Hiya,
Am I the only one that does not seem to getting on well with Xeloda?
Im suffering with bad heartburn, jaw ache, headache and this morning when I woke up I felt like I was drunk. I was very dizzy and my eyes felt blurred.
I have tried reducing my dose (Onc will go mad when he finds out!) to see if I feel any better.
I only started the tablets last Tues (2500 mg), stopped taking them on Thursday for a few days and restarted again yesterday morn.
I was taking 5 tablets (2500mg), only took 4 (2000mg) last night and then 3 (1500mg) this morning and still feel quite crap.
Am I just not suited to them??
Has anyone else had problems with them?
If I am taken off them will other chemo’s still give me good results like what loads of ladies seem to have on Xeloda? (I have liver mets). Im scared to death as I feel like my life is over if I can’t take these tablets.
Im sorry for going on about the Xeloda AGAIN!! :o)
Julie X X
Hi Julie
sorry your having a tough time on zeloda maybe you should ring your onc dept I have just had a rough time on taxol and I am having a chem break. When did you last have a scan? If tumour mets are stable maybe he will let you have a rest.
Love Debsxxx
I can’t offer any advice but I wonder whether it’s a drug where you have some bad time before your body gets used to it? Perhaps if you give it a week or so the side effects will disappear? Just a thought - if you are really unhappy go back to your consultant.
Geraldine
Hiya Debs,
I was only diagnosed with liver mets 2 weeks ago. I have only really taken equivelant to 3 days of Xeloda in 6 days!
I saw my Onc on Thurs and he is the one who said to stop it for a couple of days until I felt better again then restart and see if a tolerate it any better. I was to start on my prescribed dose (2500mg) which I did yesterday morning but could feel about 4 hours later that the probs were starting again, so I took it upon myself to cut down the dose and see if I was ok on that. So last night I took 2000mg. I slept right through the night, woke up this morn and thought brilliant!..until I got out of bed. When I stood up I felt really dizzy and my eyes felt really weak and couldnt focus very well.
So, after my breakfast I took 1500mg…still feel a bit crappy but not as bad as I did with the other 2 doses.
I was gonna wait another day before contacting my Onc again and see how I fair on a lower dose.
I can’t believe that im not tolerating this chemo well that is supposed to be sooooo much easier than intravenous chemo’s?!
X X
Hi Julie - I dont have your probs i.e. liver mets but I was put on xeloda starting at 2000mg (this was 5 years ago). I did not tolerate it from day 1! and like you was told to give it a break for a few days and start again, which didnt work so I had the next round reduced by the onc to 1500mg and eventually stopped taking it half way through 3rd cycle. I too was surprised when I read that so many do tolerate it really well. The onc thinks it may have something to do with the fact that I had had one containing 5-FU (fluoruracil) on a previous chemo regime. I have reacted to all chemos i have had apart from MMM and had to have doses reduced.
dawnhc
Hi Julie
I started Xeloda at the same time and fingers crossed have been ok but I am on a lower dose, 1500mg twice a day, I don’t know why doses vary. Can you speak to the chemo nurses as they are usually in my experience very clued up. Hope things improve
Kathryn
Hi
not sure but I think the dose is worked out by your body weight hope they can sort it out for you.
Love Debsxxx
Hi
My understanding is that doses (as Debs says) are calculated according to your body weight and height (something to do with your surface area). THat’s why doses will vary between people even if they say they are on the full dose. However also frequently people are on reduced doses either because they have had a bad reaction or because (as in my case) the onc has started off on a low dose to see how it is tolerated and will then gradually increase it.
Really sorry to hear you are having problems, Julie, even though you have reduced the dose. Don’t know what alternatives there are but it does look as if you really are very “sensitive” to xeloda and it might not be for you even on the reduced dose (as it clearly wasn’t for Dawn). You must be very scared about what will happen if you continue on the xeloda (I’m waiting to hear whether it’s working for me and I know I’m scared too about what will happen next if it isn’t). Hopefully someone who has been on xeloda but who then had to come off it, will post and say what they went onto next. Or as Kathryn says, why don’t you speak to the nurses or onc and see whether there is an alternative that you could switch to?
Really hope things are sorted out for you
Kay x
Hi
I think if it is making you feel this ill, the onc should see you and examine you properly just to make sure there is nothing else going on.
I felt OK for the first few cycles except for the first 3 days of each cycle when I had nausea but that went away with domperidone. I got very tired by cycle 6. I’ve felt better on other chemos than xeloda so it’s not the easy option for some people so you’re not the only one.
Hope you feel better soon
Kate
Hi
I’m intolerant to Xoleda - I had an allergic reaction to it a few months back and ended up in hos for a week as i couldn’t stop vomiting, I tied once again and the same thing happened, its quite strange because I had 5 Fu with FEC which is what turns into xoleda and tolorated that, which is a much smaller dose…but after to reactions, they took me off of it - I was gutted as so many people had done/doingso well on it…I’m now on Vinolberin which is quite easy going, just lots of visits to the hospital (once a week). I also have liver mets. Since my reaction I have come accross lots of people its happened to…which made me feel better as my oncologyst made me feel like I was the only one in the word it had happend to.
hope you feel better soon
love Amber
Hi Julie
I started taking Xeloda in May 2006 at first I didn’t tolerant it at all but I was not well and hadn’t been eating properly for quite some time not realizing that I had liver mets. My Onc reduced my dosage to 1500mg twice a day and since then I have been fine, I have not experienced heartburn or any dizziness.
I do suffer from time to time sore feet and hands but on the whole my hands and feet are just very dry. I have been trying different creams from the hospital.
Talk to you Onc and I’m sure a reduced dosage will be arranged and maybe increase in time, my Onc decided not to do this as my mets are stable and the Xeloda is holding everything at the moment.
Do not worry we are all different and what suits one does not always suit another.
Beli x
I have felt very nauseous on xeloda and my anti nausea med is only just controlling it. I think i thought it would be a walk in the park. i underestimated it as a chemotherapy i think.
Hiya all,
Just an update.
I have been advised to stop taking the tablets. I have an appointment to see Onc on Tues to discuss either changing my treatment or staying on it on a reduced dose.
Here’s to the next week of feeling myself again!! :o)
Thank you all for replying to this post.
X X
Hi Julie
Do let us know how you get on on Tues. Will keep my fingers crossed that you both have a good week now feeling well and that he comes up with a really good new treatment plan.
K x