Hi all,
my mum started her chemo today (carboplatin & paclitaxel) after a full debulking 8 weeks ago, she’s stage 3c high grade serous.
About an hour into treatment her kidneys decided they didn’t like it, she said she felt like they were going to explode. She was taken off chemo, had an antihistamine and a 30 minute break and then back on. She was able to last the rest of the treatment and is now back home.
the nurses told her this is quite normal for the first round as your body reacts to it, but I just wanted to ask if anyone else had experienced this and if it caused any issues for subsequent treatment? She is due to have 6 rounds in total and then 2 years on PARPs.
Thanks in advance for any help. X
Hi LH24
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"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Hi LH24
I am sorry to hear that Mum had a reaction to her first chemo. It must have been scary for her.
I had the same chemo for my endometrial cancer and I can remember being warned that sometimes reactions can occur and that this is often the first chemo as the body has not had the medicine before.
It sounds reassuring that after a break in treatment and medication, that Mum was able to resume the chemo infusion without further problem. I remember asking my CNS about what would happen if I reacted to the chemo and she said that often it can be about adding in extra medication to prevent another reaction (piriton, steroids etc) and sometimes it could be a case of altering the speed of the infusion or altering the doses.
Your Mum should have a review before her next chemo and also have her bloods checked again. This will give a good picture of how her body managed the treatment. My bloods picked up an issue with my kidneys on the first cycle but this was resolved by the second cycle- without treatment. I was told that this can happen as the body adjusts.
Mum should have a book to write her things in and I would suggest to write down how she is each day and if she has any side effects. This can help at her review and for example I was given a tapering dose of steroids from my second cycle that helped reduce certain side effects. There is often something they can do. Mum should also have a 24 hour number she can call with any questions or worries. I did this several times and they never minded.
Hopefully with adjustments/support Mum's next chemo will go to plan. I am sure she will be well monitored just in case anything crops up next time.
I wish your Mum well with her treatment.
Jane
