Hi everyone. I had my 1st fec treatment yesterday, felt absolutely fine until a couple of hours later when I felt dreadful! Severe nausea, sickness, feeling faint, no energy. I’m on domperidone for sickness and steroids to boost my energy for 3 days so hadn’t expected to feel so rubbish so quickly! What are everyone else’s experience and any tips? Xx
Hi Krinkle (great name!). I had my second FEC on Friday and I am just starting to feel back to normal now (wed evening) both times I had nausea & vomiting and absolutely no energy. The best thing I found is to eat little and often, whatever yiu fancy, I enjoyed smoothies, soup, toast and marmite, ginger biscuits. Ginger ale is good to drink and rest as much as you need. It does pass and then you soon forget! Good luck! Chris x
Hi ladies, just finished all my chemo last week. I didnt have the sickness but i believe you can ask for a better anti sickness tablet, the nurses are there to help, mine prescibed a few different tablets for me, dont put up with anything as you can get more help if you just ask x. I also had naps throughout the day when i needed them and ate little and often anything i fancied. I did also juice veg in a nutrabullet which seemed to help. Hope it settles down for you both xx
make sure you tell them at your appointment before the next treatment, there are many different anti sickness drugs I’ve just had mine changed from domperidone and ondansertron to something else which is sapping my energy but I have no nausea.
Thank you so much for your replies. I’ve taken your tips and feel so much better now I’m in my 2nd wk. xxxx
i start fec t on wed so will be prepared
I started FEC on Friday it’s now Sunday and boy I’m not doing good. Nausea and vomiting all day. I feel whacked out. I managed a bath earlier and now back in bed. I feel for you all this is just awful x
Hi,
I had my first Fec-T chemo on the 9th, like you felt ok after if a bit “weird”, then 5 hours later sickness came on and after 24hrs of trying to cope, I gave in, (during the 24hrs, I did call the chemo hot line, they said go to gp for stronger anti sick pills, despite the fact I was keeping NOTHING down grrrrrr, anyway, tried all that, and by the way I couldn’t get on my feet let alone to the docs!!) then called 999, got fast track thro a&e and onto a ward for IV drugs, phew! came home 36 hrs later and felt rubbish for about 6 days, This is day 9 for me now and I am at last feeling okish and when I have my pre assess before next chemo I will be coming home with the strongest pills/suppositries etc that I can lay my hands on haha!!! Also, I felt the last part of the Fec went in too quickly because I felt faint so it is possible to have that bit in IV over 30 mins. Anyway, I hope you are feeling bit better now, whens your next one? My next chemo is 30th so I am trying to make the best of every moment that I feel ok!! Keep the chin up xx
Hey!
I will start my first FEC next Tuesday, I am so scared and I still don’t know should I do it or not. I have heard a lot of bad things about it. Do you think it is really worth it to do? I asked long term side effect and they only said about fertility is it only or there are anything else which they didn’t tell us? How soon will loose hair? Can you work after the first one? I am living alone and I don’t know if I can managed it alone or do I need somebody to help? I have a lot of doubt and scared, so sorry if I was a little bit jumbled.
thank
Hi Dezdi Yes it is worth it of course you have to do it … Yes you get some side effects but it is all doable the main thing is fatague. You are not alone we will all support you … Please don’t worry you can do this … You are stronger than you think and braever than you feel … I had this quote on a card looked at it every day … Xxxxx
Dezdi there’s a thread somewhere about living alone which might be useful. Make sure you get your shopping done before Tuesday and make up some easy meals for the freezer as you may not have energy to cook but must eat healthily.
Hi Dezdi, good to hear that so far you’re OK. I found the first 3-4 days of fec to be the worst for nausea, then very tired but the 3rd week (leading up to the next dose) you should feel OK. I had weekly taxol after fec so can’t comment on taxotere.
I could capped and lost some hair around 12-18 days after first fec. No significant loss for me after that.
For nausea I got extra meds from onc, found that fizzy water, satsumas, fennel tea and pear drops helped!!
I was advised to use organic shampoo and conditioner with no colours, parabens or perfume. I got some from health shop, then moved onto herbal essence naked range.
