Chemotherapy

[pattie1218]

Ovarian Cancer Stage 3c 75 years old. How sick will the Taxol/Carboplatin combination make a person? Will there  be vomitting? My mothers oncologist stated that it is unlikely to vomitting, that it will only cause nausea.  I NEED THE TRUTH from someone who has had this combination.

[Kristin1971]

I am new to all of this, but I also am stage 3c ovac. I have had 2 treatments of carbo & taxol - and at my second treatment they added avastin. I had to take the steroid dexamethesone the night before & morning of chemo, then they gave me some in drop form prior to chemo - they also gave me benedryl and another anti- nauseaed in my drip prior to chemo. I also took the dexa steroid 3 days post-chemo in decreasing amounts - all to help limit nausea. I have a prescription for compazene (anti-nausea med) to take as needed. I have only taken 1 pill so far -- I found that day 3 post chemo was my "hit by a truck" day and the 2nd round I learned to eat a little something - even  a cracker - before getting up. Everyone is different though. Some people are more sensitive to the pain killers - so she may want to be sure to eat something with her pain killers as a way to prevent nausea.
Things I was not prepared for -- very itchy and dry skin. It seems insignificant, but my legs looked like battle grounds and after round 2 I started to bruise very easily.
I also had terrible bone pain. For round 2 I told them about it and was prescribed a heavy dose ibuprofen - I took it on top of the pain killes and it helped immensely.
The day before and morning of chemo I am sure to drink LOTS of fluids - I have 8:30 AM treatments and I try to drink 16-24 ounces before I go in which plumps the veins so its easier to be stuck (I do not have a port as of yet).
I hope that your mother's treatments go well and that once her first treatment is done those ascites will start to melt away. Nausea is never fun - but on top of this diagnosis & the treatment to come it feels like too much for anyone to handle. I will say a prayer for her and hope that all goes well.
Kristin

[helenl89]

I had zofran and compazine, plus decdron the night before. they worked a bit, but i found that eating little bits every few hrs helped plus cranberry juice and lots of water. Even if she doesn't feel like eating, it does help. She is going to get very weak and tired alot, around the 3rd or 4th treatment. Be prepared, there will be constipation, for the first three to five days after each treatment. Apple juice, prune juice, lots of fruit helps, Miralax worked for me quiet well. If all else fails there is magnesium sulfate, but don't use that unless  absoulutly necessary. It's like liquid plumber. Make sure she eats right, will need to keep strenght up. Also ativan helped with the nauseau. Sometimes sucking on pepermint lifesavers, helped too. something in peppermint also settles the stomach. I'll help all I can, but by they 4th teatment I got very sick, anemia drop in white cells and low platlets, Dr's will test for this before a treatment, to see if body can tolerate the chemo. If questions I'm here to help.

[Dee09]

I got generic Zofran I think - called Ondansetron.  It worked fine for me (plus the other meds)

[marie3B]

Yes EMEND is the best.  It was for me anyway.  I have reccommended it so many times, I should be their spokes-model LOL. Emend is costly, but my insurance paid.  Zofran helps many people, but not me.  At my cancer center they also give Ativan for nausea.  It acts on the part of our brain that controls hen we feel sick.  I hope the ascites is controlled soon.  Marie

[pattie1218]

Thank you so much for your posts. I am going to print this page out!  We are familiar with the Zofran (4mg aprox 6$ a pill !! ) and buying them 6 at a time due to the cost, and figure this- the compazine seemed to work a little better than the zofran!  compazine was $11 for 100 pills! anyways, she was also on reglan. We are taking it one day at a time, Hopefully today we will learn more about when they will be draining or "tapping" the ascites. Hopefully that should releive some of the discomforts.  HOPE is what we are clinging to and praying that she is just strong enough to go through this. I appreciate your help so much! This site is amazing!!! Very informative, and I feel so much more relaxed and comforted ! thank you so much ladies!!!! I look forward to making lots of friends here!!  

[JC145]

Your Mom should get steriods started the day before treatment and for the day of and possibly the day after.

Your Mom NEEDS Emend, but should take the first pill (day of tx) at the MD's office when she is sure all is definitely set to go that round.  The reason for this is the pills are very expensive and, if for some reason, her blood counts are not good, etc., the first pill (of 3) will be wasted and then what!  So, she definiitely needs Emend.  It is in a 3 pill pack and is taken day of and the next 2 days following tx .. but wait for the first one until she is actually in the MD's office and sure to get tx that day.

Your Mom NEEDS Aloxi in her premeds at the office.  It is anti-nausea and last for several days post tx.  It is wonderful.  Do not let them substitute.

Your Mom NEEDS comjpazine (nausea) pills for at home .. don't let her wait until she is vomiting to take them.  At the first signs of nausea, pop one of them.

Your Mom also should have Zofran pills (also expensive) for break thru nausea, when the Compazine doesn't do the trick.

