The Colon Club

So I had my third Folfox infusion yesterday, and just like last time, I'm awake now in the middle of the night feeling tightness in the back of my throat, down towards my chest. I'm not panicking, and I can take breaths, but it feels a little tight and shallow when I do. When I sit up, it's a little better. I'm going to call my doctor in the morning. Has anyone else experienced this? It's not cold in my house at all, so it's not cold induced. I just took a nice deep breath, too, so it's getting better, not worse. Also feels funny to swallow- I can do it, but it takes a bit longer.

Check out this topic HERE.

Could be PLD which your docs should be aware of and warned you about, but you need to let them know what's going on.

Thanks for the link! My doctor warned me about the cold causing throat tightness, but not about it just happening without the cold. Both times it lasted only about thirty minutes (it's gone now) but both times it happened in the middle of the night after infusion. I will ask about slowing down the infusion as per Kathryn's post.

DBF wrote:Thanks for the link! My doctor warned me about the cold causing throat tightness, but not about it just happening without the cold. Both times it lasted only about thirty minutes (it's gone now) but both times it happened in the middle of the night after infusion. I will ask about slowing down the infusion as per Kathryn's post.

Hi DBF - Yes, I had this happen to me and it's not cold at all where I live. When I saw the doctor about this, he told me that it is an allergic reaction that happens to some patients, and for those patients he recommends some kind of epinephrine medicine to be carried with you at all times, to be used in the case of emergncy only, for the purpose of dilating the breathing channels long enough for you to get to the Emergency Room. The name of the drug is EpiPen. You can ask your doctor if he/she thinks it would be appropriate to prescribe it for your use.

EpiPen® (epinephrine) 0.3 mg and EpiPen Jr® (epinephrine) 0.15 mg Auto-Injectors are for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) caused by allergens, exercise, or unknown triggers; and for people who are at increased risk for these reactions. EpiPen and EpiPen Jr are intended for immediate self administration as emergency supportive therapy only. Seek immediate emergency medical treatment after use.

EpiPen Website

https://www.epipen.ca/en/severe-allergic-reactions/severe-allergy-risk-test

Thanks! I spoke with my PCP this morning, and he said that considering the wheezing and the fact that it wasn't cold when it happened, it sounds to him like an allergic reaction. He suggested I speak with my onc about taking steroids a day or two after infusion, or possibly Benadryl. I will mention the EpiPen to my oncologist.