Magnesium/calcium

[salysue]

Has anyone had experiences with receiving a drip of magnesium/calcium before oxy, leucovorin and 5FU are administered? I have been reading that some people are getting positive results with neuopathy issues. My husband (IIIA, 2 nodes positive out of 29) has had one treatment and due for another next week. He asked his oncologist about magnesium/calcium and was told that only about 4% of patients see any postiive results but he was willing to write the order for the next treatment. I would appreciate any comments on this. I am new to this forum and I am so glad that I found all of you gracious people who are willing to share and offer support to each other. Thanks.

[justsing]

OK. This is a can of worms and here's my take on it.

They did some studies a while back to see if Ca/Mg infusions would help with neuropathy. There were several going at once, all looking at different aspects of it, and some including it as a sidebar to another study.

Midstream on all of the studies, one of the safety monitoring boards overseeing one of the studies came back showing that the Ca/Mg infusion patients were actually doing WORSE. This implied that the Ca/Mg was somehow interfering with the efficacy of the chemo. Five alarm fire. So ALL of the studies involving Ca/Mg infusions were suspended, or at least the Ca/Mg portion of them was suspended.

At the most recent ASCO conference in Chicago in June, there was some information presented in which some researchers went back and took a look at the data from these studies to try to see if they could extract some meaning from them even though they'd been stopped mid-stream.

The retro-analysis of the data would seem to indicate that the Ca/Mg infusion DOES help with neuropathy, and does NOT interfere with the chemo. So the door has been reopened for more studies to look into this option. At this point, it's really up to each individual oncologist as to how the data should be interpreted. Each has to trust his or her own clinical experience and take a look at the newly revised info and make a decision as to whether to use it.

I can't find the link to the ASCO abstract. I'll look later, but that's my understanding of where the issue stands right now. Bottom line: if your doc is up for it, then go for it.

[justsing]

Here is a topic from earlier which links to a video summary of the ASCO conference.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4160

[willtowin]

I receive it. The study showing it did not affect outcome came out right before I started and my doc. was all for it. I have had 3 tx, and still feel the pins/needles w/ cold, but no neuropothy without cold. I don't know if that is just me, or the time, or the mag/calcium. It adds about 30 minutes to the transfusion time for me.

[helen098]

I took the magnesium and calcium from my first treatment in Jul 6. My onc said it was a new study and if it didn’t prevent/slow down the neuropathy it wouldn’t hurt. I had the cold sensitivity from the first day of the first treatment, couldn’t drink/eat anything cold for the 6 months of chemo and 2 to 3 moths post. I didn’t start getting any pains till the 9th treatment and in my feet first. We cut the oxi in half for the 10th and completely stopped it for # 11 and 12. I still have a lot of pain, stiffness numbness in my feet and my hands are still bothersome especially in the AC.
I guess it helped since I was able to complete 9 ½ treatments. After the study came out saying maybe it lessened the effect of the chemo funny thing I learned about it here my onc never said anything till I asked him then a few months ago he gave me a copy of a press release saying they have reevaluated the date and now they think it was helpful.

[CureCRC]

It is important to understand the difference between the cold sensitivity that one experiences immediately after treatment with Oxi and can last 7-10 days, vs. the neuropathy, that in many cases, doesn't even begin until after Folfox treatment is completed. The long term neuropathy comes from an accumulation of Oxi that causes damage to nerves. The Calcium/Magnesium infusions are designed to minimize this for some. When I had Folfox, the impact of the Ca/Mg infusion was thought to reduce the efficacy of the chemo and so my onc. did not prescribe it. Just as I was finishing, the follow up report that Justsing referenced came out and said that using Ca/Mg was ok.

In most cases, the neuropathy lessens over time. Rarely is it permanent, according to most oncologists. I play guitar, and I wish I had been able to use the infusion as the neuropathy was pretty bad, especially a few months ago. It is getting a little better, but it is SLOW, at least in my case.

Cheers

CureCRC

dx 3/07 stage 3 rectal cancer
28 days 5FU/radiation
LAR with TME and lymph nodes removed
Temp loop ileostomy July 2007
downstaged > stage 2
24 weeks Folfox 6 completed 3/08
takedown 5/08

[justsing]

The other little wrinkle on this that I have to confess I don't fully comprehend is the difference between acute and chronic neuropathy. I believe that the studies have shown that the Ca/Mg had more success with acute, but I'm not sure what conclusions to draw.

Worth a question to your onc.