The Colon Club

Yesterday I got my 9th treatment. After I was done I stood up and almost fell over due to my calf muscles being so tight. After a little walking they improved some. Then when I got in bed and tried to sleep (good luck with that with the steroids) I could feel my legs muscles twitching all night. Now this morning right calf muscle is tight if I sit for awhile.
Is this something y'all have experienced?
Also chemo yesterday seemed to really hit hard on the tiredness. Luckily I'm off today so lots of Netflix for me.

I'm only on Xeloda and I haven't had any muscle tightness or cramping since starting radiation and chemo but I do regular stretching and I have been taking additional electrolytes to avoid dehydration. Maybe it's the Oxaliplatin?

I had my legs feel very weak for a day on my off treatment week. It felt as if I had done a very hard leg workout. The next day my legs were sore. Then it was gone. I didn't do any exercise at all so it was a bit strange. I've also had sore muscles in my back. Not sure if that's from the chemo or just that I'm laying down a lot more lol.

I had muscle twitching that drove me nuts on my first folfox round and managed to figure out in between rounds that one or a combination of the meds they gave me for side effects was causing it. Sounds like what you are experiencing is probably different, but thought I'd throw this in the mix.

Hello Volfan
I too had muscle twitching but just a couple of times and during the night.it was earlier than the 9th, I think after the third chemo. My leg twitched quite strongly and I also shivered violently at the same time. It was scary, but passed after about an hour.
I think it may be a nerve thing like the neuropathy. Oxi does wierd stuff!
Hope yours passes quickly... number 9, so you're almost at the finishing post! Well done!
Xxxx

Toward the end of FOLFOX muscle spasms for me got really weird. Like my hands would curl up and spasm. Not exactly twitch but I imagine it's related?

Volfan wrote:Yesterday I got my 9th treatment. After I was done I stood up and almost fell over due to my calf muscles being so tight. After a little walking they improved some. Then when I got in bed and tried to sleep (good luck with that with the steroids) I could feel my legs muscles twitching all night. Now this morning right calf muscle is tight if I sit for awhile.
Is this something y'all have experienced?

I had the same thing! Calf muscles so tight I staggered around like Frankenstein! It's definitely the oxaliplatin that's causing it. Not a lot you can do, but try increasing your hydration, especially consuming a drink with electrolytes - not just plain water. Gatorade or any sports drink with electrolytes should work. I used Nuun tablets and dissolved one in a bottle of water.

Also, I can empathize with the steroid buzz! They kept me up all night too until the onc nurse suggested taking an Ativan before bedtime. That seemed to work pretty well. I could finally get some sleep and it also helped with morning nausea so two for one! See if you can get a prescription from your onc.

Hope this helps!
Juliej

Can you drive after taking the Oxaliplatin?

Thanks for the replys.
My wife picks me up after treatment but they won't let me drive if I get the Ativan which I do on chemo days. Not sure about the oxi though.

NHMike wrote:Can you drive after taking the Oxaliplatin?

I drove home after all of my infusions of FOLFOX so it is definitely possible if nothing else is administered that would impact your driving ability. As with all things chemo, it will depend on how your body takes to the oxaliplatin, but it is definitely possible.

I'm hesitant to drive at all during chemo weeks. I feel like my brain slows down a bit on that week and I don't react as fast. I've driven before but went very slow lol.

Soccermom2boys wrote:

NHMike wrote:Can you drive after taking the Oxaliplatin?

I drove home after all of my infusions of FOLFOX so it is definitely possible if nothing else is administered that would impact your driving ability. As with all things chemo, it will depend on how your body takes to the oxaliplatin, but it is definitely possible.

Thanks. I can arrange rides but I'd rather just drive myself.

Tdubz wrote:I'm hesitant to drive at all during chemo weeks. I feel like my brain slows down a bit on that week and I don't react as fast. I've driven before but went very slow lol.

Same here, except that I NEVER drove during chemo. Worst were the infusion days and 3-4 days after. Besides dizziness and some twitching, eyesight became affected as rounds progressed. Worst were the latter cycles when everything moving came thru as quick series of stills - as a rapid succession of pictures rather than a smooth flowing movie. I didn't pick up driving until a few months after the liver job - some 9 months after end of chemo.

Today, brain is still slow and anything that requires thinking, causes fatigue. I've learned that it takes one or two days to recover from most things that make life interesting. Driving is also OK, but same effect: any significant trip (2+hrs) wears me out. The good thing is that it's so predictable - no surprises, and it doesn't feel as a failure no more. Just part of the new life that was given, embraced and enjoyed.

Best wishes, Leon

My wife is on FolFOX right now. It makes her eyes twitch really bad for the first day. She is also having twitches in her fingers and her thumb and pointer finger get locked sometimes. Its weird.

juliej wrote:

Volfan wrote:Yesterday I got my 9th treatment. After I was done I stood up and almost fell over due to my calf muscles being so tight. After a little walking they improved some. Then when I got in bed and tried to sleep (good luck with that with the steroids) I could feel my legs muscles twitching all night. Now this morning right calf muscle is tight if I sit for awhile.
Is this something y'all have experienced?

I had the same thing! Calf muscles so tight I staggered around like Frankenstein! It's definitely the oxaliplatin that's causing it. Not a lot you can do, but try increasing your hydration, especially consuming a drink with electrolytes - not just plain water. Gatorade or any sports drink with electrolytes should work. I used Nuun tablets and dissolved one in a bottle of water.

Also, I can empathize with the steroid buzz! They kept me up all night too until the onc nurse suggested taking an Ativan before bedtime. That seemed to work pretty well. I could finally get some sleep and it also helped with morning nausea so two for one! See if you can get a prescription from your onc.

Hope this helps!
Juliej

This is exactly what I have with my calf muscles. I will definitely try something besides just water to see if it helps.