Xeloda Side Efffects

[Christine]

I am starting treatment with Xeloda tomorrow - 2 weeks on with 1 week off. I will be doing 4 cycles with Avastin (1/2 hour infusion at clinic). I am just wondering what kind of side effects people have experienced with Xeloda. I did 6 months of Folfox with Avastin and it was really bad the first couple of times, but then my body seemed to get a little used to it. I was completely out of commission though for the duration of the 5FU infusion. I pretty much slept the whole time.

This is my precautionary treatment following my liver resection in July. I currently have no evidence of disease and will finish up treatments just before Christmas. Here's to no chemo in 2007!!

[NICK THE BRIT]

Hi Christine. im half way through my xeloda. 8 tablets a day for 2 weeks then a week off, and to be honest its going well. Nothing bad to report. Apparently they can make the palms of your hands and feet go red. Nothing a bit of cream wont deal with though. ps. I see your a fan of The Killers. Top band, im going to see them over in England, November. Looking forward to it. Best Wishes. Nick

[rthornton]

Christine,

After being in remission since last Sept., I had a recurrence in my liver in July and a resection in August. On Oct. 2nd, I start Xeloda. So just like you, I recently had a liver resection and I'm currently NED so starting Xeloda soon (I'll have 2000 mg daily for two weeks, and a week off, and every other week I'll have Avastin). I have been told that Xeloda potentially has all of the side effects of 5FU, but most people tolerate it much better than 5FU. I hope that this will be the case for me, because when I was getting 5FU last year I was sleeping most of the time and dealing with horrible diarrhea. Yes, let's both hope for a chemotherapy-free 2007.

Best wishes for your treatment!

Rodney

[ASTEPHENS33]

I completed 6 months of Xeloda about 4 months ago. When I started, the oncology nurse said one of the side effects that they don't tell you about is that you get tired of taking pills all the time. It was a joke, of course, but probably explemifies that the challenges I had during my treatment were all in a range that I felt was manageable.

Towards the end of treatment I got more tired than at the beginning (weary is probably a better word) and also I had a weight gain. I had stayed the same weight for the first 4 months and then put on about a pound a week. My calories were the same, but I ate a great deal more sugar. I didn't like the taste of chocolate, but really craved cake. Its about all I ate. I did exercise during the 6 months, but had to adjust what I did - primarily bike riding. My feet and hands got really bad during the second cycle and my dosage was lowered down. But even with the lower dosage, my feet and hands got very red and blistery and although I used lotions, I still had problems. Often wore light cotton work gloves and extra padding in my shoes.

The most difficult sympton to deal with, was that my CEA pre-chemo was 1.2 and climbed to 6.4. I had the oncologist measure it during most of my treatment and it climbed a bit each cycle. I am waiting now for the latest post-chemo test to see if its gone down. (My CT scan was clean.)