Anyone on Gemcitabine with Abraxane? How long? Effective?

Thank you, Woodlanddsm- very helpful. They are using lasix, and my husband is trying to exercise the fluid out of his legs. Don't know if that can help, but worth a try. I'm glad to hear the Napoli combo is working for your brother.
Wishing you continued improvement.

My brother was on Gem/Abrax for one year. He started suffering from edema a few months in. The oncologist treated it with lasix but it somehow became a race of which would dominate the situation and Gem/Abrax won. He now has capillary leak syndrome and it will not be going away. It is a horrible side effect and had we known how bad it could become we may have weighed the options more carefully. The G/A was working at lowering his CA 19-9 and that was where our focus was. He's now on the Napoli chemo combo (nanoliposomal irinotecan with flouroucil and folonic acid) and that is working too...at least for now. We hope that it continues for a long time because the side effects are more tolerable. You might want to ask about that for your husband. I'm glad Mayo identified it for you and that from here you can make adjustments. Best to you and yours....

Hi, All~
My husband who had the bleeding ulcer has now been in hospital for 9 days after spiking 104+ temps at home (the third ambulance in 3 weeks!). He was also shaking all over and became very puffy from fluid.
All cultures for infection were negative and Mayo-Rochester identified an unusual culprit - capillary leak syndrome - and have treated it with steroids. The temps and shaking have resolved, but the fluid-retention is still problematic and hard on the kidneys. Steroids spike his blood sugar, so diabetes management gets tricky. This syndrome is linked to Gemcitabine, but is unusual. He will probably not be able to continue on it, and since the Gem. was working well against the cancer, it's too bad, but we hope there is a good alternative.
Does anyone have experience with this capillary leak syndrome?
Peg

All of the best!!! I am starting my 2nd round of Gem/Abraxane on Thursday the 8th (had 3 sessions already, then a week off) and still I did not experience any of the side affects (except for loosing my hair) that I have read about, and I thank God every day for it. I hope that you will not suffer any of the nasty side affects. Stay strong and I will keep you in my prayers!

Attached is a photo of me and my Mom ♥
H

Welcome, @bouboule. What a lovely photo. I hope you'll add it to your profile. 🙂

This must be all so dizzying for you juggling pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis. Will you have chemo weekly during the first month or every 2 weeks? Do you know what type of surgery you will be having?

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 PC in August. My first Abrxa/Gem infusion Friday Sept. 2. I experienced flu-like symptoms and fatigue. Slept all day and awakened next morning feeling better. Overdid it with neglected chores and experienced back pain on the 4th. Doing better today. I am encouraged!!

I am so sorry to hear! I doubt if I will ever be considered for the operation, since mine has metastasized to the liver. I am hoping that if they can cure the liver, they will consider distal pancreatectomy

My husband has done the weekly treatments for 3 weeks and then 1 week off. His Ca19-9 dropped to 59 after his second cycle so we are heading back to Mayo in 2 weeks and are hopeful he will be able to have the Whipple surgery. He is still very tired and weak. No appetite. I am hoping he starts feeling better soon. He was staged a 2b or 3 last December. His scans in June looked good and we are hoping the scans this month will be even better. I have not heard of the Napoli treatment.

I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer stage 1 to 2 at the beginning of August. Since then I had 3 pancreatitis, the second one after the biopsy and the latter (still active) after the procedure to put a stent. Because of the pancreatitis still active, starting mi-September,they are giving me a month of chemotherapy (Gemcitabine + Abraxane). If after a CT Scan, it shows that my pancreatitis subsided so they operate on me and then will go back for a few cycles of chemotherapy.

She had distal pancreatectomy which also took the spleen, gall bladder, left adrenal and 23 lymph nodes after 9 folfirinox and 5 days of SBRT photon radiation . She was 100% clear margins and ned for 10 months. It came back as a golf ball sized tumor on the left ovary.