Any advice on Ascites

[Rubyln15]

I have ascites, seems like this came on overnight. Very large abdomen and feet and legs very swollen. Any input I’m miserable!

[kokopelli2017]

hi, this can be serious if left untreated too long. it can affect your breathing eventually as your swollen abdomen pushes against your diaphragm and then your lungs. are you feeling short of breath when you are walking? usually they (doctors) will drain the fluid in your abdomen if it is a large amount.

is your doctor (primary or oncologist) aware of your ascites? if not, please contact them asap. (I am RN and worked in the ER once upon a time).

best wishes.....

carole XO

[Rubyln15 in reply to kokopelli2017]

My doctor is a Oncologist, I hope to be getting this drained today. I have MBC that has spread to my liver. I just started on Chemo two weeks ago. Thank you for your advice. Jen

[kokopelli2017]

hi again Rubyln15. has this happened to you before? what part is making you miserable? well probably all of it...lol. but I am worried about you. are you currently short of breath? if you struggle to breathe....please head to ER. or at least call the 'on-

[kokopelli2017]

oops! ....or at least call the 'on-call' doctor. not trying to be alarming. just trying to give appropriate advice. my thoughts. not a doctor. please keep us posted.

[PJBinMI]

I'm glad you are getting it drained! The oncology nurses where I'm treated know alot and often have suggestions about things like where to get things that are helpful and other details that my oncs don't mention. I hope you will get the advise you need for peace of mind when you see the medical folks today! If they share good advise, post it here with ascites as the heading so others can find it..... sending healing thoughts....

[Fifilatour]

Hi Ruby- I’m so sorry you have ascites. It is really awful. I’ve been struggling with ascites since April when I found out Ibrance had stopped working (after 3 great months - bah). It is horrible - I found out at the same time I had 17 lesions in my brain and the ascites was more a problem for me! (I had successful Cyber Knife treatment on the lesions). My liver numbers went up so fast (Alk Phst from 135 to 998 in a month. Bilirubin to 3.3) which corresponded with the ascites. I just started my 3rd cycle of Xeloda and my Alk Phst is 430 and my bilirubin is at 2, so the first two cycles of Xeloda are clearly working. My wonderful oncologist said that they usually need to see three months on Xeloda before the symptomatic issues (like ascites) clear up. In the meantime, she has me on two meds for diuretic and one for heartburn. I have to eat small meals and they want me to watch how much plain water I drink - they said broth and anything with electrolytes can be better as plain water can end up in the fluid. Managing the ascites has been exhausting and time consuming. I had a paracentesis in late April right when i started Xeloda and they removed +2 liters of fluid. It was an easy procedure and i felt immediately better. I am having another one in the next week. They looked at giving me one a couple of weeks ago, but the ultrasound showed not a ton of fluid except around the liver, so that was a no go. But I’m definitely a bit bigger now. Other things that help: I take Senna at night - it’s a vegetable laxative - so I know I can have a bm every morning. Being constipated on top of the ascites is misery incarnate. I eat more in the first half of the day and really slow down by 6pm. Watermelon is in season right now and it provides liquid and is a natural diuretic. I’ve been eating a lot of watermelon (which I love anyway). I’ve had to cut all my casual pants and pjs in the front so they fit and I wear them everywhere. Also, I went to a lymphatic drainage massage therapist and, while it didn’t help the ascites, she was able to give me some relief and helped my swollen extremities for sure. Deep belly breaths 20 in the am and 20 in the pm were recommended by her. Slowly breathing in through the nose and expanding your abdomen then breathing out through the mouth and pressing the air out with your stomach muscles while trying to contract your abdomen. She said it acts like a bellows to get your system moving. Again, nothing is getting rid of the ascites (except Xeloda slowly I hope!), but the breathing is helpful and it is a nice way to relax and center, which I need. It is much harder to keep my chin up with the ascites because it’s so miserable making. I work fulltime and go to the office twice a week and I find those days are easier because I’m focused on other things. (And no one can tell youre wearing black pj bottoms with the front cut open when you sell the rest of your look 😉). I hope this can be of help to you, Ruby. Basically, Xeloda is the key to really get rid of ascites for me, I hope. Until then, paracentesis is the number one thing to help. The rest of the things I mentioned can help make the symptoms a little more tolerable. Good luck and please keep me posted - maybe we can help each other with info. Best, Liz P. San Francisco

[Shafight in reply to Fifilatour]

I’m so happy for you that you fou found relief. This is a new condition that I haven’t heard of

[Sweeten_1]

Have to get drained every week or feel terrible. Can't eat and throw up when I try. Feet swollen. Oncologist going to give iv albumin because she said the fluid drained is albumin and protein. My protein has been very low. Started taxol and she is hoping will slow down the weekly drain. She doesn't want to put a drain in to do myself right now because of infection.