FLOT chemo - Second Cycle.

Hello Russ. I’m so sorry you feel very unwell. My husband didn’t have FLOT post op as the last cycle pre op had made him so ill and had little effect on the tumour. I do know however, that most people find the post op FLOT much worse. In fact many do not complete all four cycles or need a reduced dose. I’m sure there will be others who can share their experiences with you but in the meantime I hope you can find some relief from the side effects soon. 

G

Hi Russ, this won't help but i too was very sick feeling due to chemo. Wretching even at the thought of food. Not being sick but producing like a clear bile. I contacted my upper gi nurse who prescribed a different anti sickness pill.  Eventually went away but not till weeks after chemo was finished.  

Hope you get over it soon. 

That's been me exactly. Wasn't sick at all during the first 4 cycles but not been  able to stop retching for 3 days solid. Taste, smell, thought of food all set me off. Will get in touch with the nursing team and see I can get some different anti-sickness meds for round 2. Can't cope with going through that again. Still retching this morning but managed a bit ot toast today and feeling marginally better.

Hi Russ,

Before I even started my post-op FLOT, I knew that there was no way I would be able to cope with the 100% strength dose I had received pre-op. Although I had recovered within a matter of days from cycles 1 & 2. I found cycles 3 & 4 much harder. In the end, I did 3 post-op cycles at 70% strength. I was so glad to be done with them and, in some ways, I felt that this was when my recovery properly started. 

Hi Russ, 

Originally diagnosed with stage T4 Oesophageal cancer 8 years ago. Luckily after exploratory surgery it was found that my tumour was resting on my diaphragm and had not spread to my diaphragm, so staging reduced to T3 and I was offered the curative treatment of the new chemo (well new to the UK) FLOT. I found the pre-surgical chemo bad, but the post surgical chemo 4 cycles horrendous. I think my last cycle was reduced in strength by 25%? If you can tolerate it do; I'm living proof the treatment can work. I found mental strength (will to live) pulled my feeble body through this treatment. 

Thanks for this. Great to hear from people who have been through this and are still around years later to share their stories. I'm currently in the throws of my second post op FLOT which was Wednesday just gone. Thankfully this one hasn't been quite so bad. They reduced the dose by 10% and gave me some different anti sickness meds and this has defo helped. I still feel nauseous and absolutely rotten to the core but it's been way more manageable than it was a fortnight ago. Just 2 more sessions to go and i'm done 

FLOT really is the gift that keeps on giving isn't it, but not in a good way. A week after my husband's last pre-op dose in March we thought we were home and dry. No more chemo (for now), no more blood tests, PICC line out, hooray! Wrong... Instead of perking up as expected he developed a very high temperature, felt really unwell and had to be admitted and kept in overnight. Saline drip, IV antibiotics etc.

He had a scan the following week and it was a massive relief to find that the chemo had worked and shrunk the tumour. It made the stress of the previous two months worthwhile.

So hang in there Russ, you've made it half way. The end is in sight! All the best to you. x