Thank you @cathie2 - that’s all really useful to know.
It’s so daunting starting a new chemo drug, it’s like starting all over again and the initial anxiety and worries come flooding back.
Thank you for the very kind offer of the cold gloves but I have three pairs already! My lovely husband knows how worried I am about neuropathy so he went a bit crazy on Amazon and ordered extra sets to make sure I stay cold!
So I’ve now finished EC. I was on a dose dense schedule of four, fortnightly cycles.
On infusion day, steroids and anti sickness tablets are given as the cold cap goes on half an hour before.
The main difference with EC is that a nurse physically sits with you and pushes the meds through (rather than on a drip).
It takes about 45mins. The cold cap then stays on for another 90 mins.
The Epirubicin is a bright, clear red colour drug, so be aware that your urine will turn a pink or red color for a few days after treatment, which is a normal and harmless side effect. My top tip is to drink as much water as you can in the first few days to flush it out of your system, as it can irritate the bladder.
I was sent home with 3 days of anti sickness tablets and steroids, plus seven Filgrastim injections for days 3-9.
The first couple of days I was wired and couldn’t sleep much due to the steroids, but then I crashed around day 3 and spent the next few days in bed with no energy. I didn’t feel ill as such, just completely exhausted and a bit lightheaded. I started to feel a bit more normal around day 8-9.
I did suffer with heartburn and indigestion quite a bit, but Gaviscon helped. I got it prescribed from the doctor as it costs a fortune otherwise.
Hair loss wise, I had the most shredding in between cycles 1 and 2 and it’s thinned quite a bit, particularly around the sides. But so far I have been quite lucky and the cold cap is definitely helping.
I hope you find EC ok. I think it has the reputation of being tougher than Paclitaxel, but in my experience it was ok and very manageable, but obviously everyone is different.