Gemzar and Carboplatim

[Cardiff05]

Hi ladies

My wife is being treat for reoccurrence of her HGOC which has progressed to lymph in her neck and liver.

She is being treat with Gemzar and Carboplatin, there's been no suggestion of radiotherapy.

I'm asking if anyone could advise on side effects she seems very tired , which I understand is not uncommon and she is managing by listening to her body, resting when needed and eating well.

Unusually she seems to have a change in her voice very hoarse almost 'squeaky' at times but no pain or soreness , obviously she's very concerned that it may be caused by something sinister but I'm wondering has anyone else experienced similar side effects ?

Thank you

[Cheadle]

Hi there. I've had gem/ carbo twice and both times found it reasonably tolerable though you will get different opinions on here as responses to chemo are highly individual. The main side effect for me was its impact on my white blood count, neutrophils specifically, which bottomed out after a cycle or two, and meant having to have Filgrastim injections. Fatigue is to be expected tbh, though it may fluctuate throughout the cycle. It was also tough on my veins, cannulation got increasingly uncomfortable so on my second stint I got a port which really helped. I believe the voice/ throat can be affected by chemo but your wife should mention it to the chemo nurses next time she's in for treatment to put her mind at rest.

[FlowerRose]

I'm afraid chemo can wreak havoc on your vocal chords. I finished 4 years ago and my voice has never been the same. That's not a side affect that's talked about often 😔

[lesleysage]

Hello Cardiff05, in response to carbopatin-taxol in two different 'regimes', one with Avastin & one without, my voice went 'very thin' and 'weedy'. Between the two occurrences, even though I had never sung before, I took some singing lessons over the internet which focussed on strengthening my vocal chords. My teacher was also very good fun which did me the world of good...and my voice was nicely back to normal before the second occurrence and I had learned enough to then do the practice on my own after the second chemo regime.

If you want to chat over and concerns or seek more information on your wife's treatment, you can always try ringing the Ovacome Support team on 0800 008 7054. Ovacome used to have a choir 'Staying Connected' session during the Covid lockdown; I found my teacher from an internet search.

Good luck to both you and your wife.

[Cardiff05 in reply to lesleysage]

Thanks ever so much for responding, I know everyone and every situations so different but it helps to take positivity from the challenges people are facing.