I drank fluids during each tx and took peanut butter crackers (I think they are OK again) or a pb & J sandwich to eat .. before any nausea could set in.  

Having said all of this, I've only needed one Compazine pill for my first 4 taxotere/carboplatin rounds of tx.  It's just good to have the whole medicine cabinet on hand.  These are the exact drugs I have taken or have available.

Hydration is important to rid the body (mostly kidneys) of the drugs.  I will open a can of regular Coke before tx and let it flatten out a bit for when I come home .. I think it helps my stomach, but don't want a lot of carbination.  I also drink LOTS of cranberry juice cut with water to help the kidneys and hydration.  I've found a desire for protein .. so will keep stuff ready like BBQ'd chicken, chicken noodle soup, peanut butter, eggs and any other meat I feel like.  Keeping something on my stomach, I feel helps .. even if it's only a couple bites at a time.  Another thing I liked when  I feel hungry and KNOW I need to eat, but don't WANT to eat is a plain baked potato with salt only .. plain or sweet pots .. good source of potassium and won't upset the stomach.  Oh, yeah, bananas are good, too.  I even kept little tootsie rolls around for a quick "something" if I felt nausea coming and had to cook the eggs, etc.

My first round was Cisplatin/Taxol and that is when I needed most of the above paragraph.  Carbo was not nearly as "nauseous".  She MUST have all the drugs I mentioned .. no matter what course of treatment she receives.  

Good luck and God bless.

Judy

[Dee09]

Those drugs do bring on nausea many (most?) people but as others have said there are meds for that.  The best anti-nausea med is Emend.  It is fairly new, a couple of years, and expensive but insurance seems to pay for it in combination with chemo.  I have gone through chemo twice for unrelated cancers 13 years apart and the first time they didn't have Emend.  This time was much, much easier.  Only a little nausea, no vomiting - mostly just loss of appetite.  Fluids are important too, as you mention in your second post.  Also magnesium levels, which they should check when they do blood work before chemo.
Best of luck to you and your mom.

[pattie1218]

Thank you so much for your quick response!  As you will see in profile, in my other posts, my mother is in the hospital right now from severe vomitting caused from the ascites.  It has lessened, thank God, but still throwing up at least 2 to 3 times a day. MUCH better than Friday and Saturday. The oncologist met with us today finally (after the holiday weekend) and talked about draining the ascites possibly tomorrow, and setting up the port maybe this week. Hoping that draining the fluid will stop the vomitting, so she can get the regimen plan started with the chemo.  Yes, the oncologist had talked about a pre-med nausea treatment for an hour and a half IV prior to the chemo.  That is good to know about the Aloxi that you both had suggested, thank you!! After this unbearable weekend we just dont want Mom to be vomitting any more. We are understanding that once the treatments start that it will also help with the ascites. I also had wondered is there really a good chance to fight this cancer even in stage 3c at age 75 years?? I know that is a question no one will really know for sure, and that each person is different, its just that we have been pulled in each direction with one doctor saying that chemo will not do any good at her advanced stage, and then the oncologist says defiinitely chemo will help!  We are getting confused each day, not knowing the truth!
      I am learning so much here ! thank you all so much for the help!!  I appreciate having friends here that are sooo helpful!!!

[gah_70]

It's hard to say whether a patient will have only nausea or all out vomiting.  Everyone responds differently to chemo, so no one can say for sure.  I had that combination for two different cycles.  The first cycle of 6 treatments did not make me vomit.  But a year and half later, I started it again and did vomit from it.  Do you know if your mom's Oncologist will pre-treat her with medication before each infusion with anything to lessen the chances of being sick from it?  If not, ask for Aloxi to be administered first.  Aloxi is a great drug to help with the nausea/vomiting.  She may still have some sickness, but the Aloxi will help, especially in the first few days post treatment.  

Many people on this combo also experience some neuropathy in hands and feets.  For me, it was very similar to the feeling you get when your hand or foot "goes to sleep".  This will eventually go away for most people, but some say they never completely got rid of it.  Her doctor may be able to suggest some things she can do to lessen that.  

When does your mom start treatment?  Best wishes to her!  I hope she does well on this treatment, and gets a good long remission!

Gail  

[marie3B]

In many cases even the nausea can be avoided.   I/V pre-meds will be given that will help.  One good one is Aloxi.  Oral meds for at home will be given.  They usually give more than one so you can see what helps most.  I had 18 treatments the first time on chemo of cisplatin and taxol.  I can't say it was easy, but I made it through without vomiting.  Cisplatin and carboplatin are very similar.  Advantage to having carbo over cisplatin is that carbo is not as hard on the kidneys.  I am so very sorry that your mother has to deal with this.  I know from experience how hard it is to see your mom have to fight ovca.  I hope both you and she will come here for support.  We are here for your family.  I wish her the best possible outcome.  Marie