Need some guidance on chemo

[Scootman]

I have done 4 chemo's so far and I am scheduled for the 5th on the 4-19. I tolerated the the first couple alright but the last 2 have put me down to where I am having trouble functioning. I am debating as to ask about stopping because of how sick I have become. Had my scans and was told they were stable and some small shrinkage in a few spots so obviously it is working but I am not. It has affected all my muscles and constant nerve pain and my bladder has stopped working properly and I have to self catheter myself. They keep changing medications for the pain to no avail and was told me that they can get me into the the pain clinic in 4 weeks. Last week had an infusion of zometa which made things even worse and started retaining fluids. Oncologist told me I should try medical marijuana applied for card not sure if that will help or not. Just struggling as to whether I stop the chemo am I signing my own death warrantor should I suck it up and put up with the sickness. Has anyone else had to stop the chemo(taxatere) and not regretted it . Just need some suggestions because I am really struggling about what to do. Thanks

[Jackpine]

Scootman,

Sorry to hear about all the side effects but can relate. I’ll be taking round 10 in two weeks. For pain I’ve worked with a palliative care specialist who has been amazing. My back pain had gotten to where I could barely walk. We started with low does of morphine and kept increasing until I was pain free. After several months my pain broke through the morphine so I am now on a fentanyl patch. He has also helped with neuropathy , and hot flashes.

The urgency can be bad some times and for that I have no solution.

[j-o-h-n in reply to Jackpine]

Sorry I can't answer you inquiry..... but post again in a couple of days.... Then there should be more answers to your question... Sounds like something I probably wouldn't "suck up".... Pain is fucking pain....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 04/18/2021 1:54 PM DST

[sewmom]

You may want to try intermittent fasting 18 fast/6hr eating window or complete water fast for 3 days to include day of chemo and if you can make it, complete water fast day 4. See the documentary FASTING on Amazon Prime Video. There are different fasting types but also a woman who fasted prior to chemo and felt better after. Dr Valter Longo from UCLA has been studying fasting for aging and cancer. The only problem is the longer fasts (like 7 days) where you may have more ketones (amino acids and fatty acids). Unfortunately PCa tend to like these more than glucose at least in the beginning. Most cancers like the sugars.

2 things about fasting: autophagy- “body eats itself” and stem cell production. Autophagy eats the waste cells and converts back to proteins and such. Stem cells are released after 3 days of fasting and will go there the body needs repair. Since we as a species have been able to EAT EAT EAT all the time our bodies do not autophagy or release stem cells. Know that after 3 days it seems the body is able to have a No Hungry sensation and days 4-7 are much easier to not eat. Remember to add electrolytes, sea salt to water and you can have a cup of black coffee or tea no sweeteners or cream/milk. Longo does a Fasting Mimicking Diet also. Wish you well. My Brother at 36 yrs had stage 3 colon cancer 19 yrs ago. Before surgery he was training for 1/2 marathon. After surgery and 3 mos chemo he started up again and 3 months later was in the marathon coming in at the halfway point of the athletes. I think that is what kept him doing okay then

[Terje]

If your pain is bone related you might consider Xofigo. I've used marijuana for years and can recommend it. I primarily take when going to bed and I sleep like a baby for about 6-7 hours!

[Scootman in reply to Terje]

Do you have any pain during the day? I just got a card for medicinal marijuana but have not gotten any yet . I am curious if it works with muscle and nerve pain. If I could control this I can take the chemo.

[Terje in reply to Scootman]

I don't have too much pain. When I do, marijuana does help and I would take it also during the day. I just don't like being 'high' during the day. I 've had radiation when pain has become more serious. (shoulder, clavicle, spine and hip). I had Xofigo in 2016 and I think it made a big difference. If you have bone mets you need to discuss Xofigo with your oncologist straight away.

If you buy edible marijuana, be careful, it takes a few hours before it kicks in and you'll need play around to find a 'dose' suitable to you. I used to take 1/6 of a cookie and that would take care of it for me. These days I smoke it in a pipe and after 2 puffs I'm a 'happy camper'!

I've been on chemo for 14 months now and apart from fatigue I'm OK. Maybe change the chemo will help you? I've had taxotere, carboplatin and now Jevtana. We've changed when one stopped working.

I'm so sorry your in this situation and I hope you find something that will help soon.

[Ronnie7C]

Though I don't know your exact condition, I can also relate to the initial physical and mental experience caused by chemo. Few months back I completed 6 cycles of chemo. The first 2 cycles made me feel terrible, had me completely bed ound to the point where even my teeth were hurting. My wife did some research and came across article on the Fasting Mimicking diet to use just prior to having chemo. I made a lot of sense so followed it to the letter. The results were immediate and the remaining cycles of chemo were much easier to handle. Here is the link to the article

grandroundsinurology.com/dr...

What worked for me, may not work the same for you. However, if you do decide to give it a try, would be interested to know if it was of any help.

All the best

[bethdavis]

My husband is starting chemo this week, so I don’t have personal experience yet. However, I have read a lot about taking Claritin for 3 days before and after each treatment and how much it helps with bone pain. Have you tried that?

[Hidden]

I've done a lot of chemo...and currently in my 5th dose of Jevtana. I live in the south, and we southerners know all too well that you can easily get dehydrated. When I feel like trash, I call the oncologist and go in for a quick saline infusion and feel much better afterwords. It's easy and never discussed.

[youngigor]

I take a gummy (CBD + THC8) to be able to sleep most of the night. Your concern was pain, not sleep disorder, but others have mentioned this product for pain.

THC 8 is a close cousin of the banned active ingredient in cannabis and it can give a buzz. It's arguably legal to be shipped to many states in the US, as it's made from hemp and has less than 0.3 wt % THC.

A problem with medical mj in many states is that the hoops thru which we have to jump, and in some cases poor product quality or poor choices available, make it not worth the expense. In general, mj products do not qualify under any insurance drug plan as they are still banned federally.

I have a current CA mj card but haven't been there for a while. The THC8 products meet my needs for now. Hope you find something that works for you.