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Hello my lovely ladies,
I am going to start down the chemo path again. This time a mild chemo that my Onc seems to think
has minimal side effects. Of course I will get the real scoop from you lovelies. Can any share your experience with this drug? I would be most grateful.
Cheers
I've been on Navelbine since January. I would call it a mild form of chemo as relates to the side effects of some other chemos as my side effects have been minimal. My hair has both thinned greatly and is as dry as straw no matter how many hot oil treatments I do, I have gotten a few mouth sores on occasion, and I get extremely tired a few days after receiving it.
And most importantly, it was working very well for me! Scans showed great reduction in both size and number of tumors in my spine. But one of the other side effects is that it also lowers the white blood cell counts dramatically, which has prevented me from getting it. When I started in January, the original schedule was 3 weeks on and 1 week off. After 2 treatments, my counts were SOOOO low that they had me stay close to home and I couldn't have the 3rd treatment. It took weeks for them to come back up.
That's been the problem to the max as of late and I've only gotten 1 in April, 1 in May and 1 in June. So I finally asked for Neupogen to bring them up faster and that has worked! (WHY wasn't it given in January? I'm LIVID!!) But now my cancer has progressed dramatically and my Oncologist thinks that this is no longer working for me and wants to put me on Xeloda. I disagree - I think that if I could've gotten it into me, it was working great. So her and I are "going to have a pow-wow" I think. Please ask for Neupogen early on if blood counts are a problem for you.
faithmena
you have been amazing on the carboplatin train!! you deserve a break. i have not had old navy bean (yet!!) but have heard from others its tolerable. hope it cuts you some slack and keeps on top of the cancer!
let us know
Rene
PS i did not know you had a 17 yr old. you look far too young my darling... :-)
I have been on navelbine since January without too many side effects. I am 3 weeks on & 1 week off. I am also on Herceptin every week. Like maxnan, I have had hair thinning and it is very dry. I am usually quite tired a few days after treatment but other than that, it's not too bad. I have never had any other chemo so can't really compare. I have had significant reduction in tumors, and my tumor markers are back to normal since starting this protocol. I hope it will work as well for you!!!
I had Navelbine and Herceptin every week for 5 months. No problems at all with decreasing WBCs. I did not have a port, so the Navelbine was very painful in my veins. My hair did get thin. Looking back, it wasn't all that bad. Good luck!
I have been on Navelbine and Avastin for about 6 months, I started out getting it every week but with my last scan he is trying it every other week. When I was doing it every week I did have problems with my White Blood Cnt but every other week I have not had an issue. I do have a port which he said he would not give it without one. I have tolerated it very well, I had already lost my hair from the taxotere so I am still mostly bald.
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