Drug Holiday

[MMMP]

I've been taking xeloda for the past 2 years and it's working like a charm- except for my hand and foot syndrome but I can deal with it. Been doing 1500 mg twice a day 7 days on 7 days off. Asked my MD for a drug Holiday and he said fine. Just wondering if anyone has been on a drug Holiday and for how long???

[BeckyHobson]

Hi, my doc took me off Letrozole for almost a month to recoupe from some of the debilitating nerve and joint pains that I was having. Then I started on the Aromasin and the side effects are all but gone and my health is steady. Looking back it was definitely worth the holiday. I must admit I was terrified to stop taking the Letrozole but all is good now. Don’t be hard on yourself and listen to your doc.

[MMMP in reply to BeckyHobson]

Thanks for sharing 😘

[Dianne417]

Hi, MMMP! I have been taking a combination of Ibrance and Letrozole since Jan 2017. After misinterpreting the results from a PT scan last November, my medical oncologist took me off Ibrance for six weeks, until I badgered her to put me back on it, and later got a second opinion confirming that this was right.

Even though I would never have gone off the Ibrance otherwise, I think it was a good thing for the rest of my body to have a vacation from the drug. My WBC shot up to the normal range for the first time in almost a year, I lost my persistent oral thrush infection and was able to ditch my Nystatin mouth rinse for a few weeks, and my energy level really rebounded for about three months. But, most importantly, this error-induced vacation did not affect my tumor marker (CA 15-3) number, which went down by 5 points two weeks after I resumed the Ibrance.

A previous medical oncologist had talked w/me about taking a break from the Ibrance when I had complained of fatigue, and I had said, "Why would I want to do that? I'm doing so well," but now I know that this is a really good idea and I might go off my Ibrance for a one-month cycle each year at the holidays to give my body a rest.

Hopefully, this time off the drug will help your hand and foot syndrome, which I'm assuming is peripheral neuropathy. Sometimes lowering the dose of your chemo drug can mitigate this syndrome, as well, and is something you might want to discuss w/your doctor.

Good luck!

[MMMP in reply to Dianne417]

Had a great holiday- back on drug and feel better- my body got a break!! Labs next week- so glad I did it!!!!

[Dianne417 in reply to MMMP]

Congratulations, MMMP! I'm glad to hear you're doing well.

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I am on Ibrance also. I do get tired. I am so paranoid about missing one pill of any meds. But I admit I had a lot of energy when I was on Letrozle alone in the beginning. Then they added the Ibrance. I would be so nervous stopping even go a month. I get this feeling that it will spread everywhere Craxy I guess! I am glad you posted this. Hope you feel better.

Barbara