Cancerhaircare.com has loads of tips for looking after your hair x
I finished fec-t 2 yrs ago this month.
my top tip for getting through it:-
Drink 2 litres of water the day before, the day of and the day after chemo - don’t chug it, just sips throughout the day. I discovered this tip before 2nd fec and felt soooo much better than after 1st dose.
Steroids - take at 8am and noon, I had no problems with them or sleeping.
Take all the meds they give you - if you wait till you feel sick it’s probably too late.
I was allergic to metoclopromide so this was changed to ondan something whch did nothing for me so ended up on Emend, granesetron and cyclazine - I still felt a bit weird or wired even lol
If you’re sick you must tell your team they’ve loads of meds in their arsenal to choose from so don’t suffer as there really is no need.
T
I felt much better on this regime but did suffer with awful pain days 5-8, paracetamol/ibuprofen/codeine combo didn’t touch it. I felt like I’d been beaten up with a baseball bat.
Onc gave me the ‘steroid tale’ for the remaining doses whch yes was more steroids but it worked like a miracle cure.
as for hair - I didn’t cold cap and my hair started to fall around day 17, I clippered it to a grade 3 before 2nd dose. My hair is now shoulder length.
good luck to you all x
I’m having my first fec one of six on 24th April absolutely terrier don’t know how it will affect me. Hoping to go back to work the week after fec but reading comments on this site don’t know if I will be well enough. Very worried x
Hi I have had all my fec t now I feel very lucky sailed through them although own getting a soar mouth on and off during the day .I have managed to continue my normal day to day routine and I do 3 cleaning jobs a week. Look after my disabled mother also. I try and get a nap for a hour during the day.which helps
I start my 4th fec not had this one before on the27th June not looking forward to that. Going to have my toe nails and nails painted dark colour. My worry is my mouth been very sore that is one of the side affects. On this 3rd chem fec t seem to be awake at 3 each morning since i had my chemo on rhe 6th june which is a pain. I go back to bed afrer a hour . I’m getting through this a lot better than I thought just getting tired now but I keep thinking in half way through. Then I have radiotherapy then tablets for 5yrs. Good look too everybody we can s this. And come out the other end smiling xxx
Lee Kim, I finished chem April 2015, had a treatment break for reconstruction surgery I may 2015 followed by radiotherapy through July. We went to Cornwall for a week 3 days after rads finished and menorca a week later. Onc and surgeon were happy with this but told no sea water or chlorine for two weeks after rads. They gave me antibiotics to take in case of any infection and I took a comprehensive first aid kit. All was fine.
I guess it depends when your treatment finishes, you will need to be careful for the first month until your immunity recovers.
Hi on my 4th chemo had it Tues he the t fec sales through it with the anti sickness tablet only side effects was sore month on and off. the 4th chemo no fec t came home made a roast dinner and went to work the next day. 2 more to go . Found chemo not too bad one of the lucky ones I guess. Lost my hair but a small price to pay it will grow back. Good luck too you all chin up and go for it. They is a light at the end of the tunnel xxxx
Newbie. Getting third lot of FEC next week, followed by 3 lots of T doxewhatsit. With MRI scans In between to monitor progress. The whole “journey” has been surreal and baffling, but I can hopefully offer some crumbs of positivity regarding the chemo sessions so far. The worst bit has probably been down to effects on the bowels. Any bloating/ strange pains in the belly area - get some Senna stuff into you. It works. Nobody tells you why you get constipation or diarrhoea, but both can be dealt with. Drink lots of water. Go out for walks. Don’t be tempted to linger in your bed. Just get out. Meanwhile, we are in the middle of a heatwave - all that stuff about taking your temperature all the time is not helpful. You will be feeling the heat. If the heat feels different from hot weather or menopausal stuff, consult your thermometer. But don’t sit with a thermometer stuck in you constantly - if you make sure you avoid random infections, just be sensible. The illness is new to us, but it need not take over our lives. I don’t want to become a victim to this bastard. We are almost encouraged to expect the process to be crap, but it need not be. We can do stuff to make us feel we are in some sense in charge. Onwards and upwards!