CMF Question
Comments
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I there...I just took the pill right before my treatments..
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Lisa, I think that will be my game plan too. Did you need to take any during other times or only during infusion times? It appears to me that all 3 drugs have nausea as a "possible" side effect. Hoping that I won't have to take any on the days of oral cytoxan. I'm probably making too big of a deal about this, but the thought of feeling nasty is not my idea of a good time!!!!
Carol
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Good morning ladies,
In addition to my steroid and something in the drip I had compazine for when I was home. I also sometimes used Ativan. Ativan helps you sleep, helps with anxiety and helps with nausea, now if it could only cook dinner for the family as well, it would be a perfect pill.
Let's face it, while CMF is doable, you are going to feel sick. This is not to scare you but to prepare you. We all handle it differently but we all get through it...and I am a baby about these sorts of things.
The not knowing is surely the worst part. Once you know what to expect, it is easier.
We'll all be there holding your hand. You'll be fine. I promise.
Before you know it, you'll be on this site giving advise to others.
-melanie
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sometimes I did take another compazine...but we didn't have the new meds they have now for nausea...I do remember tho...It is good to fill an rx of compazine in suppository form so it doesn't go thru your stomach to work...just a thought
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Morning fellow CMFers,
I'll try this again, I hit send a few minutes ago and poof...
I added this morning to my list of arsenol for the coming events. Biotene mouth wash (the onc said salt water works just as good), pepcid, nioxin, senokot (or equivalent), tylenol (I guess advil is out), tea with ginger or mint, ginger ale, and a bag of pretzels.
Lisa, hoping that the suppository method will not be needed, but in a pinch I'll do anything!!!!
Has anyone taken any supplements, my dh asked me to check, he is the internal optimist and is always looking for the win/win solutions. I may ask on another post as well, personally throughout the years I would try to take a multi vitamin and after about 2/3 days and constipation I'd quit. Sooooo on that note, I'm not planning on adding to those possible problems but I told him I check it out!!!
Yesterday had the slight feeling of a cold coming on, went to bed around 8:00 and got up this morning at 9:00, laying low today, probably snooping through the sites.
Carol
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Hi ladies,
Carol, I had the steroid and anti-nauseau put in my drip, then I took Kytril with the steroids for three days later (also took compazine if I needed more). But please don't get worried about getting sick as many ladies don't at all. My cousin stopped taking the anti nausea pills after awhile because she didn't get it at all! The above combination really helped me so that it was much lower grade feeling, and much more manageable. Again, everyone is different. Some don't feel sick at all, some get help with different meds. I sure did eat lots of great food through out the treatments and the down days are so much fewer than the good days! Maybe try and refocus your energy on how this treatment is going to help you!
You can do this!
Take care!
Ginny
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Hi gals!
Jill and Carol....you will do fine. I had the anti-nausea drugs in by infusion on the day of treatment. I also started taking compazine that same day and took them whethr I thought I needed them or not. I made the mistake of waiting until I needed the compazine after the very first treatment. I only made that mistake that one time! Get a jump on it. It's easier to prevent than to correct it once it starts.
Good luck to both of you. We'll be here for you!
Rita
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Ginny, I am armed and dangerous. I hoping it will be like having an umbrella. If you have it, it doesn't rain. If you don't, you get wet!!!
With all the great suggestions here, I'd say Jill and I are ready to bring it on!!!
Thanks ladies, Carol
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Hi to Carol and Jill,
Welcome. A lil about me...I was dx in May 06... Had partial mast 6/16/06. IDC,Stage 2, Grade 2, SNB, nodes clean, 2.5 tumor, er/pr+,her2+. Had 12 tx of CMF (C by mouth) spread over 6 months. 33 rads and now on arimidex for 1 year!!
I have read all previous posts since I was last on...well, you two have gotten the best advice!! I really can't add much to it. I did work thru the chemo, I did take off the days of tx of the last 6 cause I was getting very tired. I did not lose all my hair. I also took compazine one day before tx and continued for 3 days after as I was having a prob with nausea in the beginning. All trial and error...you will see what works for you. It is "doable".
Carol, I started chemo with a cold....I thought they would postpone it but they didn't. As a matter of fact, I got another cold at about midway point. I went up and down with weight and in the end gained 2 lbs...tho the arimidex has helped me put on about 20 lbs!!!
