Re: [MOL] Questions about lasting effects of chemotherapy/Reply [00273]

Dear Chris: I have included information to help you understand what is happening. Chemo builds up in the body and therefore can also take some time to completely leave the body. I have heard of people on Taxol having flu like symptoms. I was very happy to hear that your father has gone five year's, that is great. Also that his platelets are good, gosh that is great. Welcome to our forum, warmly, your friend, lillian

Certain drugs, if leaking, can cause severe damage to the skin and the underlying tissues. Among them are:

Adriamycin
BiCNU
Carboplatinum
Daunorubicin
DTIC
Fludarabine
Gemcitabine
Idarubicin
Irinotecan
Mithramycin

Mitomycin
Mitoxantrone
Navelbine
Nitrogen Mustard
Taxol
Taxotere
Topotecan
Velban
Vincristine
VP-16

Drug: Ondansetron, Zofran

Zofran is used to prevent or minimize nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, anesthesia, and surgery

Before taking Zofran:

Inform your physician if you have or have ever had liver disease.
Inform your physician and pharmacist if you are allergic to Zofran or any other drugs.
Inform your physician if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking Zofran, notify your physician.
As with any new medication, tell your physician and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, including vitamins.

What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
Although side effects from Zofran are not common, they can occur. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

Chest pain, irregular heartbeat or difficulty breathing
Fainting
Headache
Dizziness, weakness or drowsiness
Stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea

Drug: Taxol, Paclitaxel

Warnings and precautions:
This drug can cause a decrease in the number of all types of blood cells in your bone marrow. Your doctor will monitor your blood values before, during, and after your treatment .Do not have any vaccinations such as measles or flu shots without talking to your physician.

Taxol can cause liver damage. Before taking this drug tell your physician:

If you are allergic to this or any other drugs.
What prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin and vitamins.
If you have or have ever had heart, kidney, or liver disease.

You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a specified period of time after treatments. Discuss the risks of pregnancy or conception before and after chemotherapy with your physician. This drug may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle in women and may affect or stop sperm production in men. Do not assume that you are not capable of becoming pregnant or that you cannot impregnate someone else. Pregnant women or women who are breast-feeding should tell their doctors before taking this drug. Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. This drug may harm the fetus.

WARNING OF POSSIBLE ALLERGIC REACTION:
A reaction may occur during the administration of this medication. Prior to treatment you should receive medication to help prevent these reactions. With the use of these preventive medications, the allergic reactions are uncommon or lessened. Your nurse or physician will monitor you carefully during the infusion to treat these effects if they occur.

Diseases commonly treated with this drug:

Metastatic breast cancer
Metastatic ovarian cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer,
Head and neck cancer
Bladder cancer
Kaposi's sarcoma
Prostate cancer

Side effects from this drug are common and include:

Thinned or brittle hair
Loss of appetite or weight

Contact your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or persist for several hours:

Nausea and vomiting
Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Changes in taste
Mouth blistering
Changes in vision
Fatigue

Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Numbness or tingling or pain
Fever or chills
Cough
Sore throat
Difficulty swallowing
Shortness of breath or wheezing
Swelling of the lower extremities such as feet or ankles or other body parts
Weight gain or overall puffiness
Red or reddish colored urine
Unusual bruising or bleeding
Black, tarry stools
Feeling of faintness or dizziness
Facial flushing
Chest pain
Back pain or pain in your side
Rash
Dizziness
Muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms
Bone pain
Severe vomiting
Change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days