Anyone have GemCap chemo - Gemcitabine and Capecitabine (Xeloda)?

He’s got one week under his belt so to say . No side effects so far . He’s a little tired but no more than before he started . So we say, so far so good . Blood work was perfect . Ready to start week two .

Correction the recommended cream he was to,d to use is “Udderly Smooth” not Moo but the labels looks like cow hide . It’s not expensive, although it is an American product .

Jadees sounds great however, for me side effects got worse on days off and everyone different so hopefully you will be fine with it.
I did get results that genetic test didn't show much other than no candidate for immunotherapy and this test was a blood test so tissue is a better option. They also did other bloodwork that showed absolutely no evidence of cancer detected in Signatera test so surveillance for now. Be in Pittsburgh for test May 21
pet and pelvic scan. I'm happy about results

Sounds like you have reason to be happy and that helps that positive outlook everyone keeps advising us to keep ahold of

I'm about to wrap up my 3rd cycle of GemCap regimen. The side effects have not been as bad as expected (it hasn't been rosy by any means) but I had bad expectations. My first scan post surgery (4 months after) is clean. Original tumor was completely taken out (was a rare IOPN) and had small amount of colloid carcinoma. Margins were clear and lymph nodes were all good. Now debating if should I continue and do 3 more cycles. Weighing effect on body vs efficacy of just completing three months. Doing the three months was purely voluntary. Anyone have experience or know of efficacy of just three months? I've only seen 3 vs 6 comparison with bowel cancer and 3 compared well.

Hi guys, I’ve just started the Gemcap treatment , 2nd infusion today and I’m surprised how quickly the symptoms like nausea, diarrhoea , grumpiness came on .. how has everyone else going

Hi @traceyaus, Welcome to Mayo Connect. I’ve not had experience with Gemcap but had my share of other forms of intense chemotherapy. What you’re experiencing isn’t out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, nausea and diarrhea can hit instantly in some cases. Hah, yes, and grumpiness is soon to follow…it’s hard to be all sunshine and roses when you feel like crud! While miserable at the time, the side effects do ease and if all goes as planned the drugs do the job of ridding your body of the cancer cells!
Your infusion team or oncology team should be on top of that for you by offering one or more of a variety of anti-nausea meds. Don’t try to be stoic! Take the meds.

I did a quick search through Connect to find a number of discussions and conversations with other members using Gemcap for various diagnoses. Here is the link for you:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/
May I ask what type of cancer you’re being treated for?

Thank you Lori much appreciated
And I had a Ampulliary carcinoma successfully removed with 19 lymph glands by a Whipple procedure in Oct 25

Apparently they said my treatment would accrue and it would be a tough last couple of months at the end of the 6 months treatment .
Any tips of dealing with the feet as there starting to play up .. other than cream .. more cream
Cheers Tracey 🎄

@traceyaus Hi Tracey. So glad to hear your Whipple procedure was successful. You’ve already gone through quite a bit with this medical drama…continuing on with the clean up with Chemo. It’s a means to get you back to a normal life going forward. But as I know myself, chemo can be pretty tough on mind and body!

For my mind, I kept as active as I could with little watercolor paintings, reading, crossword, sudoku, walking as much as I was able, or some days simply binging on Netflix. It also helped to talk with friends/family daily. But only those people with whom I could actually have real conversations about their lives, kids, whatever…I was so tired of always dwelling on my situation.

The body, well that was another subject. Oye! Nails, hair, skin, eyelashes gone…had pig-eyes for months. LOL. Anyway, yes, to answer your quesiton. Lotion up those feet. Vani-crème was good. But sometimes my skin really needed more moisture. Burt’s Bees baby balm…greasy but it helped my arms and legs look less like I was turning into a lizard.

There’s no shortage of members in Connect who have had their own odyssey through chemoland and share what works for them to calm the side effects. So many that wasn’t sure which to choose for you to start…so here’s the search.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/
And since you had a Whipple, you may want to chat with other members who have gone through the same procedure!
Here’s that search link for you!
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/
Hang in there Tracey! Next year at this time, life should look a whole lot rosier for you. Most side effects from chemo fade away over time. What types of feet issues are you having? Soreness on the bottom? Tingling? Skin sloughing?

@loribunt thanks for all the links and info 👍 much appreciated. Mainly just soreness and tingling at the moment 🥴