Anyone on dabrafenib (Tafinlar) & trametinib (Mekinst) oral chemo?

Imaging showed stable - no growth, no shrinkage. Just not enough published data to know when I should expect to see shrinkage.

tomschwerdt, i'm hoping the images showed shrinkage in the tumors. lets us know how it went for you. lilyann

Imaging says tumor is stable and T4 is back into normal range. So, generally good news - but of course what I really want is tumor shrinkage/bone regrowth. Just not enough published data to know what timeframe that should be.

How did the follow-up appointment go, Tom?

Just to give you an update - the Synthroid seems to be working. For the past few days I've been back up to fairly normal energy levels.

My followup at MDA is tomorrow, so I'll be able to find out whether the blood test agrees with how I feel...

hi tomschwerdt, thank you so much for the links. very helpful. they rx'd me some miracle mouthwash. also some nausea drugs and some muscle relaxers for the jaw and wow, some pain pills. so what you are saying then is that a lot of those side effects that they show, you sound like it was no problem for you. great news then. gosh, all of it is so scary. then i got a msg. today that my ekg was abnormal. so ...which way is up? tomorrow is the echo, so that should tell the tale of the ekg. thank you again and wishing you wellness and happiness.

I'm taking a total of 300mg of dabrafnib and 2mg of trametinib every day. I was told that if I couldn't tolerate that dose, the oncologist would reduce it.

Here's a link to the manufacturer's dosing information, though annoyingly they use the brand names:

If you are on private insurance: Be sure to sign up for the manufacturer's Universal Copay program. Normally I'd be paying $120/month in copays, with the copay program it's $0.

hi tomschwerdt, sorry, thanks for correcting me, it is the mcg. i just came back from getting the bloodwork and the EKG, the 9th i will have the echo. then on the 21st will be the MRI. just trying to keep up is a job in itself. the dr. wants me on the same pills you are on and i was wondering if you would be so kind as to tell me the strength of your medicine. my trametinib is 0.5mg. and the dabrafenib is 50mg. i can't tell you how much it means to have someone talk to you. thank you so much. the dr. said i have approx. 6-10 months. she says these pills will help me to feel better. thank you again and wishing you wellness and happiness.

That's a lot higher dose than they started me on - I'm on 25 mcg of Synthroid (levothyroxine).

Note: Hormone doses are incredibly tiny. I suspect you are on 100 micrograms (mcg) whereas most medications are dosed in milligrams (mg)

Yes, I had to get an echo, EKG and bloodwork before we started the debrafnib/trametinib and again at the monthly followups.

tomschwerdt, thank you for replying. i guess being an octogenarian and the way they have the echo grams set up one after another. kinda was a little on edge. i am already on levothyroxine, 100 mg. totally tired all the time but do push my self as movement is the potion. just the thought of any chemo drug. i have done a lot of reading but then again, sometimes not everyone has those side effects. so wishing you the best.