You will get great love and support here as you can see already, I am sure. Good luck on Thurs. i will check in on you.
Jill, when do you start?
Hi to all...Harley, I just had my first colonoscpy 4 weeks ago and endoscopy at the same time. Not half as bad as I thought it would be. Quite easy,actually. Thank God I went. Found 3 polyps in colon...1 precancer!!..would have turned to cancer eventually...so they are snipped out. Dr says to repeat every 3 years.
Endo...I have a hiatel hernia..meds for that ..Dr says it will heal. Polyp in esophagas..benign...so that's snipped out.
Rita, yes, I did what Lisa did for the secret pal..it was fun. I hope we do it again.
Well, nice to see all of you. A happy and healthy new year!!!
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
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Candie,
Thanks for the info. about your colonoscopy. It is kind of ironic that I had been nagging my dh to get a colonoscopy, b/c his Dad's family had a hx of colon cancer; his dad's sister died of peritonitis after her procedure to remove colon cancer and his dad's brother died from colon cancer that spread to his liver and then to his lungs... His father didn't get colon cancer, because he kept going for the tests, but he died from kidney cancer that spread to his bones.
My hubby DID finally go for his test a few years ago. He had 3 polyps, all benign.
So now I get to go for a colonoscopy... early.... sigh... Does the fun ever end?
I may be stupid, but I thought that ALL polyps would eventually turn cancerous, if they were left there long enough. Is this true?
My surgeon told me that HE can do my colonoscopy, and the hospital that he uses puts you out for the test... good, I say!!
I AM kind of nervous, since every time they look for something, they find it!
Well, I guess I won't think about it for now... I don't have to have the test until April...
Thanks again!
Harley
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Carol, My Onc said NO supplements during chemo. You never know what vitamin or other chemical will react in a way not intended, when mixed with chemo.
Good luck ladies!
-melanie
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Candie,
Just read your post. It really helped answer some questions I had. I plan to also work through my 6 treatments. I start the 18th of January, all by IV. One week after Carol. I planned to have the txt on a Friday and hopefully feel ok to go to work on Monday. I've already played this chemo game and it was not fun. I'm very excited about not loosing my hair, but sometimes I think it was easier not to have any!! I had a right mastectomy on Dec. 6th and recently went back to work. I'm thinking I should have waited a week, but I'll be ok.
I'm ready to get this started and celebrate May 2nd (last treatment).
Jill
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Harley, no not all polyps are cancerous. Some are benign. But the one that I had that was pre-cancer would have turned to cancer in a few years...good think I went. All I do is go to Dr's...it just doesn't end...ever since bc. But it is easy to prevent by going for colonoscopies. Yes, I was put to sleep..and it is quick procedure.
Melanie, my onc told me the same thing...even during rads I couldn't take anything like that.
Jill, just take it easy and rest when you need to. That is important.
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
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Candie, so great to hear another success story with the txt plan. I'm feeling pretty crappy right now, got the nose full. I worked today, picked up my scrips, they forgot the EMLA cream on the order so I have to go back tomorrow to pick that up. I'm now going to look through the med cab to see what I can take for this darn cold. I will be so bummed if I'm not able to start Thurs. I was glad to hear that it was not a problem when you had a cold during txt.
I'm planning on taking something the day or night before txt for nausea too. It seems pretty evident that you want to nip it before it starts!!!
Jill hope you don't wear yourself out at work. Be good to yourself!!!!
Thanks for being Candie, as well as our other CMF friends, Carol
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Carol, I too had the steroid and anti-nauseau put in my drip before the CMF, then I had a prescription for Compazzine if I needed it for home. I guess I was one of the lucky ones that did not get sick.....I have no clue why. My doctor I think made sure of it and kept telling me how well I was doing. Don't get worried about getting sick, there is enough on your plate just getting to the treatment. Again, everyone is different. I also ate snack crackers during the chemo and chewed on ice which I don't know if that helped or not.
I can't believe it has been 2 years for me already and I am doing well. I now sometimes forget I even had BC.......
Good luck to you all it CMF is very doable.
