All about Xeloda
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I’m so sorry Grannax2.
I remember the day I was told Xeloda was not workibgvfir me. It sent me in s spin for a bit.
I was put on taxol in October and that took care of my liver lymph node tumors. May the next treatment do the same for you.
Hugs
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Oh, Grannax...what a disappointment! I was so very glad to have you here on this string and this treatment with me. I know that your doctor will figure out the better treatment for you, and I hope that it treats you well. PLEASE let us know where you are on the site, what your new treatment is, and how you're doing.
xoxox
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I sure will. This is only fourth line. I haven't done any IV meds yet. How is Taxol? Do you have to take steroids for pre meds? She has plenty to choose from. 💞
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Grannax,,, For me, Taxol worked great. After just nine infusions, (3mos) my small lung nodules dissipated. (radiologist term!) My 5.25 breast tumor shrink to 2.25 and my one lymph node shrank in half. However, it did nothing for my bone mets.
I've been on Taxol 6 mos now. . I only agreed to go on it because my breast cancer had started growing at a fast rate onto my skin. About the size of a half dollar. My onc scared me with words like -Ulceration- never healing- fumigating- so I agreed to IV chemo. Actually I'm glad I did because it stopped, than slowly killed all the skin tumors.
At the end of this month, I'll go off Taxol and get onto something non IV because we accomplished our goal with the skin cancer. I'm very happy to get off IV chemo but it's a bit spooky too.
The infusion part is easy. But yes they do use steroids. After they see how you respond to the Taxol they will half the Steriods. And the anti-nausea meds were great. I was never sick to my stomach.
I hope they find a fantastic next treatment for you Grannax
HUGS
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I'm so sorry, Grannax. Sending lots of loving support and strength.
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Grannax, this is a setback and I'm sure you are disappointed! However, you and your doctor will find the best thing to do next. I
I had taxol first, right after dx. had it once a week for 12 weeks. They gave me steroids, benadryl, and some kind of pepcid-type med before each infusion. I had a prescription for anti-nausea pills, which I took religiously the first few times, but fewer and fewer as time went by, because I didn't feel queasy.
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Back during my first three DX I took IV chemotherapy. I think I've had my lifetime mac of Adriamyacin. I've had Cytoxin,, 5 FU, Taxotere and Abraxane. I'm definitely heavily treated and also AI's are out for me since I have ESR1. I have numbers allergies and diabetes. Complicated.
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Grannax2- Sorry to hear of your results. Hoping that your team figures out the magic bullet for you quickly!
How many people that take Xeloda & have few hand/foot side effects are taking milk thistle? My MO put me on it once original chemo was done 6 1/2 years ago due to my cancer being in the liver & the biopsy showing some fatty liver. On my original chemo, I had really bad hand/foot syndrome, but on Xeloda it has been pretty mild. Another thread on bco got me looking at some milk thistle studies, and I saw that milk thistle is associated in capecitabine chemo with a lower rate of hand/foot syndrome. I had been taking only 200 mg once a day. Since reading that study and looking back at the amount I can take of milk thistle, I've upped it to twice a day, and haven't really had any of the mild side effects I'd been having. Just thought I'd mention it in case it could help someone else
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Hi there! I'm new to this thread and interested in Xeloda. I read a study called ADAPT where they combined Xeloda w celebrex and the Celebrex prevented the hand foot syndrome....the combo also put many into remission. I am concerned about bloating and weight gain as did effect and hair loss...anyone have these?
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Jojo, I haven't experienced either after 7 Xeloda.
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Jojo, that was supposed to say after 7 mo on Xeloda.
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Jojo, can you post the link about X and Celebrex. I've been on it for 4 years, no hair loss.
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Here's what the Mayo Clinic has posted online re milk thistle. I hadn't ever heard about it. My onc says that vitamin B6 has helped some with HNF syndrome but not all.
Overview
Milk thistle is a plant named for the white veins on its large prickly leaves.
One of the active ingredients in milk thistle is silymarin, which is extracted from the plant's seeds. Silymarin is a flavonoid believed to have antioxidant properties.
Milk thistle is sold as an oral capsule, tablet, powder and liquid extract. People mainly use the supplement to treat liver conditions.
Evidence
Research on milk thistle use for specific conditions shows:
- Diabetes. Milk thistle might lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes.
- Indigestion (dyspepsia). Milk thistle, in combination with other supplements, might improve the symptoms of indigestion.
- Liver disease. Research on the effects of milk thistle on liver disease, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis C, has shown mixed results.
Our take
Generally safe
Milk thistle appears to be safe when taken in appropriate doses and might play a role in treating certain liver conditions.
Safety and side effects
Taken in appropriate doses, oral use of milk thistle appears to be safe.
Milk thistle can cause:
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Itchiness
- Headache
If you have diabetes, use milk thistle with caution, since the supplement might lower blood sugar. There is also concern that milk thistle might have estrogenic effects. If you have breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids, consider avoiding milk thistle.
Milk thistle can cause an allergic reaction, including a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). An allergic reaction is more common in people who are allergic to other plants in the asteraceae family, such as ragweed, daisies, marigolds and chrysanthemums.
Interactions
Possible interactions include:
- Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates. Taking milk thistle might affect this enzyme and drugs it processes, such as diazepam (Valium), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and others.
- Diabetes medications. Milk thistle might lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes. Taking milk thistle with diabetes drugs might cause additive effects. Closely monitor your blood sugar levels.
- Metronidazole (Flagyl). Milk thistle might reduce the effectiveness of this antibiotic. Avoid using milk thistle and metronidazole together.
