Does diarrhea dissapate after your body gets used to a drug?????

[BorisCarloff]

Hi Ladies! Have bad, bad diarrhea on Affintor. Been on it one month. Does it get better as time goes by? Thanks so much

[Oberammergaux2]

Hi

I’ve been on Afinitor since 2008! I wasn’t able to take the 10mg “recommended” dose and haven’t found many others who could. I eventually ended up with 2.5mg along with 25mg of Exemestane. You may need to have your dose reduced and that’s okay. I’m in a personal fight with pharma and MDs who start pts on the highest dose instead of starting with the lowest dose and work up to the dose best tolerated.

Afinitor is a good drug. Watch for mouth issues and interactions with other meds (of any kind!)….make your pharmacist your best friend 🙂

Please reach out again if needed. 👍

[Canceristheworst in reply to Oberammergaux2]

I started on Afinitor three months ago when Ibrance/Letrozole combination stopped working for me (after about four years). I had terrible side effects including bad diarrhea on 10 mg and was reduced to 7.5 after the first few weeks. I am still having diarrhea, so going down to 5 mg to see if that helps with the side effects. I found that coating it in applesauce before taking helps with mouth sores and acid reflux. I take it at dinnertime, which also helps, and be sure to drink plenty of water. Having a banana right before bed also seems to help. Keep us posted!

[Oberammergaux2 in reply to Canceristheworst]

Hi

Great to hear your MD is being flexible with your dosage 👍 Yes, please eat something with the med.

Learned another trick….if you order empty gel capsules (size 2) from Amazon, the Afinitor 2.5mg fits right inside. I don’t remember if the 5mg is much larger, you may need to go up a size. Down the Afinitor goes to be absorbed in the stomach, avoiding any exposure to oral or esophagus tissue. I just started doing this so we’ll see how it goes. The diarrhea got better with time and dose (and my acupuncturist) but, yeah, realizing there’s no straight route back to a bathroom on a mini-golf course 😱 can be terrifying……darn those tiny windmills!

Watch your mouth for issues and make your dentist your BFF, see him/her often. Get some Peridex mouthwash ordered.

Avoid sun exposure.

Check for interactions with any other med that you have ordered, your pharmacist should also be a BFF. Afinitor (like other chemos) doesn’t like to play well with others.

Hang in there, it’s been a really good med for me. Afinitor has kept me vertical for a very long time while working, traveling and being a mom. Here’s hoping you soon get to the point where you just pop it down and go on about life’s normal stuff.

All the best to you….you've got this 💕

Please keep us posted!

[BorisCarloff in reply to Canceristheworst]

Thank you so very much. So great to have this sisterhood of support

[BorisCarloff in reply to Canceristheworst]

Merci!! Hope you are doing better as well!!