Kisqali side effects and timing
I was diagnosed with stage four NBC earlier this year and just started a combination of anastrozole and Kisqali. I am three weeks on with one week off. I have experienced some persistent nausea, but most concerning is my serious fatigue. I’m wondering if this improves over the months as you continue with the Kisqali? I’m also wondering if the third week of the three week Kisqali is the hardest as far as side effects go.
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Hi @kidbooklover, and welcome to the community!
Certainly, nausea and fatigue are tough side effects to deal with. We're sure other members will chime in with their tips and shared experiences on kisqali and nausea too. Until then, we have helpful sections on managing nausea and managing cancer fatigue that might give you some tips to feel better. Hopefully, others here on the same meds can share their experiences with the third week.
Hope this helps. Keep us posted, and remember, we’re here to support you! 😊
The Mods
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Fatigue is pretty common for us with MBC no matter what the treatment. I did find that a dose reduction of Kisqali to 400 mg made a difference in my overall energy and well-being. Also, keep moving if you can. I find that when I'm really tired, if I can push myself into a walk outside, it really helps.
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Hi @kidbooklover , which dose are you on? I have been on Kisqali since October, on 400 mg. Given the sorry state of my liver, my MO decided not to try a full dose.
I have slight nausea from time to time and I find that having a light breakfast helps. For me, fatigue is more pronounced by the 3rd week of the cycle and I echo @tougholdcrow advice about moving. It does help me, even if I have to push and drag myself through the first half an hour.2 -
Hi @kidbooklover, I am currently on cycle 16 of 600mg of kisqali. I have been extremely lucky as I have had only minimal side effects. Nausea was never an issue for me. As @tougholdcrow suggests, keeping active seems to help deal with fatigue. Strangely, the times I felt fatigue were generally in the first 2 days of the off week of the cycle. Low grade neutropenia can sometimes be an issue for me. Last blood work was the worst - still above dose reduction point, though. Onc is happy for me to continue with the higher dose. In your pocket with support and sad that you have joined the MBC club that nobody wants to join.
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I have to start My 6th cycle of kisqali on January 5th.
At the same time my five sessions of radiotherapy will start next week or the week after (I haven't gotten insurance approval yet)
Kisqali usually needs to be paused 3-4 days before starting radiotherapy to avoid toxicity,
The problem now is that My oncologist will not be working on Sunday, and this will leave me very confused and do not know what to do.
Should I take the medicine on time, and when they tell me the exact time of the radiotherapy , I stopped (This means I may only take the medication for a few days),
Because the method of taking the medicine and doing radiotherapy is done in the following manner:
If I am taking kisqali for example on 5 jan 2025,I have to stop 3 or 4 days before the sessions, and Sessions are five every other day, that mean it will take up to 10 days. After all the sessions are over, I must also stop 3 to 4 days before going back to kisqali,
This means stopping taking the medication for 16 days.
Will the medication cycle be correct this way, i.e. starting for a few days, then stopping for 16 days, then starting again to complete the cycle?
Has anyone gone through the same thing?
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Hopefully you'll be able to start to radiotherapy midway in the off-week for Kisqali so you don't miss too many days overall. Many of us have had to take an extra week off from a CDK inhibitor at the end of a cycle because of neutropenia, and it's been fine. So I wouldn't be overly worried. Are you working with a scheduler at your medical facility? Make sure that person knows the situation so that you can be scheduled in the off-week if possible.
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@tougholdcrow
thank you for your reply,
This is exactly what I will do and what my husband advised me to do, I will start the 6th cycle of Cascali tomorrow, and try to postpone the radiotherapy until the week off the medication.
And that's exactly what I did when I had my previous five radiotherapy sessions.
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Thanks to all of your for your suggestions about fatigue. I guess I have to take action myself — no shortcuts. I do feel very fortunate to be able to take this medication and to extend my life. I am almost 69 - both my mother and my sister fell to cancer many decades earlier in their lives.
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As for my personal experience,
I faced some challenges when I began my first cycle of Kisqali. I developed a rash and redness on my face, particularly under my eyes, on my cheeks, around my nose, and on my chin. However, this issue was resolved after my oncologist recommended usingsunblock. In the second cycle,
I experienced the rash again, but this time it appeared on my chest and torso. Fortunately, it disappeared after five days of using an ointment containing cortisone.
Throughoutmy treatment, I have also experienced low platelet, neutrophil, and platelet counts.
Additionally, I havesuffered from severe stomach pain, to the point where I could not consume hot beverages and had to cool down my tea and coffee in order to be able to drink them without pain. However, with the use of PPI drugs, I have been able to manage the pain. In fact, I have relied on this medication for the past sixmonths of my treatment. My oncologist advised me to take the PPI half an hour after breakfast, followedby Kisqali an hour later.I have also noticed that Kisqali often causes me nausea, but I have found that closing my nose while taking the medication helps alleviate this side effect.
This method has beeneffective for me.I forgot to mention that I have been experiencing roughness and peeling on the tips of my fingers , as well as the appearance of longitudinal white lines on my nails. Additionally, I havebeen having a strange vision in my right eye, which appears as a crescent shape with jagged edges ,my oncologist said it’s one of the kisqali side effect
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Thanks to all of your for your supportive comments and helpful information. I will start to move more!!!
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@kidbooklover I am 67 (66 when this all began), so I too am grateful to have lived this long, and my heart goes out to younger women struggling with this. Still, I hope we have years ahead.
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