Docetaxel Chemo – the highs and the lows

Infusion 3 Day 5

My thanks to Gromit and Marje whose advice has been spot on.

More graphic details follow so if you are not taking or don't have any problems in taking Ondansetron then you don't need to read further.

As I understand it, Ondansetron is a drug that has an adverse effect on peristalsis and thus can cause constipation.

Prior to my infusion last Wednesday, I talked to the chemo nurse about whether I still needed Ondansetron. Her answer was along the lines of 'it's your body and therefore your choice'. I decided that whilst I hate being constipated, that I hate throwing up even more. Therefore, I decided to continue with the Ondansetron.

Last Tuesday, I took one Laxido after breakfast and one after dinner. On Wednesday, the day of the infusion, I did the same and took one Dulcolax before going to bed. On Thursday I had two small movements which were nowhere near a normal day's output but, most importantly, the movements were soft and needed no straining. I took one Laxido after breakfast and one after dinner on Thursday and one Dulcolax before going to bed.

On Friday, movements returned to normal with a consequent increase in volume to compensate for limited output the previous day. Movements were soft and needed no straining. I took one Laxido after breakfast on Friday and then nothing further. Since then, my bowels have been perfect.

FYI Ondansetron was administered by infusion on Wednesday afternoon and then by pill Wednesday evening, Thursday morning and Thursday evening. I decided not to take the Ondansetron pills on Friday morning or evening and suffered no adverse consequences.

I recommend trying the above course of action if Ondansetron is causing you problems.

Sally,

I really think you should be ringing the Chemo ward to tell them about this. It has been made clear to me in no uncertain terms that if I get an infection, don't go to your GP, do ring us. The problem with an infection is if things go bad then sepsis is a real danger. Please ring them.

David

You could certainly have done without that...did you manage to have any sort of a Christmas break before the virus hit? Hope you got up to see the family and that there were people on hand to nurse you as well as your husband - sounds as if you are both knocked for six.

Do hope that you are both on an even keel again before too long and that the chemo is doing its job. Any sign of a Warwick offer to cheer everyone up?

Take care.

Eleanor

I'm really hoping that the antibiotics do some good because this has really knocked him for six. We had been so careful in trying to avoid viruses but so many people seem to have it.

David - one of my sons is waiting to see if he gets an offer from Warwick University :-) Eleanor - still waiting. He may not hear anything until the end of the month.

There's something you need to know about me. I worked for all my career in IT, therefore, I like to think I'm a fairly logical person.

My hero is Spock and I don't mean the Doctor. I have (virtual) green blood in my veins.

The upshot of this is I can't look at data and not want to analyse it.

Mrs_C has an alternative explanation for my data affliction, she says I'm anally retentive. http://community.prostatecanceruk.org/editors/tiny_mce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif

Anyway, I've submitted to the need to analyse my PSA data that you can find in my profile by clicking on my name.

I've produced a couple of graphs that you can find from the links below. I list what I've learnt from each one. 

https://imageshack.com/i/pnwJ0WkAp

This shows my complete PSA record together with the starts and stops of various treatments. One major point that could be of interest to you relates to Enzalutamide. If your PSA starts rising a few months after starting it, don't despair, it (Enzalutamide) can mount a counter attack.

The graph seems to indicate that my PSA is going to rocket down to zero in the near future now I'm on chemo. This is probably false and is caused by the narrow date range scale. The next graph shows a truer position. 

https://imageshack.com/i/poajE96Zp

This suggests the drop in PSA is leveling out and the data leads me to believe that this will be somewhere around 4.5.

If correct, the question will then be, will we bump along the bottom for a while or will we see a rise and the development of a 'normal curve'.

Edited by member 19 Jan 2017 at 11:33  | Reason: Not specified

I played for Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. The port was quite a tradition with the Vets teams in our local area.

Nice one! If OH was in London in the 70's, did he ever visit the The Youngs brewery in Wandsworth? I went in 1977, the best brewery visit I've ever done - the ram, the shires that delivered the beer to the local pubs, the geese who were the burglar alarm and the working beam engine. I can still taste the Young's Special in the tasting room now. Heaven.

All gone now, Youngs made at Charlie Wells in Bedford, not a patch on what it was.

Certainly have, we were there the weekend they opened it... quite a few years ago. I lived in Shropshire a long time ago, and we went back for a holiday, and I somehow managed to arrange for us to be there when it opened. They had live music too, so he was in his element pro musician playing for the opening of brewery.
I like Bishps Castle, and the surrounding areas.

Leila

BFN

Julie X

Infusion 4 Day 15

Current status of side effects.

Bruising at the canula site - Much improved compared to last time. A bruise came out but quickly disappeared. Credit to the chemo nurse who told me to press down firmly using a thumb and a cotton wool ball for at least two minutes on the canula site once the canula had been removed.

Peripheral neuropathy - No better or worse.

Nail changes -  I'm getting some discoloration on my finger nails as well as my toe nails. However, there are no signs of any ridges on the nails and the nail bed looks healthy so hopefully I'm not going to suffer from nail loss.

Hair loss - It seems to have stopped coming out! Woop woop! However, what's left would best be described a bum fluff rather than hair. My hairdresser tells me that strange things can happen to your hair after chemo ends. It seems that previously straight hair can become curly and mouse coloured hair can become dark. So, come June, I expect I'll wake up one morning, look in the mirror and see an afro or a mohican.

Dave,

Your PSA reduction whilst on chemo is spectacularly good. What does your Onco think about it and does it give hope for a decent period of remission?

I see you are having 6 cycles of docetaxel whereas my Onco is planning 10 cycles. Did your Onco explain why it was going to be 6 rather than 10?

David

I do agree.

A quick query.

It is great to see David's Psa falling during his Chemo treatment. My Psa results are also following a similar fall, but what does it physically mean for those like myself with secondary mets?

Does it mean those tumours are receding or even going away or is that too much to wish for?

Regards

Dave

David,

My final (for the time being) docataxel chemotherepy (Infusion 6) is now complete.

So far so good, absolutely no side effects so far, as before.

My Psa is now down to 0.3.

It is strange, but I look at my very powerful chemical friend (docataxel), with a semse of regret that he now leaves me to continue with my journey, having helped me so much.

I believe the next scan awaits to confirm how helpful the chemo has been.

How are you doing?

Dave

Here is hoping that our meeting with 'Old Nick' is a while off yet

Regards

Dave

excellent