Postby GrouseMan » Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:14 am
Most oncologists that add Avastin to FOLFOX routinely prescribe a low dose ACE inhibitor to counteract the increased blood pressure caused by the use of Avastin. My wife who had low BP to begin with as a runner, takes 10mg of Lisinopril once a day. She has been on Avastin for 2 years now, and her BP is normal. She didn't take the ACE inhibitor for three days last week because she couldn't get in and get her script filled. But checking it, her BP was only a little higher than when she was training for 10k races.
You should tell your oncologist and GP. If your BP is always high then you need to get it back under control. Avastin usually will make it increase. ACE inhibitors are usually used over diuretics, but I understand that some suggest that an Angiotensin II antagonist, might be better, because it acts as a vasodialator, and may then allow more chemo to get to solid tumors. Seems counter productive to me as you want to remove their ability to get oxygen and nutrients via the blood, which is part of the basis for using Avastin as an antiangiogenises drug.
Regards,
GrouseMan
DW 53 dx Jun 2013
CT mets Liver Spleen lung. IVb CEA~110
Jul 2013 Sig Resct
8/13 FolFox,Avastin 12Tx mild sfx, Ongoing 5-FU Avastin every 3 wks.
CEA: good marker
7/7/14 CT Can't see the spleen Mets.
8/16/15 CEA Up, CT new abdominal mets. Iri, 5-FU, Avastin every 2 wks.
1/16 Iri, Erbitux and likely Avastin (Trial) CEA going >.
1/17 CEA up again dropped from Trial, Mets growth 4-6 mm in abdomen
5/2/17 Failed second trial, Hospitalized 15 days 5/11. Home Hospice 5/26, at peace 6/4/2017