FOLFIRI & Diarrhoea

https://www.england.nhs.uk/mids-east/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/04/guidelines-for-management-of-diarrhoea-v2-3.pdf

Hi Wellspring 

Sorry to hear that . It was a more tricky one to manage for my mum but not from Flofiri but we did need some help from the NHS to balance out her electrolytes. They did admit her for a day or two and give her fluids etc and ran a few stool samples . 

I have linked in the NHS practice info for you to have a quick look at but obviously not to scare you with the extreme outcome . ( it’s guidelines for a clinician ) However you might like to see if they think you might need further investigation for antibiotics etc . 

Have you been on the codiene for long or used it before ? After a few days it completely slows down my mum’s bowel to a problematic level but did take a few days to creat that effect .

Bowel cancer U.K. has a nurse you can email also if that’s any assistance or our own helpline staff might be able to ensure all aspects are being covered .

Take care ,

Court 

Hi Wellspring!

How ironic! My husband is on Folfiri, 5FU etc etc so many names for them. He is currently in hospital for the same thing. This must be a common side effect of this treatment. He has a stoma and his bag had become `very overactive` and watery. He took a chest infection last week and had to be admitted to hospital and got sent home with antibiotics. This week he had his blood tests to make sure he was ok to continue with his next cycle of 5FU and the bloods showed up that he is dehydrated, and his kidneys were quite `dry`. So, this has now resulted in his chemo session being postponed for this week he was due to have it today until they get this sorted. He is doing ok they are giving him fluids and he is eating again which he wasn't for the last week or so. His bag activity has slowed down slightly as well but not completely they are happy that he is still having an ouput there but just his normal amount. His normal is between 1-3 bags per day and he had been producing up to 5 a day which they obviously class as too many. 

Vicky x

I’m sorry your husband is suffering. Do you have any advice that might help keep me out of hospital?

Thank you so much Court.

I have a face to face booked with the oncology team next week, and will take this document along. A&E ran blood & urine samples and declared me infection free. Temperature is normal. Started codeine on Christmas Day, and diarrhoea persisted certainly into yesterday - will have to see what today (31st December) brings. Am trying to keep the electrolytes up to spec with those drinks. Already on a low/soluble fibre diet due to LARS, so not much further to go. The BRAT diet is all very well but has a high GLA load - not so good with steroid-induced diabetes!! So let’s see what the big brains in Oncology have to say…

Hi Wellspring!  No sorry I wish I could help but I'm no doctor. I don't even know why he became dehydrated in the first place. He drinks loads of water every day, but his appetite had declined a lot which has come back again. This is what they are running tests on. He was suffering from dizziness and blurred vision which seems also to be symptoms of dehydration so hopefully they've got that sorted. It was his stoma activity though that they were really concerned about because he was producing so many bags with little food intake but hopefully that has been resolved in some way too. His kidneys had dried up slightly too he said they had told him, but they are getting back to normal again, I think. Just want him home now. 

Hi Wellspring 

Good news no infection has been detected . To be honest my mum is awful at staying hydrated . It definitely tipped the balance as she needed fluids through IV and knocked her electrolytes off . You on the other hand sound as though you have a grasp on these aspects .

Hoping it resolves for you soon .

Court