All about Xeloda
Comments
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I think the pill dosage depends on your weight. So I'll put it out there: I'm 115 pounds and I take 2 500 mg pills in the morning and 3 500 mg pills in the night. So a total of 2500 per day. I know that's not a lot for some people but I was told the initial dosage is based on your weight. I do 14 days on and 7 days off.
Timothy, thanks for posting. I have all sorts of abdominal pain/bloating, etc and I'm not sure if it's constipation and the xeloda and the liver mets or all 3. I wonder if this drug is working but I don't get scans again until July once I complete 3 cycle I think?
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Babs, I think I will take that probiotic. Maybe it will help w my Gi symptoms.
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For those of you with dry eye issues, my Ocular Oncologist gave me a simple routine that helps a lot. He told me to close my eyes and wash my lids and eyelashes with baby shampoo every day. I know it helps because I tried stopping it for a few days and started getting gunky eyes. I still have watery eye but my Optometrist gave me some Refresh eye drops and that seems to help. As others have said, watery eyes are due to the oil-secreting glands in your lower lid getting clogged up or not working properly. Aging can cause this too. My husband and girlfriend have the same thing and they don't take Xeloda.
Hugs, Susan
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Ziz, glad you are feeling better.
Babs, excellent news the HFS meds are working!!! I need to ask about those as I just finished my week off and resumed X today, but my hands are still getting worse from my previous cycle. I have a small, deep hole again between my index finger and thumb that is about to convert into a blister. It hurts!!!
Susan, what is it in the baby shampoo routine that helps? Very interesting
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JFL- I went to a regular dermatologist first and what she recommended didn't help at all. Seeing a derm at a cancer center was a MUCH better idea! Try to get a prescription for both meds. I put the clebetasol on first, let it dry, and then put the salicylic acid cream over it.
Babs
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Babs, I am impressed there is a dermatologist at your cancer center! Mine has a lot of ancillary resources - social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists but no dermatologist. I am going to ask my onc about any dermatologists that have experience with chemo, HFS at the greater medical center campus. Not sure if he will know of one. If not, I will ask him if he will prescribe and tell him about your experience. At my appointment a few days ago, he asked to see my hands to assess the HFS and I told him they felt worse than they looked and his response was that they looked pretty bad!
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JFL I'm sorry your hands are so bad! I am so happy I went to MSKCC's dermatology department! There is really a huge difference in my HFS. I hope that everyone who is dealing with this asks their MO for these 2 prescriptions! Let me know how you make out!
Babs0 -
What's the idea behind doing a lower dose of xeloda in the morning and a higher dose at bedtime? I am guessing it is to lessen one of the side effects. Is there something I could take to my wife's oncologist to support that strategy?
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Timothy
I'm assuming it's because you''re asleep after the larger dosage so you don't feel the SE's then-you're not walking or using your hands for long at night
Babs.
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Makes sense Babs.
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All
Love. Xeloda
Scans are in. I'm NED. So happy. I'll live with the hfs with these results!!!!!
Babs
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Babs, that is so wonderful to hear. Congratulations!
I remember you posted that your dosage is 3000mg. Is that 3000mg 2x per day, or 1500 mg 2x per day?
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yay Babs
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Latest news on my wife Bev is that they have told her three days into her next xeloda cycle to stop. Neutrophils too low. 1.18. Funny, they allowed her to continue previously as long as her neutrophils were above 1.0. Good news is that her tumor markers dropped again, between the end of her 1st week off xeloda and the end of her second week off xeloda. Funny how it keeps dropping even though she was fully off for more than a week.
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Timothy. I take 3-500 Mtgs in the AMand 3-500 msg in the PM. For a daily total of 3000
Thanks for the cheers and always for everyone's support and guidance!!!!
Babs
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Babs,
That is fantastic! What a tremendous response! How will you celebrate?
*susan
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Susan. I'll celebrate when I get home from visiting my parents in Florida who don't know about my progression.
The best celebration is being with those I love!!!!
Bab
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What's the minimum neutrophil number that your Onc will allow you start a chemo cycle on? We were always told 1.0 in the past.
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To Babs: Congrats. Beautiful.
To Timothy: Xeloda seems to linger and build in the system. One can stop, and the effects continue. My sisters neutrophil is at 1.4 and slowly falling which is a concern. Will be checking with her Onc next week. Will let you know what is said.
Mark J.0 -
Babs--- Woo Hoo !!!!...needed some good news today....happy for you and you're giving many of us hope !!!! Finishing my first cycle of Xeloda today.
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Dr. Christina and I kept today's meeting ultra short. Markers are stable. I am finding the new 7/7 protocol far easier. [Today was an exception.] I am feeling fine, all things considering. No more appointments until mid-August.
Couldn't ask for much more.
*susan*
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Babs, I am so happy for you. It makes me almost excited to go get my scan in July. I am in Sarasota Florida right now visting a friend.
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Wow, Babs! Congrats on becoming NED!!!! Wonderful news. How often do you get scans? It seems like yesterday I was reading about your last positive scan . . . . time really flies. Definitely worth the HFS for NED!
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Babs that's such a good news, congratulations.
Have fun celebrating being NED.
Aziza
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Peanut& stilts Hoping you both get similar results from Xeloda!!!
Susan happy to hear your good news !!!
JFL I usually get scans every 3 mos but we pushed it out to 4 based upon the improved TMs. MO said we'll stay on the 4 mid schedule unless TMs increase!
Ziz thank you
Babs
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I've been having tons of pain right by my right ribs and the pain meds weren't helping much. I stopped taking my Xeloda since yesterday morning and I'm feeling a little better. I think it's the Xeloda. I have to get back on it, but if I have to deal with this level of pain, I won't do it. Maybe I need a dosage decrease? Pain is still there but more manageable. I was also constipated and I finally went today.
Babs- awesome!!!!
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Cristina. Speak to your MO about a reduction. When I get constipated I take a stool softener I always take a probiotic which my GI told me to do. I'm hoping things get easier for you with X. And thank you for the congrats!
Babs
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Cristina, I had a lot of pain there in the beginning and it was due to my liver mets dying. You have liver mets, right? Xeloda as chemo is more aggressive than hormone therapy on the cancer. Seems to kill things faster whereas hormone therapy slowly starves the cells to death. I still get intermittent pain there in front and back but it is manageable. I believe it is due to the Xeloda continuing to kill of my boatload of liver mets. Could that be a possibility? Just a thought. I hope you feel better and get the pain under control!
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I also have issues with constipation on Xeloda. I try to drink a lot of water, remain active, eat fiber-rich foods and take stool softener, which probably helps, but doesn't do as much as I would like. I always feel dehydrated on Xeloda even though I have upped my water intake from a normally high end of recommended range to above recommended daily amount. I hate the feeling of constipation. Are we in the minority? It sounds like more people have issues with diarrhea. Frankly, neither are much fun!
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JFL. Most of the time I take a stool softener but every once in a while I'm loosey goosey. There is no happy medium I'm sorry to say!!!!
Babs
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