Yesterday I started my second cycle of Folfox Chemotherapy (Oxaliplatin and 5FU) and I also had two units of blood transfused to boost my very low blood count. Today I feel wonderful. I have had no nausea (as yet) and although tired, have much more energy than last week (must be the new blood). The only side effect I seem to be feeling apart from tiredness is a sensitivity to cold drinks and a slight tingling in my fingertips.
I was extremely nervous about having my first chemo cycle but I think it went rather well. I did have 2 days of nausea, sore gums and a tiredness which seemed to hit me every afternoon. Food and drink also tasted awful for a few days which made me reluctant to eat.
From reading the posts on this site, Oxaliplatin seems to be the drug that everyone hates. The Oncology nurses tell me that everyone experiences the drug's side effects differently. Some people sail through it while others have to stop the Oxaliplatin before the 12 cycles are up.
What are people's experience of this drug? Does its side effects creep up gradually or does it hit you all at once.
Cheers
Stacey
FormerMember
Thank you for saying well done but Iwas a bit of a baby. I hate needles so much, I hate it all actually. Today i feel a bit sick and I woke up at 2 o clock like last time.I also had the tingling hand s thing when I got something out of the fridge but that's gone off now. Not bad at all !!
My husband had six cycles of oxaliplatin and capecitabine tablets last year. He was very sick on his second cycle but the oncologist changed his sick medication and it made all the difference, and he was fine, but very tired for the rest of the cycles. He had to eat with plastic picnic knifes and forks, and could not go to the fridge or freezer for a few days after the treatment, but it was manageable. He does still have some damage to his nerve endings in his feet and hands, but that is slowly correcting. From what I read of oxaliplatin it is best to stick with it if you can.
My husband also as had six cycles of chemo, and takes no end of pills for two weeks then 1 week off, has another scan on the 9th march, to see if he can have 3 months off the chemo, but im worryed that something will happen if not checked enough, is last scan was the end of January and was 25% better then is first one, we are now hopeing on a mircle that there is more improvement, he suffers with feet & hands tingleing also, when he mentioned it at chemo they gave him more fliud and cut the dose down by 20% seems to have worked, he said they feel better then other times on chemo, by the way he has bowl, liver & lung cancer, our GP was treating him for piles for 18 months, before sending him for tests,. am i angery you bet i am, he is 62 where is the retirement gone that we saved for, sorry feeling a bit down at moment, any way he his going back to work on monday, after having 3 months off, perhaps things will start to look up then.
I am sorry to hear about your husband, you are right to be angry at the non diagnosis. I am angry too as I went to the docs as soon as I had symptoms only to learn that I not only had bowel cancer but it was also in my liver and lung. I too am about to retire.Has he had any surgery?
I had chemo 3 yesterday and it was a disaster for me, I panicked and ran away, was talked back from the car park and cried for the whole 3 hours. They can never find a vein and tried 4 times in the same one,very painful! I have worked throughout chemo.
Geraldine why do you say to stick with the oxali? Is it good?, They did not make me another appointment for chemo 4 as they think I am finding it too difficult, I was supposed to have 4 before scan and surgery. If I can't do chemo how willI do surgery?
