Kisqali/ribociclib, Faslodex/fluvestrant & Xgeva combo - Anyone?
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@amybear. make sure they get the meds/shots room temperature before they inject. It really helps minimize that stinging and pain when it’s administered. They need to go slowly when they administer it unfortunately because the medicine is so thick. And that’s the manufacturers recommendation so that the dosage goes exactly where it needs to go. The other thing you might want to consider is the heating pad after the fact and also movement. Move those glute muscles to work some of the soreness out- walk.
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@amybear Best of luck with this combo, it's working well for me. I also get a burn with Faslodex shots if they are cold and if I don't take antihistamine, so I usually ask whoever is with me to hold the syringe in the palm of their hands for a few minutes + take off the counter medication (claritin).
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You've received some great advice here.
We're just checking in to see how you're doing since you first joined, since we haven't seen much of you. Let us know how you're doing when you have time!
—The Mods
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Hi,This is my first post.In December 2024 i found out my original breast cancer from 2020 had returned, metastasised to my sternum & lungs.I started Kisqali in January 2025, halfway through cycle 2 I had to stop taking my tablet due to acute raised liver enzymes, I am currently 4 weeks off the tablet, my ALTs are starting to reduce at last although still very high at 750.. (normal range under 100), my oncologist expects it to take a few more weeks to reduce to normal range before I can go back on a treatment. I continue to get my Fulvestrant & Xgeva injections.
Has anyone been off their Kisqali before for a few months?1 -
Hello again, @norajane!
If you’re open to it, we'd like to invite you to join our virtual meetups for metastatic breast cancer. It’s a great way to connect with others undergoing similar treatments, and you may find support and insights from people who have experience with Kisqali. We’d love to have you join us whenever you're ready! And please, let us know if you have questions. We're here for you!
The Mods💝
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I have been on fulvestrant/xgeva since May, 2022 (Kisqali was delayed until August, 2022 to allow for SBRT of bone lesions in my skull and pelvis). I've acquired a few tips on the injections over the past three years. I lean over the recliner that's in the room and put the knee of the side being injected on the seat to remove as much tension as possible from the muscle being injected. Even though the fulvestrant is no longer refrigerated, I insist on having the tubes to warm up for 10 minutes or so (one in each armpit works well 😉). The Xgeva tube is small, so you can warm that up in your hand. Request plastic bags with ice cubes (not those shake and cool first aid packs) and put one behind you on each site for the car ride home for 20 minutes or so. One of the nurses explained to me that before you try to get the medicine to disperse, you want to minimize the muscle trauma from the needle. This has made a big difference for me.
I started Kisqali in August, 2022 and had to stop the 600 mg halfway through the cycle due to debilitating pain and diarrhea. Waited 10 days and started 400 mg. Still had SE's but less intense. These improved going forward and are now very manageable with occasional Immodium, Phazyme and Pepcid AC. I have intermittent bone and joint pain, but I'm in my 70s and have arthritis, so not sure of the cause of the pain. I take celebrex for arthritis and gabapentin for nerve pain.
I am thankful that I'm able to live a pretty normal life. I ride a stationery bike every morning for 45 minutes and walk outside when the weather permits. I help care for my grandchildren. I use resistance bands. Since my Stage IV diagnosis, I have been trying to check off bucket list items as fast as I can and have visited 15 countries and several National Parks. I try to focus on every success and each joyful moment, no matter how small, because I want to live as much as possible before I die.
None of us know which medicines will work for us and for how long. I am grateful to have had a good run with this combo, but I still know that the "other shoe will drop". My "scanxiety" is intense, and waiting for the results of my monthly bloodwork is always a "white-knuckler".
I wish everyone here success with this treatment and manageable SE's.
Healing thoughts and virtual hugs
Eleanora
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