Anyone taking Xeloda?

[Candyys03]

I was on Xeloda before but only one tab a day and the side affects weren't too bad.This time I will be taking 3 tabs in the morning and 3 tabs in the evening Monday thru Friday no weekends.I am aware of ALL of the side affects but I want to know how others are dealing with it and any advice you might have for me.
Thanks,
Candy

[BrownBagger]

3,000 to 3,500 mg per day is a pretty typical dose, either alone or with Oxyliplatin or radiation, Candy. While some people have problems on those treatment regimes (I've done all three), many don't consider them to be a big deal, as chemo goes. I took a daily dose like that for about a month last summer leading up to my lung surgery and honestly didn't even notice it after the first couple of days. Longer-term, you tend to get issues with your hands and feet--cracking and even redness--but the only time I had foot cracking, it was minimal and easily treated. I concluded that with my earlier treatments, it was the oxi or the radiation that gave me the most problems--not the X.

So I'd pay attention to how your body reacts, but I wouldn't worry too much about side effects unless they start to appear. If they do, let you onc know what's going on and see what he/she says.

[Bill5107]

I'll second BB's comments here. I took Xeloda for 42 days (6 weeks) during my 30 days of radiation treatment.

I got nauseous on the 3rd dose, but my oncologist had me set up with a pair of antinausea meds that solved it completely for me. It did take a bit to learn to take them on a schedule, i.e. not wait to get nauseous.

Beyond that, cracking fingers was my issue as well. It wasn't bad, and lotion kept it from being a problem.

For me, I took 4 pills in the AM and then 3 in the PM, corresponding to a 3500mg/day dose, if you are curious.

Good luck.

[Bob_Weiss]

Although I took intravenous 5-FU prior to surgery, my post-surgery chemo was Xeloda alone. (It is often given with Oxalyplatin). My only serious side effect was hand/foot syndrome, which happens to be the most frequent side effect occuring with Xeloda. It started as minor and did not start to be troublesome until round 9 when my feet swelled slightly, creating a strange unbalancing sensation when I walked. After the chemo finished the symptoms disappeared in about 6 weeks; although the swelling lasted somewhat longer. Overall, it didn't cause significant quality of life problems. If I had also recived the Oxy, that would probably have made my problems worse.
NOTE: I was on the one week on/one off schedule, which usually means less bothersome symptoms compared with the more traditional TWO weeks on/one off schedule.

[tammylayne]

I am currently taking Xeloda. I recently had my dosage reduced, as my new oncologist said that I was at the extreme high end of the dosage, According to him, and his research, there is no benefit to being on the high end vs the mid to lower end. Therefore, due to my side effects, he decreased mine by about 20%.

The first 2 weeks I had extreme fatigue by about Day 9 or 10, to the point that I had to go back to bed each morning, and if I had a busy day, the next day I would be in bed or on the couch for sure! This has been greatly reduced in my last round. I start round 4 today, and hope it goes well.

Another side effect that I have, that the oncologist says is not one of the more common ones, but does happen, is extreme tearing and the feeling of glass or sand in my eyes. I look like I am constantly crying, and also have extreme blurred vision at times. He could offer no solution for this one. I also had some mouth sores last round. They were irritating, but not that bad. I do get the tingling and redness in my hands, although again with the reduction in dosage, it was better this past round.

Also, and this is just my opinion, while you did well on Xeloda suring radiation, please keep in mind that this dosage may be double what you were receiving back then, mine was, and that is why my reaction was different. I am not saying this will be your case, but don't be surprised if this time is different.

Nausea for me is bearable, I usually find it the worst about 1 hour after taking the pills, and lasting about an hour. Not great, but not that bad

My thoughs are to keep your team informed of every little thing, because they put it ALL together, and can tweak your dosage/regime. My doc wants to keep me on the 2 weeks on, 1 week off regime if possible, as this delivers more chemo than the 1 week on/week off regime. I am not sure why, but he did the calculation. If my symptoms continued to be overly bothersome, he said that would be an option.

Good luck to you...

Tammylayne

[missjv]

i took it for 7 days and was really very fatigued that could be since i have had no chemo in 3 years or it is just how it affected me. also i was very itchy. had my 7 days off and will start again on monday and see what happens this time.

missjv

[Nanette]

Bruce was on Xeloda while doing his radiation treatments in the middle of his Folfox treatment. He took four pills in the morning and three pills in the evening. He was on them Monday through Friday for five weeks. He tolerated the Xeloda better than the Folfox. I want to say the only side effect during the Xeloda/radiation I can remember was the fatigue. And I think that was from the radiation, not the Xeloda.

