How long after each treatment do you feel reasonable?
F.C.R.: How long after each treatment do you... - CLL Support
F.C.R.
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Bamboon62
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Everyone is different and it does depend upon your initial fitness, reaction to chemo and comorbitities.
Most patients report feeling slightly better in the second week after treatment getting back to to near normality just prior to their next session.
FCR has a culminated effect and as you would expect the more sessions you undergo the more chance of increasing side effects etc.
Many do not complete the planned six sessions as the drugs do such a good job that bone marrow recovery can be slower etc.
On the other hand FCR is a proven successful treatment with excellent results. Many fly through without much problem.
It does depend upon your own metabolism and how you react.
Hi, are u approaching fcr? I had my first treatment started 13th june. 10 days later i was back to doing my 'normal' living. Ie driving, shopping, cleaning, cooking and walking between 10 and 16000 steps a day. I must say round one was not half as bad as i expected. Had wobbly legs for a day or two but still did a bit of walking as it is something i love to do. I hope the other rounds are as manageble.
You will read lots of posts on hear of how other people have reacted to the treatment, who are currently going thru treatment or who have completed treatment.
Hope this is of help to u x
I felt fairly unwell during and after each treatment, with a bit of an improvement the week before the next treatment. The pills became more unpleasant to swallow with each iteration, but at least my dose was reduced after the second treatment, so I didn't have to take so many. The sixth treatment didn't happen at all, thanks to a nasty lung infection. Three months after treatment, I felt significantly better and now nearly nine months after treatment, I feel better than I have for years. If you're going through it, I wish you well.
Hello. As has been mentioned everyone reacts differently but this is my experience so far. I’ve had 2 cycles of fcr and I have found so far that I feel back to normal by day 8 of each cycle.
Good luck if you are about to start treatment.
Helen
Hi,
I had 6 cycles of FC (no R on NHS in 2007) and experience the following pattern:
Took the FC orally on Friday and went to work as normal.
Saturday I was fine.
By Sunday afternoon I was tired and nauseous.
Monday and Tuesday wiped out.
Wednesday lunch time feeling better.
Thursday back at work.
This continued throughout the 6 cycles although I did find I got increasingly tired and cycle 6 was delayed a week because my counts didn't bounce back in time.
Remission is still holding, I'm drug free and feeling fine.
Jacques
Fantastic to hear you're having such a long remission even without having had the "R".
I'm due for Round 4 soon and am very glad to hear you're feeling so well. Hope your remission goes on forever!
Did u ask about getting BMB and possibly stopping early? How is ur blood work? Round 2 for me is Monday.
I go tomorrow for blood work results, then see my onc next week. I'm definitely going to ask about the BMB and how we know when (if) to stop treatment. I'm scheduled to start Round 4 a week from Monday if neutrophils are high enough. Hope Round 2 goes well for you! Praying for you, and all of us.
Great! Update when you know!
They called today to set time for Monday. Said Rituxin will take 3 hrs....I told her no way. In hospital it was split into 2 days and was 4.5 hrs each day. My doc said I may be sitting in chemo for 8 hrs first day so I suggested splitting. She agreed. Obviously miscommunication. When I go for my blood work tomorrow, I will speak to my nurse. Definitely not letting them rush me! My friend from Sloan Kettering had her second treatment R rushed in 3 hours. 2 hrs after being home was rushing to hospital! Was in hospital 10 days due to Rituxin!
Hi, GM. Just wanted to wish you all the best today and this week. Good idea to split the long day. I hope all is uneventful and you sail right through. Love and prayers from Ohio! 🌷
So sweet to remember! Do you believe it's delayed!! They forgot to schedule the split Rituxin so it has to be done out patient at local hospital instead of her office. Insurance clearance taking days! I visited the facility this afternoon. They were very nice and gave me tour. Said they put me on for Wednesday, Thurs, Friday. It's only 2 miles from home instead of 2 blocks. But I am glad I spoke up when nurse comfirmed originally for today and said I would be total 4 hrs. Um not for FC and R!! Gotta speak up.
At the end of each session when they yanked out that needle and set me free, I felt like I busted out of prison!
Yes, that sunlight and fresh air--very sweet, and truly appreciated.
That is if you're lucky to get out before the sun goes down!
Right! (-: Did help close the place down on my first two Rituxan days. The nurses were shooing me out a la Tracy Ullman: "Go home! Go home!"
The first of each three consecutive days with the full FCR were sometimes 12-hour days for me (especially when I did it in Tokyo). Most of the staff went home and I had to go to a special floor to pay my bill when I was finally set free.
Had one round of FCR 4 weeks ago. Felt a little tired first 2 days after treatment over. I think it was more from being scared and then glad it was over. Can wear you out. After that was fine. No nausea, aches.... nothing. Neulasta shot was uneventful. I am retired so I was able to slowly do things around the house and after 5 days, started to go out. I had no one visit me in my home. Wanted no germs. Went to stores at odd hours, less people. Ate at restaurants that had outdoor seating. Eventually after 2 weeks felt comfortable eating indoors at places not wall to wall tables. Energy good...been running around as I always did. Blood work has been great so far. Next Monday is next round. Hopefully as uneventful as first.
So good to hear things have been going well for you, GM! Best of luck next Monday. Prayers and love from Ohio.
Thanks for all the responses. Looks like my results are par for the course. I am assuming recovery gets harder after each cycle? Is that what others have found? I do know it sucks!
Hi, Bamboon. As some have said, it's different for everyone. I've done 3 rounds, with 4 coming soon. The first round was difficult (rigors from the Rituxan and nausea), the second somewhat but decidedly less so, and Round 3 was the gentlest so far. Hope it's that way for you too. Despite the odd side effect and some trouble with low neuts, I've felt pretty well--better than before treatment, with more energy--during the last two weeks of each cycle. Hope all goes well for you if you're about to start. Prayers from Ohio.
Do you lose your hair with RFC?
Hi, Sherri. I haven't, and I think Chris (cllcanada), who has quite a lot of knowledge about CLL, posted that he'd known hundreds of people on FCR and none had lost their hair. Sometimes people mention a little thinning, but nothing noticeable to others. Hope that helps!
I was told it is very rare. Possible thinning. Only saw one post that after 6 rounds of FCR, no hair loss then 2 months after last chemo, their hair fell out. I keep a scarf in my pocket book just in case I am out and something drastic happens. Everyone is different, especially that one story, but it's comforting to know there is a much lower chance that we dont lose it.
Yes that’s very good to hear. How horrible for it to happen while she was out. Thank you for the reply, my oncologist made it sound like it definitely would but I’m not sure about how much experience she has. I go to mayo for a 2nd opinion in August
My oncologist plus 2 CLL experts told me what to expect as I wrote above. But always in back of my mind...I feel it ain't over till few months after. Hopefully I am not one of the ones that the rarely happens. Oncologist hasn't given me a script for wig. Guess she is that confident. If I need one...will get it. They all said I could dye my hair. Doing it in a few days before next treatment. I do it myself so the chemicals are not strong and if it doesn't work as well (some color doesn't take) ..it will be ok.
I have one more possible side effect I have questions if anyone else had. Numbness in toes and fingers is possible but I have aching in shoulders and some nerve trail sensations down my arm. Not sure if this is from a disc issue in my neck - anyone else experience similar?
