[Beacon Staff]

Re: Switching from Revlimid to Velcade - any advice?

by Beacon Staff on Thu Sep 18, 2014 2:39 pm

For those interested in Blackbird's comments about Velcade and styes, there was a discussion about this in the forum recently. Here's a link to it:

"Eye inflammation or stye from Cytoxan-Velcade-dex?", Beacon forum discussion started May 6, 2014.

That discussion seems to indicate that, at least in the official information related to Velcade, there isn't anything specifically linking styes to Velcade, but Velcade is linked to eye inflam­ma­tions, which presumably could result in (or even include) styes.

Blackbird - Did one of your doctor's tell you that they sometimes see styes develop in patients who are on Velcade?

[Blackbird]

Re: Switching from Revlimid to Velcade - any advice?

by Blackbird on Thu Sep 18, 2014 4:12 pm

Yes. If I recall correctly, it was one of the doctors that I talked to during my hospital stay for the SCT.

I have had very few styes over the years prior to last summer -- perhaps 2 or 3 in the last 30 years.

Last summer, it seemed like I would get rid of one, and another would pop up in the other eye. It was almost constant starting in August until the Velcade shots ended in early October.

There was nothing that I could do for them other than warm compresses.

[wld]

Re: Switching from Revlimid to Velcade - any advice?

by wld on Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:09 am

I take Velcade as an injection along with dexamethasone and then run a 21 day on and 7 off of Revlimid. I started with Velcade injections twice a week and am now once every three weeks and hope to go off it.

I get constipation that I cannot fix from the Velcade. It takes 4 to 5 days for the stool softener and laxative to kick in after treatment. I have to take that junk every day and I never ever once took a laxative my whole life before these medicines. My biggest complaint is my taste changes constantly and I have lost 12 lbs.

My doctor says my response to the drugs is miraculous and my blood work is close to normal, except for just under spec on RBC. The IgA is stable around 800. There are no lesions in my bones.

It would be nice to be able to eat what I want and not what tastes good that second.