Rae
1.5 CM, ILC, Clear Margins, Stage 1, Lumpectomy, 6 Doses CMF, Tamoxifen (1 year) and now on Aromisin
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Hi Ladies--
I am late in joining this conversation. I started with my BC dx, mast, and TRAM reconstruction before I found this site, and also started the chemo before joining, hence, by the time I found this thread, it seemed that I was the only one still doing CMF!!
I started CMF in September, and am having my final number 6 treatment tomorrow!!! Yay!!
I wanted to share my experiences with Jill and Carol and all in case it would help anyone.
I had all treatments IV. When I got to the center, I first had just hydration, in which they did an injection of Decadron and Aloxi (for nausea) in that. Then when it was empty, they did a drip "bag" of Cytoxin. When that was finished, they did another bag of hydration and did a "push" of methotrexate and then a push of 5-FU, then I just finished the hydration bag and was ready to go.
My first tx was the worst because (1) I did not drink enough water before, during or after (2) I did not prepare properly for the either constipation or diarreah (sp?) and I ended up with the constipation from hell after the first treatment. I would also suggest having some fleet enemas and ducolax suppositories at home in case they are needed. And I would suggest starting colace and Senacot-S a couple days before and after treatments--
So, starting with the second tx and further txs, things were much better. I drank tons of water. During the treatments, I drank tons of green tea with ginger and peppermint--to the point where I probably peed three or more times during each treatment. I also started eating crackers or cheerios as soon as they started the Cytoxin, since that had made me so nauseus (sp?) the first time. I also started sucking on hard lemon ginger candies for the methotrexate push, since that was the one that gave me terrible "metal mouth" taste the first time.
The meds combo that totally took care of the nausea after treatments for me was Zofran and Phenagran. I had a horrible time with my insurance company in getting approval for more than six Zofrans for each 30 days (chemos were every 21 days), (The Zofran was like $40.00 plus per pill!!!!) but after speaking (READ SCREAMING, YELLING, THREATENING) with the people at the insurance company who make those decisions, I found that they will fax forms and affidavits to your doctor to sign regarding medical necessity--and then they approved 30 Zofrans each 21 days. Of course, I spent a lot of time on the phone with them (I hate insurance companies) and let them know in no uncertain terms that I would be checking into the ER if I should develop vomitting and dehydration, and that would cost them a whole lot more than the price of the Zofran. To say nothing about possible legal action I intended to bring against them for intentional infliction of emotional distress and practicing medicine without a license (like we really need this extra krappe with everything we are going through!!)
My biggest triggers for nausea after txs were smells.
Indeed, do not take any supplements without the approval of your onc--especially folic acid, since the interaction between the cancer cells and folic acid is disrupted by chemo, and if you are taking more than 200 mcg of folic acid a day (most multi's have 800 mcgs) you would be interferring with your chemo action on your cells.
Like others have said, it is not a walk in the park, but it is do-able!!
Best of luck to you ladies starting out--YOU WILL DO FINE!!
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Hi
Carol and Jill, I had steroids and anit-nausea drugs in the IV also. Plus I started the compazine beforehand...after the 2nd tx cause I didn't know to that. someone here told me. They gave me a cherry ice pop
to eat while I got the push cause they said it prevented mouth sores...I never had a one. I also used Bioxin toothpaste and mouthwash. Just don't forget to drink alot and pee alot. Rae, congrats on 2 years!! wahoo!!!
Oh yes, I forgot about the colace. After a horrible time
with constipation in the beginning, I took colace every day while on the chemo. Never wanted to go thru that again. They also had me taking pepcid ac every day to prevent esophagas damage from the cytoxan pills. I was just a walking drug store..lol. I still take alot, now that I think of it. I was healthy before bc..what the h**l happened!!You will be ok...you will see...we are all here for you anytime.
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
oh, take that "look good,feel good" workshop that the amer. cancer society has. It is cool...and u get lots of nice makeup to take home, too. a cool benefit and it is free.
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Oh--I have a box of zofran that is still good yet. Only has 4 pills in the box, but if you want it just pm me your snail mail address and I will gladly mail it to you. I hate to waste anything and it would be my pleasure to save you a couple of dollars.
Candie
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My oh my, the amount of support you can get here is unbelievable. I spend alot of time posting with the January 2008 chemo gals but none of them are doing CMF. You gals here are so valuable to me.
