Hi can anyone give me their experiances of Caelyx chemo. I have had Carboplatin and Taxol twice since being diagnosed in 2008

[HelenM]

However since finishing my last chemo in December 2010 I have new symptoms now and have been advised that Caelyx would be the next chemo suitable for me. I have decided that I still have to fight on and feel more positive now that last week after the visit to the oncologist. Some insight into Caelyx would be helpful.

[Meryl]

Hi Helen

I have a very similar history to you over the same time period and I asked a similar question a few weeks ago. I got a couple of responses which you may be able to find. As an update I had my first Caelyx yesterday. It was given over a 2 hr period but will reduce to 1.5 hrs next and thereafter 1 hr once a month with the usual pre-meds. I'll be scanned after 4 courses and if I'm tolerating the drug well and it's doing it's job could be up to 8 courses in total. No immediate side effects at all except a bit tired today but like all chemo it's cumulative so we'll have to see. I feel quite positive about it because I hope that at least whilst I'm having this every month, hopefully for the full 8 months, that at least the disease won't get any worse and a real result would be to get me into remission again. Good luck. Meryl

[sarah1963]

Hello Helen

Yes I had Caelyx some time ago now but I recall feeling generally well - not sick and no hair loss. The side effect I had was soreness and itchiness on my legs. Not pleasant but certainly bearable, particularly when you are feeling pretty healthy in other respects. I was given plenty of advise on how to treat the itchiness. It is worth the effort, I then had over a year without any treatment once I had finished Caelyx - your response could be better than that.

My very best to you ( and Meryl)

Sarah

[AngelaAbell]

Hi Helen

I have just had by 4th treatment of Caelyx and so far the side effects have been fairly minimal compared to taxol and carboplatin. Once a month gives me more time feeling pretty well once the normal tiredness with chemo wears off and apart from having very dry and occasionally itchy feet I have so far been OK. My scan after the 3rd treatment showed that it appeared to be arresting the activity on the tumors which is positive news.

Good luck with your treatment - I hope that you go on feeling positive.

all the best (and to fellow caelyx people)

Angela

[HelenM in reply to AngelaAbell]

Hi to all who have passed on information, thank you all very much. It helps to know there are others out there who are going through or have gone through similar symptoms and chemo. I am just waiting on my appointments to come through but have decided there is no point moping about. I just have to get on with it and try to live as normal a life as possible. I try to eat healthy meals with lots of fruit & veg, I drink lots of green tea and have a couple of squares of dark chocolate with the tea twice a day. Can anyone advise further on anti cancer diets, when you ask the consultant they just say eat whatever you feel like. I have read Dr David Servan-Schreiber's book and can see where he is coming from. Anyone with any other tips on what to eat and more importantly what not to eat?

[Hidden]

I started with his book, but you can find a lot more information on diet and lifestyle by searching the internet. Just found a site called cancer survival, with lots of info, and also Canceractive, with Chris Woollams. I also belong to a local cancer support group, which give regular talks on nutrution and treatments to help make you feel better. I hope you find something to help.

viv

[jape]

Hi Helen

I had Caelyx last autumn but my symptoms got worse each treatment - mouth ulcers etc and after 3 treatments I ended up very ill in hospital and had to come off of Caelyx.... however after 3 courses of Caelyx the scan showed that my tumour patches had shrunk and my CA125 went down from over 400 to 40. I expected the cancer to return soon as I had less than half of the course and 8 weeks ago my CA125 was back up to 259. I had to go back for another blood test last week and expected my CA125 to be 300 - 400ish but it wasn't, it had dropped to 195 !! All I have done different is to take massive doses of turmeric and not eat acidic foods (as advised by a Herbalist friend) If you can tolerate the Caelyx it seems to work well and Gelclair gel is v good if you do get mouth ulcers. I was diagnosed in 2005 (gr3) and have had 2 courses of carboplatin & Taxol and 1 of carboplatin + the Caelx. Good luck.

[HelenM in reply to jape]

Hi Jape

Thank you for the info, when you say you have been taking massive doses of tumeric, how are you doing this? Are you adding it to your food or is tumeric availiable in tablet form?

Regards Helen

[jape in reply to HelenM]

I bought some vegi caps - empty capsules that you can buy on ebay - and I filled them with turmeric that you can buy in big bags from the ethnic food section in Tesco (about £2). It's a bit fiddly filling the capsules and it stains your hands so please wear thin rubber gloves or you will end up looking like a 100 a day smoker. It's a lot cheaper than buying tablets. I have also tried dissolving the turmeric in a little water and drinking quickly via a straw but it's not pleasant. Hope this is a help.

[Hidden in reply to HelenM]

Turmeric is not well absorbed by the body, so you'll have to add a dash of black pepper to make it more bio-available. Go to the website of Supplement Place. They sell turmeric in capsule form standardised to more than 95% curcuminoids, the active ingredient, and it also contains black pepper.