands and feet.  It has gotten better but I take alot of suppliments I wish I had been more deligent about taking dureing treatmen.  L-Gluitimine 6 Grams powder in juice every day and Lipoic acid 200mg.  The l-gluitmine also helped with keeping my stomach calm and also Tagament.  This was all under the care of the MD.   Good luck and if you have specific questions feel free to ask
god bless
Conqueror

[rmarie]

I didn't have IP chemo, just the regular stuff, and I did manage to exercise throughout. My times decreased, from 1 to 1/12 hour to 45 minutes and I only went 5 days instead of 7.  The weekend after chemo, I felt like I had the flu so I was not anywhere near the gym.  I did not gain weight during chemo, stuck to my diet and maintained.  I believe that with the IP chemo it will be rougher.  You do what you can, and feel good about what you do.  Positive energy.  

[Helmar]

Hi Liz... a dear friend of mine  has not long finished 5 IP treatments, and while she said it was harsh, she is in remission at the moment. She had Cisplatin, and that is more toxic than Carbo apparently, so you will need to drink lots of water to flush your kidneys. She was supposed to have 6 treatments, but couldn't manage the 6th. one because she'd been quite ill with the other 5. She didn't exercise much in between, as she was very tired after each infusion, and her weight didn't alter much, so I guess each person is different in how they react to the drugs. It seems that there have been good reports on the responses to this type of treatment, so I hope it works really well for you, and you can get a good and long remission from it. All the best...hugs...Helen...