Hi everyone,
I’m due to start Gemcarbo on Wednesday. Just wondering if anyone has any tips? I’ve had EC and Taxol with avastin already. Dreading going back on chemo as I’ve just had a break of a couple of months so feeling a lot better than I have in a long time. Just wondering what to expect.
Ellie xxx
Hi Ellie, no experience of GemCarb, have heard it’s kinder than Taxol though. So hard to go back to chemo after a break isn’t it. Hope it’s a kind and effective chemo which allows you some good days in between to enjoy summer. X
Hi Ellie
I finished Gem Carbo in March. Although it has quite a big impact on your bloods, I felt really well throughout. After my first cycle I did have a spell in hospital with neutropenic sepsis and was very tired but I had the rest of the cycles on a reduced dose so was less tired. There was only a couple of days when I didn’t get out for a walk so I managed to maintain quite a good level of fitness. When I had FEC-T I suffered with nausea and vomiting and felt ill the whole time. I said after that, if there was no hope of being cured I’d never do it again.
You have Carboplatin and Gemcitabine on day 1 and then Gemcitabine again on day 8 followed by 2 weeks off. It’s about 1 1/2 hours for Carbo and 1/2 hour for Gem. You can get some vein pain with the Gem but they can slow the infusion and add more saline to solve that (and not everyone has a problem with it) and if you have a PICC line it’s not a problem.
So, the main point I would make, from my point of view, is that it was VERY doable and I felt really well most of the time. I would have it again if needed.
Good luck with it. I hope it works well for you.
Flo
X
Hi,
I’ve just started my 8th and last cycle of gemcarbo. Found it easyish for the first 5 cycles - I found I had a good week and a half of not even feeling like I was on chemo and managed to go skiing, had a holiday to Barcelona and went camping (we really don’t normally have that many holidays though!!). After the first cycle I had to start having filgastrim as my white blood count plummeted. My iron level also dropped and bobbed around the 10 level but I haven’t needed a blood transfusion yet. The last two cycles have been harder and I am definitely getting very tired now. I think it’s because my blood platelets are struggling and my last cycle had to be delayed by a week (the massive bruise was a giveaway). However it has done it’s job. I found out I had secondaries at Christmas and my liver was a mess - no idea how many mets and they wanted to start me on chemo immediately. I now no longer have diffuse disease and the mets have shrunk by 80%. I’m hormone positive but also a BRCA2 carrier. Good Luck!
Susanx
Hi Ellie glad your new chemo is ok so far. Don’t envy you the steroids though I remember the being awake in the early hours wondering what to do! I’m off to see the onc this afternoon great way to spend a lovely sunny day. Let us know how you get on Vickyxx
Hi Ellie,
Sorry I’ve only just seen this thread…
I’m on gem/carbo - on day 15 of my second cycle…
I’m finding it ok, very tired the first time I had the gem/carb infusion, and my bloods took a real hammering and I missed the gem part of the infusion on day 8… The onc has given me the injections to boost my white cells and I have to take them from day 3 for 5 days… This really helped my bloods.
I had my second lot of gem/carb with no probs and I was not as tired as the first time, sickness meds worked fine and no nausea… Had the second infusion of just gem last Friday… The hospital didn’t give me any anti sickness they said very unusual to be sick - well lucky me, I’m unusual - very, very sick on the Saturday night… So if you can I’d ask for some strong anti sickness just in case…
I have also been very lighted headed from the gem/carbo infusion but it’s cleared now and I feel really good… Not due to have more chemo now until 10th, trying to enjoy every minute before I feel rough again… so far I’m finding this easier than the fec I had with my primary…
Ive also noticed there has been a marked improvement in my skin mets, so I’m praying that it’s working on the inside as much as it appears to be on the outside !!
Hoping you will be ok on this chemo and that it nukes the aliens…
C xx
Hi Stresshead,
We need to get our little skin mets thread up and running again!!
