Finishing verzenio
I have just finished two years of abemaciclib, following on from surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. I was lucky that just as I finished radiotherapy, Verzinio was approved in the UK for stage 3 BC patients with high risk of recurrence. Given the pretty awful side effects as well as the timing, it means that there aren't many people in my position, who have finished 2 years' treatment.
I am still on letrazole, zoladex and zometa, but this sees the end of a pretty arduous chapter. I've been anaemic since I started chemotherapy 2.5 years ago and my white cell count is on the floor. I've also had the fatigue, thinning/disappearing hair, gastrointestinal issues and more recently, massive inflammation leading to a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and lots of steroids.
I am hoping I will start to feel better - I don't remember what it's like to have energy and enough breath to go up a set of stairs 🤣🤣. Is there anyone else who has been in a similar situation?
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I was on abemaciclib for 4 years due to metastatic disease however required 2 dosage reductions to be able to tolerate it. Was that an option for you? My anemia and low neutrophils became less of a problem when I had to stop because of progression (new tumors in my liver). So, I think your blood counts should start increasing and you will feel better!
Hopefully you have a rheumatologist treating your arthritis. Steroids can be life savers but must be used with caution. My initial round of high dose prednisone for hepatic inflammation led to premature cataract development for which I had surgery a year ago. 2nd blast last winter was therapy for pneumonitis. A hip rapidly deteriorated & was replaced in May.
For others reading this, I managed bowel urgency by taking 2 calcium polycarbophil tablets daily with lunch. Brand name is FiberCon. Ironically, it’s usually stocked in the laxative section. As a retired pharmacist, I knew it could help either diarhhea or constipation by a unique mechanism of action - absorbing excess fluid in the lower intestine to bulk up stool…
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Wow - 4 years is amazing - it sounds like you have had a tough time. How is the Enhertu going?
I'm not surprised you needed dose reductions though. I think it could have been an option, but I managed without it in the end. I had to pause it twice for a week each time, once when I caught Covid and once when my white cell count became non existent. Its still only at 1 now.
I do have a rheumatologist, but he wanted to wait to treat the RA until I had finished Verzinio, hence the steroids which I hate more than any other drug I have been on. Without them though I can't move very well and fall over a couple of times a week because I can't react fast enough.
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Hello to all you beautiful and strong souls.
My oncologist wants to put me on Verzenio, but the more I read about it, the more I'm resisting. Reading your comments I'm wondering, are all your ailments (RA, bowel urgency, etc.) side effects of the drug?
Thanks in advance for your kind replies.
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Hi faithfulkat
Not sure where you might be in your journey, but I was diagnosed in January 2022 with stage 3 bilateral breast cancer. One tumour was 12.5 cm, the other 2.5cm.
Because of the size of the main tumour and the fact that I had it both sides, I was at high risk of recurrence. Abemaciclib was approved for use in August 2022 in the UK, and so I was one of the first non metastatic patients to start on it.
The first couple of months were a bit difficult because of the stomach issues, but they settled down and I probably only had one or two instances of diarrhoea a week. Taking loperamide as soon as it happened made a massive difference and I managed the two years without too much difficulty. I have my own business and worked full time all the way through. Others I know of weren’t so lucky and had to stop.
I also had mild anaemia and my white cell count was very low at times, but in my mind, I have given myself the very best chance of reducing recurrence - studies suggest by over a third.
I am incredibly anxious about the cancer coming back - apparently unhealthily so, although I’m not sure how that works, but taking it made me feel better about the future.
You could try it and see whether you can tolerate it. If you can’t you can always come off it. Good luck whatever you decide.0 -
Thank you @melanier , wishing you the best in the rest of your journey towards good health ❤️
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I'm just coming up on two years of Verzenio (abemaciclib) and should find out soon if I'll be stopping it or continuing. I'm also on anastrozole (Arimidex), an AI, which most likely I'll be taking for a total of five to 10 years. I also get bi-annual infusions of Zometa (zoledronic acid). All this is for a post mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation IDC stage 3 with 4 involved lymph nodes. In terms of Verzenio, I used to have horrible abdominal cramps lasting one to two hours before finally experiencing diarrhea. Now after a regular bm in the morning I take .5 mg of Immodium (loperamide) preventively and that seems to keep the cramps and diarrhea in check. Because I'm at a high risk of recurrence (had two mastectomies, one for the IDC, and one for an earlier DCIS), the recurrence would most likely be in a bone or other distant site. So I've been motivated to stick with the Verzenio at 100 mg twice daily. My bloodwork has also shown abnormal values here and there, but not enough for my oncologist to stop the med or reduce it further. I guess I've been lucky not to have experienced (so far) any other significant side effects.
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Hi @marha207! Welcome, and thank you so much for sharing your story! Your ability to manage side effects and stay focused on your treatment plan is inspiring. We’re so glad you’re here, and hope this community continues to support you as you move forward.
Sincerely,
The Mods
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Hi I don't think many have managed to do the whole 2 years, so it's quite achievement. I wanted to keep taking it tbh just because I was terrified of recurrence, but now I've been off it for six months, I am really glad it's finished.
I had anaemia and my hair was quite thin and I was pretty fatigued all the time. I do feel a bit more like me now, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to take it. I had my last bisphosphonate infusion last week, so now I just have letrozole for another 7 years and zoladex for 2. Hope you manage the rest of the treatment xx1
