Unfortunately things are going downhill

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  • Mominator
    Mominator Member Posts: 1,173
    edited June 2017

    Oh noooooooooooooooooooo!

    Hoping your MO can tweak the pre-meds to prevent the reaction.

    Sending lots of prayers.

  • Wiegp22
    Wiegp22 Member Posts: 167
    edited June 2017

    Good luck to you💕💕

    Paula.

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017

    Linda, they do give me those premeds. Then when I reacted, they gave me maximum dose of Benadryl, and antihistamine. I ended up staying 2 hours after that until the redness and itching was gone. I do hope y'all are right and he will at least try again. I'm feeling pretty depressed over the whole thing. This will be the 3rd chemo I'm allergic to. I'm starting to feel like its just not meant to be. Keep me lifted up in prayer ladies. Hopefully MO will call tomorrow so we can discuss it

  • Lita57
    Lita57 Member Posts: 2,338
    edited June 2017

    Well, that explains why I've been getting itchy all over with the Xeloda here lately.

    These chemo drugs have cumulative effects as the toxicity continues to build up. A person can become sensitized to a drug regimen at any time. 😜 We just have to be prepared for it.

    Hope they can adjust the timing of the infusion to minimize the reaction, Kandy.


  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 2,701
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, in addition to slowing the meds, I'm wondering if what happened to you would allow you to switch to Abraxane, assuming you haven't already had it. I know it's close to Taxotere, so I believe can be substituted for Taxol as well (?), but it doesn't have the solvent the others do, which is what patients are usually allergic to -- not the drug itself. I haven't read the BCO article I'll link here, but it may shed some light and give you another option. I'm under the impression Abraxane isn't RX'd more often b'cuz it's 3x more expensive. Insurance companies sometimes hold back approving it due to cost until something like what happened to you happens.

    http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/abraxane...

    So sorry about the scary reaction. Hugs. Deanna

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017

    Deanna, we started with Abraxane. That scan showed mixed results. Some lesions were smaller, some bigger, and some new lesions. Then he added carbo every other treatment. That scan showed improvement but tumor markers were still rising. So then he added carbo to every treatment. Which is where I am now. I still am taking Abraxane. That is why they heavily premeditate, since I was allergic to taxol and taxotere. Unfortunately it wasn't having any effect on some of the lesions. Thank you for suggesting it though. So far I haven't had any trouble with it. Wishing you the best.

  • cure-ious
    cure-ious Member Posts: 2,897
    edited June 2017

    Hi Kandy,

    I don't know about Taxol allergy, but would Abraxane be better in this case? And I understand there are trials combining Abraxane with Keytruda, have you considered that? As cancer cells grow resistant to treatments, they acquired more mutations, which could render the cancer more likely to respond to immunotherapy. It seems worth investigating, because whereas we expect the cancer should respond to a general cell inhibitor like Taxols, you might get an even stronger or more durable response with immunotherapy included (and hopefully with fewer side effects with Abraxane!!) Wishing you the best and following closely..

  • heidihill
    heidihill Member Posts: 1,858
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, sorry about the reaction. I also had an allergic reaction to Taxotere but continued to have it along with antihistamine and Benadryl. Eventually my rash went away but it took a while. Maybe you could ask about taking the antihistamine a few days before the infusion so it can build up in your body. Antihistamines can also supposedly help stop tumor growth so a win-win, except for the fatigue.

  • zarovka
    zarovka Member Posts: 2,959
    edited June 2017

    Kandy - no experience with this. Just praying for you to get to a good place with your treatment very quickly.

    >Z<

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017

    Z, thanks. Why can't I catch a break.

  • AnimalCrackers
    AnimalCrackers Member Posts: 542
    edited June 2017

    Yikes! That must have been quite the scare! Keeping you in my thoughts and expecting your team will come up with a good solution! ((Hugs))

  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 617
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, so glad you were still at the infusion center when you found that the reaction had started. Sounds like the nurses acted quickly and efficiently

  • artistatheart
    artistatheart Member Posts: 1,437
    edited June 2017

    I hope Linda is spot on and they can tweak a few things to keep you on this combo. I'm so sorry for your disappointment and scary day Kandy. Your in my thoughts and praying for good news soon.

  • rpoole1962
    rpoole1962 Member Posts: 386
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, how scary! I am very much in the same boat as you!! I can't catch a break! I just finished 6 weeks on Afinitor that did nothing but cause liver enzymes to rise and TM's went up 50 points and I may have a light case of interstitial pneumonia or pneumonitis. I am on 2 antibiotics and a 2 week course of prednisone. My scan showed liver tumors grew and now have higher SUV's, so good riddance to Afinitor. I have failed 4 treatments since last November when I got 8 months out of Faslodex/Ibrance. I am now on weekly Carboplatinum. I was going to ask you your side effects on the Carbo, but I guess since you also receive Abraxane that would be hard to distinguish.

