Connect
← Return to Small Cell Lung Cancer: Let's connect
Discussion
Small Cell Lung Cancer: Let's connect
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Feb 3 8:02am | Replies (226)Comment receiving replies
I am helping a friend who has recently been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, stage 4, and it has spread to other areas. She is receiving chemotherapy (carboplatin and etoposide) and immunotherapy (atezolizumab). After she received her first round, she developed significant hand tremors (impacts her daily life and sleep). Is this a known side effect of any of these drugs?
She has never experienced these tremors before starting the treatments. Are there any potential treatments that we might discuss with her doctors, just to relieve or reduce her symptoms?
There is chatter on the internet about a linkage, but I don't trust that info necessarily. Any help would be appreciated.
Kelly
Replies to "I am helping a friend who has recently been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, stage..."
@klb72863, I'm tagging fellow members who have experience with small cell lung cancer, like @margot69 @bluelagoon @olgamarie @auntieoakley.
@popkorhn's husband had the same protocol as your friend: chemotherapy (carboplatin and etoposide) plus immunotherapy (atezolizumab).
If atezolizumab is the culprit, there may be an alternative immunotherapy agent that could be used or something that could be used to reduce the symptom of tremors and to help her sleep.
Has your friend talked to their symptom management nurse about the tremors?
Hi Kelly, your friend is blessed to have you on her side through this. My brother was on this exact regimen, and with other health concerns as well. He was also extended stage with Mets all around his lungs and in his liver. He would have some tremors for about the first week after each treatment. When they dropped off the two chemotherapy drugs leaving only the tecentriq (atezolizumab). They didn’t happen anymore.
I won’t try to say that he has been side effect free, but he has had some quality time and he is two years past his diagnosis.
Connect
Hi Kelly, you’re really a wonderful friend to have your friend’s back during her cancer treatment. As you can see it’s not an easy journey and she needs all the support she can get. She’s on some powerful medications to help her fight this cancer and I’m so sorry she’s having side effects of tremors. I was on a medication that had a similar affect and it was annoying and unnerving at times. However I had the advantage of knowing which drug it was and that this was an expected side effect which would go away once off.
For your friend, this has to be particularly stressful as she doesn’t need anymore uncertainty added to her already full plate. I’m looking at the 3 meds she’s on and I’m wondering it it’s the Atezolizumab, that is creating the issue. I found this informational article about the side effects of this drug.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/atezolizumab-intravenous-route/side-effects/drg-20311657
Searching the internet isn’t always the most trustworthy source, for sure. Your friend’s symptoms are significant and if she’s worried, she really should be letting her doctor know. Has your friend spoken to her cancer team about this?