Alimta - The Good, the bad, and the Ugly?

• By pattyp1
• Posted June 23, 2009 at 4:26 pm
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hey Kristi -
missed you, sister!!!! welcome back
hugs
Pat

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• By terryl
• Posted June 23, 2009 at 4:35 pm
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I have been on Alimta for 8 months. There are worse things. Had my last treatment on Thursday and here it is Tuesday and I almost feel normal again. I get a bit achey, a little queezy, constipated, hearing amplified, tired, muscle soreness. A lot of little complaints and no big ones. Have been NED since January.

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• By pw
• Posted June 23, 2009 at 10:41 pm
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Hi Kristy-My husband has been on alimta since October 2008. He had 3 treatments then a CT Scan in December. His scan showed stabilization with th etumor in his right lung but developed two new ones in his left. His Dr decided to keep him on it because he tolerated it very well. He is on O2 all the time and his only complaint from th edrug was constipation and fatigue (all others he was on were way to harsh for him). So, we went along with her decision although concerned only b/c those two new ones popped up. He just had his last scan early June and thank goodness, the two new ones were gone and the other one is still stable. We are so grateful we stuck with it. It is definitely the easier chemo for him and he handles it well. I hope your Mom does too!

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• By simplyklb
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 3:55 am
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Thanks for the info!

Patty,
It is good to be back!

My mom went thru four rounds of Carboplatin/Taxol/Avastin last summer. Her cancer grew 5 mm while on that treatment. Then she went thru two rounds of Cisplatin and etoposide and radiation last fall. Her tumor and affected nodes shrank. I am hoping that Alimta will at least get her to the point of being stable. I am hoping for less side effects for her sake. Her other rounds were difficult especially the ones last fall.

Kristi

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• By iahawk97
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 6:47 am
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Hi Kristi - I back too since our scan results in March. Mom has more node involvement and a new spot on the right lung - We start Carbo/Taxol tomorrow.
Keep us/me posted and how your mom does and I'll do the same. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers ..

Jessica

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• By staceym
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 9:03 am
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My husband tolerates Alimta pretty well - he gets fatigued, muscle soreness from day 2/3 thru Day 7.

Wishing the best for you Mom.

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• By claires
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 9:06 am
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Same side effects as above, but my cancer (so far) is under control. Alimta has bought time for me, time that has allowed me to see nice milestones (graduations and the like) that I never expected to see. Go for it.

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• By fschwendeman
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 10:11 am
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Hi Kristi,
I had 4 rounds of alimta & handled it pretty well. Had to have 3 rounds of blood transfusions as red cell count kept going down. My hair started to grow back in as soon as I went on it. Try & eat cereals that have a lot of iron in it and another other food thats high in iron. I also started taking senecot (mild laxative) the day before chemo and kept taking it until I was ok (usually 3 or 4 days). I didn't have any constipation.
Hope this helps
Faith

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• By Cognachai
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 10:33 am
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See my post today on the Starting Chemo Alimta/Carboplatine subject just before this one. I also have constipation the few days after chemo and, idiot that I am, always forget to take something beforehand. With a herbal laxative, it "passes" after a couple of days.

Interesting that Faith has red blood cell count problems while mine is the white cells being very slow to regenerate - lazy bone marrow. My Onc. said that he doesn't recommend these drugs to stimulate the production of WBCs.

Cognachai

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• By jr1
• Posted June 24, 2009 at 7:34 pm
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I might be starting Alimta as a second round treatment. Constipation always seems to be a problem with chemo treatments. I have spinal damage due to radiation treatment which has affected my bowels. A nurse told me to eat Activia yogurt; all I can say is really works. I am going to continue it if I go back in chemo again and hope it continues to work rather than rely on laxatives.
Janet

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• By simplyklb
• Posted June 25, 2009 at 11:35 pm
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Thanks all for the feedback!

I will let you know how our appt. next Wed. goes. We will definitely have s start day for chemo then.

Kristi

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