Good luck and hoping you have an easy time on it.
-Nanette

[missjv]

im a little affraid of the dosage for me 4 pills am and 4 pills pm im not really very big and im wondering if it is too much especially since i am recovering from rfa i know doc means well and wants me to do mop up chemo but i think it is too much.

missjv

[tammylayne]

Missjv;

The formula they use for dosage is based on your body mass. They times that by a number, and that determines the dosage. I was on 4000 mg, and my new oncologist reduced it to 3300. I am 190 pounds, so definately a bigger lady. If you are small, or tiny, and your dosage is higher than mine, you might want to ask your oncologist if it is possile to reduce the dosage and still be effective. I certainly feel better on the lowered dosage, and since my new oncologist is heavy into research, I trust his judgement.

Good luck...

Tammylayne

[missjv]

wow i check in at 155 and i am 5'7 i think i will see if they can lower my dose. thank you.

missjv

[juliej]

I'm one of the long-time Xeloda users here. I've been taking Xeloda for 12 cycles now (just started cycle #13) and have minimal side effects. No fatigue, no nausea, no eye issues, or mouth sores. I got hand/foot syndrome after a few cycles - no blisters, but red, sometimes hot, dry skin. I had great calluses on my feet from doing tai chi, hiking, etc. and they all peeled off, which was a bummer because the skin on the bottoms of my feet is more sensitive now. If you do get hand/foot syndrome, apply a strong lotion (Bag Balm, Udderly Smooth) every day. Also avoid tight-fitting shoes and be careful using your hands around rough materials.

I don't have hand/foot problems the whole cycle. It typically shows up the second week on Xeloda and then goes away a few days after the last pill. So I have a period of close to 2 weeks (first and third week) with no to minimal symptoms.

As far as dosage, I take 3 tabs in the morning and 3 tabs in the evening - as close to 12 hours apart as I can get. It's really important to take the pills within 30 minutes of a meal. I usually wait 15 minutes and take them with a large glass of water.

It's different for everyone, of course, but for me Xeloda is not a big deal. I wish you the best with your treatment -- and feel free to ask more questions if something comes up when you start the Xeloda!

Julie

[keepcalmcarryon]

When I've had xeloda my onc recommended taking "preemptive" action against hand-foot syndrome by sliming my hands and feet several times a day with something like uidderly sMooth cream. Also, gargling with a liTtle salt and baking soda in water helpsprevent mouth sores. I always take probiotics, too, I think they help prevent diarrhea

[Terry]

Candy I was on 3000 mg a day for about a year and a half with another chemo and alone. One of the biggest problems I had was gas pain in my chest, so have some GasX or beano just in case. It was alright at the beginning of the 2 week period but toward the last couple of days I would tire easily. I also had problems with constipation so have miralax or something in case you do. The other problem I had, but for me it took a long time to develop was the hand/foot syndrome. Find a really good lotion and start using it right away. My feet would also get really itchy, so the Eucerin Calming Cream really worked well, it took the itch away almost immediately. I had peeling on the feet and my thumbs peeled at which point I increased the times I used the lotion and it usually got back under control.

[Candyys03]

I just finished 3months of chemo- 5flu,erbitux and irinotecan and I also take warfarin.
I will be taking the xeloda pills by themselves,without any other chemo.
Already have- neuropathy which comes and goes,dry/cracked hands and feet(from the erbitux)
red rash/(like chicken pox and diaper rash in places-from the erbitux)
itchy/ flaky skin(from the erbitux)
blurred eyes(comes and goes)
nausea
fatigue
mouth sores
What I do not want to get is the diarrhea especially if it's anything like the horrific diarrhea from the irinotecan
I was also hoping to be able to drive.
The lotion I am using now is the aquaphour and the udderly smooth,and foot lotion on my feet.
Now I will be prepared for gas too.
I hope it's like the 5flu and it's manageable.
The side affects list I was given has everything on it,kind of scary, much more than listed in the sites below-
http://www.xeloda.com/index.aspx?q=Xelo ... =firefox-a (This site also can help some people with the cost-but not me I have an HMO and pay $45 copy for a 2 week supply )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeloda
I really appreciate all of your help.
Thank you all very much!
Candy

[kimmercans]

The only chemo I took was Xeloda. I have been off for a year. I took 3000mg /day during radiation and maintained with 2000/day. Keep in mind I swapped onc's after radiation and my new onc said 3000 was way too much for me. I am 5'8" and was 140 pounds then. I faired pretty well. Fatigue and mild hand foot syndrome. I continue to have hand and foot sensitivity....can't crumple a piece of paper because it hurts to much....can't walk barefoot on a rough surface....but nothing that is compromising my life. Just a reminder every now and then.
Best Wishes'