Gem/carb is taken over a cycle of 21 days… Day 1 is gem/carb together, day 8 is gem only… Rest for remainder of 21 days then start all over again…
I had my first gem/carb but missed day 8, as my bloods so low… Onc changed days I was having my injections (to boost bloods) to day 3, and I managed to have both day 1 and day 8 infusions this cycle…
After my first dose of the gem/carb my skin mets went really red and angry looking, I got the burning sensation and also loads of ‘pin prick’ feelings - no itching tho… This settled down and I think this was due to missing day 8… Second cycle and the pinpricks and burning returned… Again my skin mets ‘flared up’… However since I have had the day8 gem infusion I have noticed a real improvement in the mets… Some have disappeared and the main area is now more skin coloured with blotches and pimples… My skin mets also made my skin have a leather like feel in the thickness of them, this has also nearly disappeared, with only a slight patch left… I would say I’ve had an improvement of around 75%…
I also have mets in my axillia (sp - underarm!!!) and after my second dose of gem carb my armpit felt very swollen and I couldn’t comfortably put my arm by my side… This has now disappeared, and tho I can still feel the lymph nodes they don’t seem to be as large… In the last week I have also noticed that my skin appears to be peeling, like sun burn but not as deep where my skin mets are, not sure if this is connected…
If your nurse is saying that your chemo takes longer to work then you may be at the same reaction point as I was after 2 infusion of gem/carb when I had the ‘flare up’ with my mets with the burning/redness/pinpricks? Just before I had the marked improvement…
How many infusions have you had?? Did you take any photos you can compare with?
If I remember right there is a lady on here with skin mets that is on the same chemo as you, she maybe able to help as to how long the chemo took to work for her… Chemos do have different ways of working…
You are obviously really concerned about this, I would ask to see your oncologist… Get them to check, if only to put your mind at rest (it’s what they are there for)… And if worst confirmed and its not working you can start a new treatment without any further delay and poss spread…
Hope this has helped?
C xx
Hi Ej - the one anti-sickness that works for me is Cyclizine. All others have been ineffective. I now get them in tablet form and, when having chemo, take one tablet 3 times a day for about 7 days after a dose. One type of antisickness I had an unpleasant reaction to and it was that that caused the sickness. I hope you can get it under control from now on. Best of luck with the treatment.
Flo
X
Bump for springsummer
Hi Rachel…
I’ve just finished gem/carbo and no I didn’t lose my hair… It not a usual se, I do however know of one lady that did… I found it quite an easy chemo (nothing like fec-t) just very hard on your bloods and fatigue… No sickness…
I’m starting a new chemo and one of my worries is losing my hair so it’s not a stupid question, think it’s one us ladies always worry about…
All the best with your results and chemo
Any questions keep on posting…,
Wolfie xx
Hi Rachel - as Woflie says, it isn’t usual to lose your hair with Gem Carbo, it might just thin a bit, but I’m that odd one who did. Ironically, it was just the first dose that did it and then it started growing back as soon as it had fallen out! I’m also one of the minority to have a big intolerance to Capecitabine, which most people seem to find really easy but I had to stop taking it before even finishing the first cycle. So I think unless you’re a bit unusual, like me, you should be fine.
In terms of the Gem Carbo as a treatment, I found it great. Although it had a big impact on my bloods I felt really well throughout and could excercise and basically enjoy life the majority of the time, with off days few and far between. I had FEC-T first time around and said at the time I would never do it again as I felt so bad throughout and it took a long time to recover afterwards. Also, the G C got me to NED status for quite a few months, which was wonderful.
Best of luck. I’m sure you’ll be fine with it and no, it’s not a stupid question about whether you might lose your hair. I do understand how much better you feel with your own, nice head of hair. I’m still longing to get mine back to shoulder length.
X
Hi all iam due to start GemCarbo due to lung mets recurring. This will be my third chemo have had FEC in 2008 and Taxol in 2012. Any tips or advice , has it affected your hair , don’t really want to lose it again! Will need a hickman line in as veins are not good. Xx
Did you loose your period at all?
Did you lose your period?