Xeloda for colon cancer - Scared about side effects and need support

Hello. A steady improvement, thanks, since the low point of a week ago but yes looking forward very much to ending this second cycle on Thursday and having another week off, during which my wife and I will have a few days away on the south coast. (We're lucky in having north, east and south coasts all within 2 hours of where we live.) It was the Oxaliplatin infusion that knocked me for 6 this time (sorry, this is an English cricket term in case you don't know!) due, I think, to the cannula not fitting as well as the first time. I seem to be coping with Xeloda reasonably well, except perhaps during the first week whilst the Oxaliplatin is still in the system. Managing bowel movements remains the order of the day but certainly better than the first cycle. 4,000 steps achieved yesterday but only 2,100 so far today.
I hope you find your second cycle goes better than the first. Well done on getting back to work - that's fantastic news.
I'm seeing my oncologist this evening and will report on my 'journey' the outcome of this.
It's so useful to compare experiences. Keep in touch.

Hello, I am so sorry you experienced such a rough time during your treatment. I do hope you continue to do well, and will never have to go through that again. I am currently just taking the Capecetabine 500mg tablets (3 tablets 2/day), 14 days on and 1 week off. I am now in my second cycle. I was doing okay during the first week of cycle one, but by the 2nd week, started having constipation. I had to take a stool softener and some prune juice, and then it was all fine. I hope not to go through that again, as it was very uncomfortable, but nothing like what you experienced. It could very well have been the IV, as I hear that is often the cause of many problems. Everyone is different, and having cancer in general is not something any of us want to deal with. I will pray that going forward you do not have to get anymore treatment, and continue to recover. Thank you for sharing your experience and for the advice. I sure will make sure I stay hydrated. All the best.

I went through four rounds of xelox infusions combined with cepecidabine. I functioned very well during the first two rounds up until the last day of treatment. Within 3 days of completion, I became extremely dehydrated, brought on by severe Diarrehea. As a result, I was hospitalized for 3 weeks. I was going to stop treatment but discussed it with my oncologist and we decided to give it another try with a reduced chemo dosage. This time I had the same reaction and was hospitalized again with severe dehydration. It's been 7 months since I completed treatment. So far, all is good and I'm on the road to recovery. My advice is to closely monitor your vital signs each day and STAY HYDRATED. You will get through it. If you get diarrehea, take immodium immediately to stay ahead of it.
Wishing you all the best.

Hello, I was not sure who this message was intended for, martin77 or me (leed22). How are you doing? I personally am okay and am starting back on the Xeloda after my first week off. Hope it goes well and that all of us will get through this without too much more difficulty. Take care.

Hello, how have you been doing since our last post to each other? I just finished my week off and started back on Xeloda this morning for my 2nd round. I hope that things will go better this time, but at least I am more prepared in case I get the first sign of a problem. I also start back to work today, but at least I work from home, so that in itself is a great blessing. If I am correct, this coming Thursday you will finish your second week for this cycle and then have another week off, yes? I do hope things have been better for you this time around. Let me know the latest when you get a chance, and I will do the same. Wishing you the very best.

I have also found that the older we get although I don’t consider myself old the more we talk about constipation diarrhea and bowel movements lol and it’s not just with people who have had cancer that I have this discussion it’s with friends and acquaintances I think there’s something wrong with this 😂 You would think that they’d be something more important going on in our lives however maybe not. Have a great evening

Ho ho. Yes it is funny how strangers from opposite sides of the world can find that discussing bowel movements, stool softeners and laxatives is something that can bring them closer together!

Just to let you know that when I started chemo it felt very good but as I continued it started not to feel good and I was told that it builds up and at the end it was not great at all but I live through it and sometimes I wonder how did I ever live through all of it but I did. I am going through some problems now which is why I went on the site to see if anybody else has the same things going on and it’s really funny ha ha that what we mostly talk about is our bowel movements lol but that’s what I’m having a problem with at the moment. So what can I say it’s a pain in the ass lol
Hope you stay well. Please keep in touch

Hello Philly318. Good to hear that you've made a good recovery from your treatment - sounds as if it was all worthwhile despite the problems encountered. It seems we are all experiencing a difficult path at times but a positive attitude is so important as you say. I'm half way through my second 3 week cycle of Oxaliplatin + Xeloda which has proved very tough compared to the first cycle but looking forward to a week's 'holiday' from this Thursday coming!
Leed2022 - how are you doing at present?
Best wishes.

I had rectal cancer eight years ago. Before I had the surgery.One oncologist gave me the Xeloda And radiation.To shrink the tumor.That put me in the hospital for two weeks very severe diarrhea. Couldn’t eat it was horrible. After that I went to Moffitt cancer center which is in Tampa Florida. It was the best decision. I could not tolerate Xeloda Or maybe it was the radiation but I didn’t do that again. I had to wait six weeks to heal before I had surgery I’m sure there are people who can tolerate that drug but my new oncologist wouldn’t give me that to do and I had a successful surgery. I can’t say there are no problems but I’ve dealt with all of them with a good attitude very important