[Sharona]

Chemo side effects - how long to kick in?

by Sharona on Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:45 am

Hi My Husband Eric is just back home after his first cycle of treatment. He has been on Dex, Cyclophosphamide and Velcade for 11 days and he stayed in hospital during that time. He is now home for 2 weeks then he will be admitted again for his next cycle.

Up to yet he has had bad diarrhea the day after Velcade which he has on days 1, 4, 8, 11 , has been sick once , had a small rash on his neck and face and a husky voice.

What I would like to know is, do the side effects get more severe many days after treatment has finished and increase with each cycle. We are kind of sitting here waiting for nasty things to happen but as yet he has found it very easy. I don't want him to be sitting there thinking that he has got through the first round with such ease and then be bombarded with the nasties. I just want to be prepared for what might be ahead of him so I can keep an eye while is is in my care care for the next 14 days.

Thanks Sharon.

[Barneasada]

Re: Chemo side effects - how long to kick in?

by Barneasada on Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:09 pm

ive to this day still havent had very bad side effects from Rev/​Velcade/​Dex or Rev/​Carfilzomib/​Dex. Ive never had a SCT though. However the Velcade can cause bad neuropathy which i got after like 5-6 cycles. I stopped, took a 4 month break, and went down to once a week instead after that break and it was much more mild. Usually they say a cycle (one month) to acclimate but its different for everyone. Hopefully he will tolerate it as well as i did. However, ive only had those meds. Hope for the best.

Mark

[LadyLib]

Re: Chemo side effects - how long to kick in?

by LadyLib on Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:00 pm

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with my husband also. The first 2 treatments, he took nausea medication. He has never been sick (i.e. vomiting). He did initially have loose bowels, but it has gotten better over time. I would not expect any severe nausea.

[Sharona]

Re: Chemo side effects - how long to kick in?

by Sharona on Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:30 am

Thank you so much Mark and LadyLib, it is good to know that not everyone suffers such awful side affects and Mark I hope that yours continue to be mild and also your Husband LadyLib.
Sharon.

[Dr. Peter Voorhees]

Re: Chemo side effects - how long to kick in?

by Dr. Peter Voorhees on Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:26 pm

Dear Sharona,

The "CyBorD" regimen (cyclophosphamide, Velcade and dexamethasone) is a fairly well tolerated regimen for many patients. It is also very effective! The treatment-related fatigue tends to be cumulative, so it may take more out of him as he gets into further rounds of treatment. Watch closely for signs and symptoms of neuropathy (numbness, tingling, burning pain) in the toes/feet/fingertips. This is a troublesome side effect of Velcade therapy. The likelihood of developing it is reduced if the Velcade is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous) as opposed to IV. Weekly dosing (as opposed to twice weekly) can also help. With subcutaneous treatment, neuropathy typically shows up in the 3rd to 5th cycles of treatment if it is going to be a problem. Lastly, always be vigilant about infection. If he has signs/symptoms of infection, let the doctor know right away, so that he can get on appropriate therapy.

I suspect he will do great.

Best of luck to you and your husband!

Pete V.