- Simeprevir (Olysio). Taking milk thistle with this hepatitis C medication might increase the concentrations of the drug in your blood plasma. Avoid using milk thistle and simeprevir together.
- Sirolimus (Rapamune). Taking milk thistle with this immunosuppressant might change the way your body processes the medication.
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Someone on the milk thistle thread posted an article that referenced the study relating to breast cancer & estrogenic effects. The rats were given incredibly large doses of milk thistle per day & showed some estrogenic effects. The amount given was a ton compared to the 200-600 mg recommended for a person to take. Memorial Sloan Kettering actually references a study where it inhibited activity in breast cancer cells - https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medi... I believe the abstract to that study is here - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17548789 I can't access the full article right now.
Of course anyone should check it out with their doctor, and I'm not trying to get anyone to try it. Just curious if others who don't have much hand/foot syndrome are by chance on it. My MO has had me on the milk thistle for over 6 years ( 3 1/2 of those NED) Since it became evident again it has stayed in only 2 places (a liver tumor & 2 lymph nodes nearby) though their size has waxed & waned based on treatments. She believes the benefit for me with my liver issues is much more significant than the might have estrogenic effects, but other MO's may have very different opinions. Again, just curious to see if that might be a common factor to some not having as much problem with hand/foot.
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Since I prefer food to supplements, I treat myself to a jar of artichoke hearts often, as artichokes are related to milk thistle. See the article on artichokes at foodforbreastcancer.com
Re Celebrex — It is a COX2 inhibitor and I read in a nursing journal that those are a possible treatment for hfs. If anyone needs the citation I will try to dig it up.
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nbnotes, I followed that first link through several articles and through the footnoted article on hand-foot syndrome. It appears that they are talking about using the topical gel form of milk thistle for treatment of HFS. Has anyone tried that? Did I misread that? Thanks so much for posting this study.
Shetland, I, too, would love to see that study on Celebrex.
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JoynerL - I did see the topical application mentioned somewhere, and I also saw it in regards to taking it but can't find exactly where now. Applying topically is very interesting, and I wonder if that would remove any possible estrogenic effect if an MO or patient was concerned about that? Not sure as I know some things still get in the system even through the skin. I haven't tried it personally.
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nb, here's the link to that article. It was a footnote on the primary article.
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Good luck Grannax!
My onc and specialty pharmacist are against taking any supplements as mentioned above. My onc only goes by what research is reported at the Amercian Cancer Institute.
I have always read that Milk Thistle can negate the effects of chemo.
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grannax, I am so sorry to hear about your scans.
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Thanks, Denny. I'm never sure!
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Joyner-I showed my onc an article from that site and he said to only go to the ACS site for the most accurate info.
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Thanks, Denny. I tend to default to not taking supplements, because I'm afraid there may be some sort of adverse impact on my situation. Your onc's advice makes perfectly good sense. I'll start looking there. The Mayo Clinic treats an enormous spectrum of diseases, so their focus would not be specifically on the complexity of our situation.
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Regarding Celebrex and hand-foot syndrome; it was this article that I read:
“Prevention and management of hand-foot syndromes" Oncology Nurse Advisor. July 15, 2010
Quotation and citations:
Cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors Retrospective studies have demonstrated that cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) may help to mediate the inflammatory process that occurs with HFS caused by chemotherapy agents. These studies demonstrated a decreased incidence of HFS in patients treated with capecitabine.2,3 ...
2. Lipworth AD, Robert C, Zhu AX. Hand-foot syndrome (hand-foot skin reaction, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia): focus on sorafenib and sunitinib. Oncology. 2009;77(5):257-271.
3. Scheithauer W, Blum J. Coming to grips with hand-foot syndrome. Insights from clinical trials evaluating capecitabine. Oncology (Williston Park). 2004;18(9):1161-1184.
This is the best article I have found on hfs. (I’m sorry I don’t know how to post a link using my current device.)
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This is somewhat related to the above discussion. I'm currently on Taxol chemo. I'd read that Celebrex is good to take with Taxol because it is COX 2. I showed my Nurse Prac. a medical paper on it. She did not want to write a script for Celebrex but said to take Claritan OTC because it's also is COX2. She said you have to take I with food for it to be beneficial.
I'm not as medical savy as the rest of you, so I don't know if this is helpful
S
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Xeloda long timers, what has been the typical time to response from Xeloda? I have been on it for about 3 months now. Tumor markers are at 40 down from 48. While my single liver met and some bone mets have resolved, there are still 2-3 bone mets still lurking. Weirdly one or two of the lurkers look slightly more active or have increased in size. My doctor seems pretty happy with the response in general but Im still a little worried. Has anyone had this response and still have Xeloda work for a long time?
Hugs,
Ann
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Xeloda for 4 years, I never see positive results. I get labs every 6 weeks and TM's go up every time. I'm in the 400's now. Bone mets show up in other areas, but no organ involvement, so I am happy with that.
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Thanks Goldie, Ive been following your Journey on Xeloda and it gives me so much hope!
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Ann.... Don't believe that GOLDIE will mind me sharing this.....In MY opinion a lot of GOldies success is her perfect diet. She and DH have a business growing/selling organic produce. She can walk out side and pick "live" veggies in her back yard. My Gosh, it doesn't get better than that.
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Thank you Ann, very sweet of you.
Snooky, you are funny, and no I don't mind you sharing. I don't know about a perfect diet! You have part of right. I do have a garden, which isn't doing too good this year, been too hot. We don't sell produce, our business is selling irrigation products for a garden. www. mrdrip . com.
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