Working during Irenotecan

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Stardust
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:52 pm

Working during Irenotecan

Postby Stardust » Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:13 pm

Hey all,

So, the Oxaliplatin isn't working anymore, so they're going to be starting me on Irenotecan as well as the Avastin and Xeloda that I've been on.

I've been continuing to work full time up to now, but I'm concerned about it when Irene kicks in. Between the diarrhea and the fatigue, it sounds like it'll be hard to do.

I'm currently working 4 days/week at 10 hrs/day, so that I have Fridays off to do any medical appts.

Can anyone give me tips for continuing to work during treatment with Irene? Would adult diapers help? (I hate the idea, but if I have to do it I have to do it.)

Tips, please!
Dx Rectal cancer stage IV met to lungs - 6/8/2015
Radiation to shrink the tumor 6/16 - 6/30/2015
Starting chemo FOLFOX 7/10/2015
Ended FOLFOX 11/26/15 due to Oxaliplatin side effects and bad neuropathy.
Restarted chemo w/just Avastin & Xeloda 5/2016. Been on that regimen for 1 1/2 years, still have low CEAs. Let's hope it keeps working!

ppanamared
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:47 pm

Re: Working during Irenotecan

Postby ppanamared » Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:25 pm

Every one is different but I noticed i was a bit better when switching to iri. Oxi never really got me much to be honest. I did notice the only different was I just felt a bit crampy for that night on iri. The next day i woke up feeling regular with no issues with diarrhea. Took a few anti d pills before the treatment but I doubt it did much. I work 40+ hours on my feet and was really glad to switch to iri for to help my feet recover lol. The bad news it only really worked for 2 months then things started growing again. I hope you have better results and no poop issues :). Take care.

michelle c
Posts: 1929
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:58 am

Re: Working during Irenotecan

Postby michelle c » Fri Apr 27, 2018 6:36 am

I had 12 treatments of FOLFIRI. Never had FOLFOX. I was told that irinotecan is harsher on the digestive tract, harder on neutrophils and more hair loss.

I didn't really have diarrhoea but apparently it is quite common. I had bad nausea from day 1 to day 3. I also had a "funny" feeling in my upper abdomen. Not really pain but just an uncomfortable feeling. I generally felt yucky especially those three days. Every treatment was a bit different, I didn't always feel the same, sometimes my nausea was worse than others. I also had pain in my chest sometimes that was like indigestion. I didn't really think that it was related to my chemo but when I mentioned it to my oncologist, he said that it was. I felt tired but it was manageable, don't know how I would have managed working being busy and running around all day, but a desk job might have been ok except for those first three days for me. I was too sick to do anything. I never got the nausea managed but looking back I just thought I needed to put up with it. My hair thinned.
Best wishes to you.
May 25 2009 Dx with CC (sigmoid colon) 2 days after my 44th b'day
CEA prior to surgery 4.7
Jun 3 2009 LAR - Stage III 3/10 lymph nodes
Jul 6 - Dec 10 2009 - 12 cycles FOLFIRI
Genetic testing - inconclusive for Lynch
Jul 2012 port removed & hernia repair

cbsmith
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 11:45 am
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Working during Irenotecan

Postby cbsmith » Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:50 am

I did 49 cycles of folfiri before we stopped it. I didn’t feel very well during most of it, especially the first week after treatment. I didn’t work during any of it but I might have been able to work maybe 3-4 days out of every two week cycle.
06/14-DX with FAP as 36yo Male
07/14-total colectomy, rectum removal, permanent ileostomy
08/14-DX Stage IIIC, KRAS mutant, MSS
09/14-04/15 - 12 rounds of FOLFOX
07/15-CT showed para-aortic lymph node, onc thght inflammation
10/15-DX Stage IV, CT lymph node tripled in size, 1 small lung met
11/15-FOLFIRI + Avastin
06/16-lymph node is stable, now have a 2nd lung met
01/16-lymph node is stable, lung mets grown 2mm. Still on FOLFIRI + Avastin
11/17 - no chemo since. Lung growth minimal, lymph node is stable

orlar
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:51 am
Location: oregon

Re: Working during Irenotecan

Postby orlar » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:57 pm

I just completed cycle 5 with Folfiri + Avastin. So far I've found it overall more tolerable than Folfox. Usually I get one good loose stool after infusion on day 1, then pretty much o.k. with no or very little diarrhea the rest of the cycle. I seem to notice more fatigue and less nausea (from cycle 1 on). Mouth sores, dry skin etc. about the same as Folfox. I'm not currently working, but think it would doable (day 3-6 wouldn't be much fun for me). Good luck with your treatment!

P.S. Lost little hair with Folfox, but bare to the bone now!
56yo male DX 5/17, Right Hemi colectomy 6/17
Stage 3c 12 of 21 LN
7/17-12/17 Folfox(no Oxi round 9-12)
12/17 liver/lung mets-Stage 4 MSS KRAS G13D
2/18 liver doubled to 8.5cm+new met, lung mets to 1.4cm, multi peri/omen
2/18-7/18 Folfiri+Avastin(no 5FU after C2)
4/18 mets shrinking
7/18 liver/lung mets growing, Folfiri stopped
10/18 In Clinical Trial
CEA 5/17-16.2, 12/17-16.1, 02/18-43.0, 3/18-16.9, 4/18-9.0, 5/18-5.5, 6/18-6.9, 7/18-7.8, 9/18-56

PeterG
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:32 pm

Re: Working during Irenotecan

Postby PeterG » Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:42 pm

I did many cycles of Xeloda with Iranotican and Avastin; the only work
I missed was infusion days. I had far less problems with the Iranotican side effects than I did with Oxaliplatin. But each patient is different.
DX Aug. 2013 Resection 09/13.
08/14 CT : .7 CM pulmonary nodule--& multiple nodules.
03/15 15 dendritic cell vaccine-monthly
05/16 begin 3000 MG Xeloda & Avastin
11-16 shrinkage.”Sstable"
2/2017: Port installed. Begin Folfiri and Avastin
8/2017: Xeloda, Avastin and Iranotican. 3-wk cycle.
2-6-18: small pulmonary embolim—some growth in one pulmonary tumor. Start Xarelto.
2-8-18 : Change of chemo: Xeloda with Oxaliplatin no avastin.
9/2018: Tumor growth. Begin Stivarga.


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