    I will keep you in my prayers and hopefully we both catch a break soon!!!

  • Lita57
    Lita57 Member Posts: 2,338
    edited June 2017

    We are all going thru trials by fire, but we have to keep fightijg and smiling, no matter how effing hard it is. We are blazing the trail for others.

    image

    My back with its mets is killing me now. The stupid toilet here in the hotel room was made for kindergarteners. We went to management and complained. I have to position my walker to lower my self and hang on to the handles to get back up again. And to think, the majority of people who stay here are over 40. Ridiculous.

  • Mominator
    Mominator Member Posts: 1,173
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, hoping your team has a new plan for you.

    I got a beautiful image from a typo: you wrote "That is why they heavily premeditate" (instead of medicate) and now I am picturing your team putting you in a quiet room with rugs on the floor, candles and incense burning, quiet music playing, and people chanting.

    Rpool: you have not failed 4 treatments, rather, 4 treatments have failed you. Wishing you the best on Carbo.

    Lita: Looks like you saved us some room on your cozy bench by the roaring fire.

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017

    Rpool, I was originally on Abraxane, then they added the carbo. I really didn't feel any different when it was added. I have extreme fatigue, but I had that before carbo was added, maybe a little worse. I literally can fall asleep sitting up if I'm not doing something. I actually think both have been very doable. The Carboplatin does make my hemoglobin drop, I already had to get a blood transfusion. You hang in there, hopefully carbo will be the right ticket. Wishing you the best v

    Mominator, Lol, I love your vision on premeditate. I wish that was really happening, so peaceful. My MO's nurse called me on Friday. She said that they are going to do a skin test tomorrow to make sure it is the carbo I reacted to and not the Abraxane. My MO said he was going to desensitize me to the carbo. Not sure what is involved with that but I will find out more tomorrow. He is definitely planning on me staying on the carbo for now. That seemed to relieve some of my stress. It has really worried me that it seems like my body doesn't like chemo. My youngest DD leaves for camp tomorrow, she will be gone for the week. My DH is taking me to the beach for some alone time. Woohoo, I'm very excited.

    Wishing you all the best, keeping you lifted up in prayer. Enjoy the moment.

  • rpoole1962
    rpoole1962 Member Posts: 386
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, Thanks for your response! Have a wonderful time at the beach!!!!!!

    Mominator, thanks for that clarification!!! The damn treatments have failed me!!! Still hoping for my magic bullet!!

    Robin

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017

    Hello ladies, just wanted to give you a quick update. I went Monday for chemo. MO said he was going to do a skin test for the carbo and then decide what to do. The skin test actually looked good. So he thought that maybe I was just mildly allergic to carbo. So he upped my premeds and added Prevacid. I actually did just fine. They will continue to do the skin test before each treatment to determine rather my body will accept it that day. He said he would probably at some point desensitize me to carbo. Not sure how they do that. I'm having a MRI done on Friday to see where we are at. Hopefully we can continue on this path. Especially since my tumor markers started dropping. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying every moment

  • artistatheart
    artistatheart Member Posts: 1,437
    edited June 2017

    YES Kandy, good news! I hope the carbo just keeps on working for a very long time. Time to enjoy some summer...

  • micmel
    micmel Member Posts: 10,057
    edited June 2017

    Kandy~ that's great. Keep on trucking! Sending hugs and prayers. ~M~

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Member Posts: 6,614
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, glad to hear you tolerated the chemo this time after some adjustments. Perhaps it is in continuing with the chemo, you will become more tolerant of it. Hugs to you.


  • LindaE54
    LindaE54 Member Posts: 1,379
    edited June 2017

    Ah yes Kandy this is good news all around!

  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 8,950
    edited June 2017


    Yea kandy. Sounds like dr found the answer. Yes. Praying this is the tx to kick those cancer cells to the curb. Much love

  • zarovka
    zarovka Member Posts: 2,959
    edited June 2017

    WOOOHOOO

  • bestbird
    bestbird Member Posts: 232
    edited June 2017

    Great news! Sweet relief.

  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 617
    edited June 2017

    Kandy, so happy that the road blocks are being removed so that you continue on with your treatments.

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2017
    • Just a quick update. MO called and said my MRI was stable. Thank goodness there wasn't progression. Please keep praying ladies, maybe at some point I will find improvement. wishing each of you the best. Enjoy the moment.
  • micmel
    micmel Member Posts: 10,057
    edited June 2017

    That's great Kandy! Prayers are coming your way! Hugs,and love that word stable, take a deep breath! ~M~

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Member Posts: 6,614
    edited June 2017

    a.w.e.s.o.m.e