I have found much worthwhile information from the experiences on this site. I thought it may help someone else in the future to share my treatment changes in the past month- perhaps someone else may benefit from the information.
I am 45 years old. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ovarian Clear Cell in May, 2018. I have been on Avastin since September 2018. About every 6 months I've skipped a treatment. My disease has remained stable. I have had several severe side effects including severe muscle spasms and cramping, muscle and joint stiffness, burning and pain, and lumps in my muscles that burn to touch. I get severe fatigue, cramping in my legs, shoulder pain so severe I could not move or use it, joint aches particularly on my right side and in my ankles and wrists, and an inflammatory reaction to my contacts so I had to change brands. I developed high blood pressure and severe pulmonary and pleural effusions. Hopefully this is the end of the crazy side effects.
I recently started taking Metformin with the Avastin. Studies show taking Metformin with Avastin can reduce tumor development- I hope it works for me.
I had to have a pleurodesis to address the pleural effusions. I was not a good candidate for a pleural catheter. I was the first Avastin patient (for my doctor) to be given a pleuraldesis. It makes recovery more challenging but so far it is working. I have to say- the procedure and the healing process has been VERY painful. Not taking painkillers (which I hate) was not an option because with the pain, my blood pressure jumped up so high it was dangerous and impeding healing. Part of this may have a lot to do with how Avastin increases inflammation.
I have managed the inflammation, stiffness and muscular pain with changing my diet. I hope this may be informational for someone else. Blessing All!