Fluorouracil scared

Hi Arora. I’m think both Gemmary and CrumpetsOrToast have had this and I’m sure they’ll be along shortly. You could also try typing Fluorouracil or 5FU in the search box at the top of the page? 
Take care

Karen x

ps have you thought about looking at some of the root sprays for your hair or there’s one with a little dab on sponge?

Hi Arora and welcome!

I've had fluorouracil, although on a different schedule and combined with other chemo drugs. Yes, my hair thinned a bit but it wasn't noticeable by other people, only I felt it. Eyebrows and eye lashes thinned out as well but with a good mascara again, it wasn't noticeable. I am 46 and started going grey at 40, coloured it for a while but really couldn't be bothered with roots so I stopped once I read that grey/white hair looked dignifying! Now I keep it short and white/grey, which helps. I am on a different chemo combo at the moment and I have lost a lot of hair and it is difficult with work - one client commented the other day about my really short hair, a nice comment but still awkward as I couldn't really say that it is due to treatment. 

I prefer to throw everything available to keep the cancer in check but then I was diagnosed with stage 3 and I now have lung metastases, so a different diagnosis.

Hope that helps,

Take care,

Cecile

Hi Arora.

I am indeed on 5FU. If you click on my username you can get my background.

I'm on a high dose due to prognosis, so please bear that in mind with the following.

I started to lose head hair quite noticably within 1st month. I decided to cut it all off as i didn't like having hair falling everywhere plus i wanted to take control back. I felt much better as soon as it was shaved off and not looked back.

For chemo regimes that have hairloss, you can get a synthetic wig on the NHS for free or pay an upgrade is you want something very special. My macmillan info + support contacted organised all the approvals for me.

As months have go on, i lost nearly all body hair with just a whisper of eyebrows and a negligible amount of eyelashes left. The latter has caused painful eyes that need daily treatment.

I only recently discovered an incredible charity called Cancer Hair Care that have heaps of info about positively dealing with hair and eyelash loss. They even can send you some stick on lashes to see if they help.

Please feel free to ask any questions or if you feel too personal, you can direct message via the "friend" option against our usenames

I have been on 5FU alongside an immunotherapy drug for the last 2 years (stage 4) and still have a full head of hair! Please don’t worry, you may notice a bit of thinning in the beginning but nothing that should cause a noticeable difference. There are some really good hair care products out there now to help with hair loss/thinning if you are worried. Hope this helps xx

Hi, Arora , Karen is correct and your situation mirrors mine , click my name for more info.

My hair neither fell out nor noticeably thinned, but there is quite a lot of it! I do keep mine short but no significant loss at all. Nothing on eyelashes or eyebrows either. So I think you will be ok. Happy to answer any other questions you may have, as this exact regime is not that common I don't think.  Take care

Thank you for your support, I must sound vain but it's just the face you wear for the world to see and it's confidence xxx

Thank you so much for replying, it's a low dose he said, I know I must sound vain but I feel very low in confidence at moment and I just worry on facing people,

What was your dosage like? I was first told I had stage 1 rectal cancer but then after op I've now been told stage 2, no lymph nodes had it but in blood vessels outside of tumour, they took 30cm of my intestine away and attached back together so I'm lucky but just so scared of chemo and how I'll it can make you look, I must go to work, can't hide away like I feel like doing xxx

I actually have no idea of the actual dosage! It depends on bodyweight amongst other things, so yours will be tailored to you. I worked throughout with minor adjustments. Don't plan much on infusion day. As time goes on, don't plan much for the day after either. Work must make allowance for you. I work for myself, so could work round things. But I did a day at a high school, Fri. Infusion day was Wed. Around week 16 I swopped the Fri to a Mon so I felt more able to use the machine tools etc (DT /RM Technician). 

I found it nothing to be scared of as such, just a total inconvenient thing that must be done. It doesn't take long. Once you are in, and cannula in, the FA goes in first, then the 5FU, about half an hour. Oh, my left hand was the odds, the right the even weeks!!!

Hi I'm on 5fu now had lots of rounds and not lost any hair I cope with it really well just a few side effects 

I'm stage 4 with liver mets and two lymph nodes.

Good luck x