Aggressive Bladder Cancer: Tips to help hold meds in bladder?

When I go to chemo, the first dose is the Gemcitabine. The nurse clamps off the catheter so it can’t be excreted. It is opened at the end of the session. Then the clamp is removed and the docetaxel is infused. Then I go home and get in bed for two hours. I get up at 4:00 a.m. and drink about 48 ounces of water. I also have a couple of cups of coffee. I stop drinking at 5:00 a.m. my chemo starts at noon. By then I am producing very little urine. So far it works.

My husband gets the gem 2x a week i dont believe he gets the docetaxel
He has 1 infusion for 1 hour. I just mentioned it to his team waiting for a reply.
Curious now…
I should know this
I think more communication is needed.

My husband uses a clamp.

Yes mine to.

I receive the Gem-Doce infusions while in a hospital bed at the infusion center. Those receiving systemic treatment are usually sitting up. I keep the bed flat the whole time. It seems to take the pressure off. In the past, patients were told to roll from side to side when receiving chemo or BCG to assure the entire bladder was touched by the infused agents. The American Association of Urologists has debunked this, stating it has no proven value. On the days of the first two infusions, I got up at 4:00 a.m. and drank 48 ounces of water and two 12 ounce cups of coffee. I then worked out for about 90 minutes. I was producing very little urine at the time of infusion; it made it easier to retain the chemo. Last time I had water up until four hours before. It was horrible.

I found it helpful to avoid coffee the morning of chemo. I also suggest scheduling an early appt if possible. Your NP will have more tips.

We drive 4 hours to get gem/doc treatments. The gemcitabine seems to be more painful and I have to hold it for 90 minutes then it’s released & infused with docataxel then we drive home and 2 hours later we stop so I can void it. Usually I sleep for 2 hours while husband is driving. I’ve had 18 treatments and so far cancer hasn’t returned. I hope your treatments will keep you cancer free!

Thanks very much. I had my fourth treatment on Friday. It was comparable to prior treatments. I am now concentrating on the fact that there are only two treatments left in this initial course of chemo. I am changing physicians immediately after the sixth treatment. My current physician has great qualifications and experience. But he never told me what had been prescribed (turned out to be gem/doc for which I am grateful). He waited until after tumors reappeared to begin chemo. He called me on the phone; he said he had ordered chemo and that I would hear from the infusion center and then he hung up. I sent a MyChart email asking whether it was systemic or intravesical, the duration, and what side effects I could expect, I heard back from his PA. I will add one thing more. Though there is a shortage of BCG, it is available. I have a hunch it is reserved for younger patients. Quite frankly, statistical analysis suggests that, gem/doc as a substitute therapy to be equally effective. But — and it is a big BUT - in order to get into many trials, or be eligible for certain other kinds of treatments, a threshold criterion is that the patient has been prescribed BCG, and that is not effective. In other words, my current physician may have limited future options of treatment. Ask questions.

Thanks. Let us know what the response is. To all who are going through this, including family members, you are in my daily prayers. I think this is more difficult for my wife than it is for me.

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How are you and your husband doing?