Planning on taking a Compazine the morning of, I have stool softeners left from past two surgs., I guess I might as well take one of those too. I also have a scrip for Zofran if the Comp. doesn't do the trick.
Candie I appreciate the offer for your pills, I'm very fortunate to have two insurances paying for my drugs. I'm sure someone else could benefit from your offer. Just shows the kindness we see here!!!
I called the onc today, dealing with the head cold, they said as long as my "nasal discharge" is clear, no temp, I should be okay for chemo Thurs. I'm staying home from work tomorrow to take it easy, I really want to get started.
Jane, I appreciate you taking the time to tell your story, as far as supplements, I've never taken any before this journey started, (always considered myself quite healthy), so I'll choose to eat sensible (hoping I have an appetite), and drink plenty of water, and bag any other supplements.
So glad that this thread is here for us newbies!!!
Carol
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Jane...welcome to the CMF thread. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. I'm sure it helped the new gals and that's what this is all about....helping others. Please come back often.
Carol, good luck on Thursday if I don't get back on tomorrow. I will be thinking about you. You are prepared and ready to go. Just be sure to ask for the ice chips and you will do just fine.
Congrats Rae on the two years! That's really wonderful!
Well I need to get moving here! Hope everyone is doing well today. Catch you later.
Rita
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Carol, I do take supplements, and took them throughout the CMF chemo, but they were all prescribed by the onc (he is an integrative onc,and got a phd in nutrition before going to medical school, and believes that diet and nutrition and supplements are very important during chemo--but have to be actually be treated as "drugs" and not just taken in a casual manner. Some are helpful, some are harmful to the workings of chemo.)
He had me bring in all my supplements at our second appointment, and most of them were inappropriate, so I threw them all out and only took those that were prescribed by him.
I never had lowered blood counts or lost any hair at all, or got mouth sores, and I do attribute that to diet and appropriate supplements.
Also, I found my crockpot to be my best friend and made many split pea, lentil and bean soups (without meat--could not stand the smell of meat, chicken or fish). The soups were agreeable and easy on the tummy and made sure I had enough protein, another important factor during chemo.
You will do just fine!!
Thanks for the welcome, Rita!
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Jane, thanks again for the ideas, my dh just asked yesterday what types of food I thought would be good to have in the house for snacking/dinners, etc. He actually is a great soup maker, I think we'll be pulling the ol' crock pot out too.
In regards to the supplements, any chance you have heard of Acai juice? I posted it on the Alternative thread, havn't actually talked to a doc about it.
Carol
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bump for newcomers
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Carol-I am not familiar with the Acai juice, but I will bring it up with the onc's nutritionist at my next appointment and see what she thinks.
Blueberries and pomagranates are also loaded with anti-oxidents and it is always best to eat the whole fruit rather than just the juice.
Also, another "best friend" of mine is my rice cooker. I found short grain brown rice very soothing and easy on the tummy, and it is good cooked with fat free chicken broth instead of water. The rice cooker also makes great steel cut oatmeal, and that too is easy on the tummy and loaded with soluable fiber and nutrition.
Off I go into the shower and to my last "date" with Mr. CMF!!
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Jane, congrats on your last day with CMF...aren't you excited!!! I was on my last day and you made it!!!!
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
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Congrats Jane! This is the last one! I was so excited to get it finished and then cried on my way out the chemo door. What a mixture of emotions after six months! Good for you gal! You've made it!
Rita
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Jane, Time to "hoop it up"!!! Congrats on this being your last day of of your CMF txt. I would think that Rita's comment of being emotional as she left the txt center would be so normal. I know that the next six month will go quickly, I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the months of Oct through Dec!
With all you special ladies here to guide Jill and I, we're as ready as ever, bring it on ... Carol
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Jane, WHOOPEE.........You made it. Congratulations on your last day. Celebrate...............
Carol and Jill, good luck, keep your chin up............
We are all here for you and before you know it, the chemo treatments will be over.
Rae
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good job.
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Jane, Congratulations on being done. Isn't it a great feeling!
Carol, I will be thinking of you tomorrow as you begin your journey. The first one is always the hardest just because of the anticipation of the unknown. I know you will get through it just fine. Before you know it everyone will be congratulating you for being done.
Cathy
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