Tips on minimizing XELOX (CAPEOX) Side Effects

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O Stoma Mia
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Tips on minimizing XELOX (CAPEOX) Side Effects

Postby O Stoma Mia » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:05 pm

  • Common side effects of XELOX (CAPEOX) are:
    ' Each of these effects happens in more than 1 in 10 people (10%). You might have one or more of them.
    * Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
    * Increased risk of getting an infection
    * Breathlessness and looking pale
    * Bruising, bleeding gums or nosebleeds
    * Tiredness and weakness (fatigue) during and after treatment
    * Feeling or being sick
    * Diarrhoea
    * Mouth sores and ulcers
    * Loss of appetite
    * Soreness, redness and peeling on palms and soles of feet
    * Constipation.
    .
  • Occasional side effects
    Each of these effects happens in more than 1 in 100 people (1%). You might have one or more of them.
    * Hair loss
    * Headaches and dizziness
    * Watery or sore eyes
    * Tummy (abdominal) pain
    * High levels of bilirubin in your blood
    * Kidney changes
    * Difficulty swallowing or breathing
    * Periods stopping
    .
  • Rare side effects
    Each of these effects happens in fewer than 1 in 100 people (1%). You might have one or more of them.
    * Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
    * Heart problems
    * An allergic reaction to oxaliplatin


Weekly side effects log (Use this for monitoring changes in side effects from one week to the next

_MON____TUE_____WED____THU____FRI_____SAT____SUN__
.AM PM..AM PM..AM PM..AM PM..AM PM..AM PM..AM PM.
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Increased risk of getting an infection
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Breathlessness and looking pale
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Bruising, bleeding gums or nosebleeds
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Tiredness and weakness (fatigue) during and after treatment
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Feeling or being sick
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Diarrhoea
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Mouth sores and ulcers
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Loss of appetite
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Soreness, redness and peeling on palms and soles of feet
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Constipation
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Hair loss
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Headaches and dizziness
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Watery or sore eyes
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Tummy (abdominal) pain
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * High levels of bilirubin in your blood
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Kidney changes
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Difficulty swallowing or breathing
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Periods stopping
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * Heart problems
|...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| |...|...| * An allergic reaction to oxaliplatin
.
Medications for each side effect - For each of the major expected side effects, you should have a plan for treating the side effect at three possible levels of intensity, for example:

1. Mild level - Home remedies or over-the-counter preparations
2. Moderate level - Mild prescription medications or over-the-counter preparations
3. Severe level - Strong prescription medications

It would help to have the options identified in advance at these three levels for each major type of side effect (and approved by your doctor), although it may not be necessary to purchase everthing in advance. Some products may be hard to find, so it may be wise to do some research in advance to determine where you are going to obtain the products in case you ever need them.

It is important to be pro-active and start treating the problems early, as soon as they start to appear. There is a reason for this: Under chemo/radiation therapy the immune system becomes somewhat compromised and a bit dysfunctional. It takes a bit longer for medications and treatments to take effect, so you need to start the treatments early, at the first sign of a problem. If you decide to wait until the problem becomes almost unbearable, then this might be a bit too late for your immune system to step in, catch up, and quickly solve the problem. In a way, there is no point in taking a 'macho' approach by trying to be a hero by toughing it out. Now is the time when your body needs tender loving care by giving it some form of treatment whenever something starts going wrong.
.

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