Carbo gem tips??

[SuziTench1]

Hiya Ladies , yes you've guessed. remission over...🙄🙄. im trying Carbo gem next any advise please ? .

[Hidden]

Are you doing carbo Gem day 1 then day 8 gem on day 8? I had that with Avastin for first recurrence, found gem on day 8 extremely hard due to vomiting, after 3 went to just day 1. I’ve had a good response, managed to work part time throughout. I found it easier than carbo pacletaxol (spelling) but maybe because of no hair loss (thinned but was fine) so people didn’t know I was on treatment. No sympathetic looks! X

[SuziTench1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks.. yesh day 1 day 8 regime hope your on right road now xx

[Yoshbosh]

I’ve been on this twice (still currently being treated with it) and I have honestly found it totally fine. In both cases I’ve skipped the day 8 dose of Gem on its own as my bloods took a hammering, but as my second line treatment, it did the job and I had an excellent response. It’s far easier than carbo/taxol, and no hair loss - result!

I’ll caveat my experience with the fact that I know some ladies have found it quite hard going. I think I’m quite good at coping with chemo generally - my original oncologist asked me if I had ever suffered with morning sickness during my pregnancies, which I didn’t, and she reckoned that would stand me in good stead for chemo 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hope that it is kind to you too.

Vicki x

[SuziTench1 in reply to Yoshbosh]

Thanks same here no morning sickness either.. very encouraging thank you Vicki 🤞🤞🤞😁😁😁x

[Trathi]

Hi SuziTench1, sorry not tried Carbo gem, currently on Caelyx Carbo which is going quite well. Is this the first or second time your cancer has come back?

Sending you lots of love 💕 hugs 🤗 and positive thoughts hope it goes well xxxx

[SuziTench1]

3rd course 2nd recurrence.. had caelyx last time .. not too bad on that one .. taxol 1st time x

[LittleSan]

My experience of carbo/gem is pretty much as the others. Day 8 was hard on the neuts so was knocked off after cycle 3. I even went on my daughters hen do 4 days after cycle 6. As Vicki says though, we're all different. 💐😘

[BeeWild]

Hi lovely I’m currently on cistplatin Gem and finished cycle 2 on Friday (4 more cycles to go)

I have both cistplatin and Gem day 1 and 8 and day 15 is a day off. After cycle 1 my neutrophils took a nose dive and had to miss a week so put on filgrastim for 3 days and 5 days post chemo on this cycle. It worked week one so hoping it carries on.

Side effect wise l have been reasonably ok a bit tired but that might be due to having an irritating cough and not sleeping! The most troublesome one seems to be that horrible skin/muscle ache for a couple of days but it’s manageable. No nausea or vomiting thank goodness .

On a positive though after 1st cycle my ca125 dropped 75% so I’m hoping it carries on that way and I get a reasonable remission!

Good luck with your treatment and hope it’s kind to you x

Hugs

Bev xx

[TarbonNZ]

I completed Carbo/gem last December.

I persevered with week one and the top up with gem the 2nd week to give me the best chance. I’m stubborn. My Oncologist was surprised I went the entire way through.

Side effects: my hair thinned, more than the 10% I had been told. I had mild nausea. I needed 4 blood transfusions over the course of the cycles. Gemcitabine is tough on the bloods. The further along I went I started to get body pain as I had with Carbo/Paclitaxel. I had a treatment break prior to the last cycle to give my body a rest, but I completed the entire course. My CA125 went down to 10. All in all, there were issues, but these were as I went further along with the cycles. I was pleased that I managed the whole treatment cycle.

[BeeWild in reply to TarbonNZ]

Well done and glad this was worth the ups and downs with your bloods x have you been in remission for over a year now ?

[TarbonNZ in reply to BeeWild]

It has only been 5 months since I finished 2nd line. I currently have no symptons, and I am feeling pretty good. My CT a few weeks ago showed two areas of nodules, one in the peritoneum and the other the pelvic side wall. Both of these areas have shown up before. My CA125 bounced from 10 to 17 at my first checkup, and then has only increased by 1 to 18 as of two weeks ago. My Oncologist says the results so far are "encouraging".!

When originally diagnosed I was 700. At the end of first line I was 10. Over the next 11 months I gradually went up to 57 and started having symptons, e.g. bloating. This is when I was started on the carbo/gem cycle after a confirmation CT that it was back.

[Birdsong222]

Hi Suzi

I am on Carbo/Gem for first recurrence, after 9 months NED. I have Carbo/Gem day 1 and then both again on day 8. So far no nausea and only take the anti sickness for 2 days after infusion. Bloods so far holding up ok, eat lots of high iron greens.

My only anomaly has been pain on day 5 after treatment. Firstly they tried putting it down to constipation even though l take plenty of meds for this, then they decided it was disease related as l have a number of tumour growths and they are pushing against bowel area especially, so should subside as they shrink. Now have correct pain relief so all under control.

I had terrible morning sickness with my second child, but have never had any with chemo even with Carbo/Taxel first time round.

I am booked for a total of 6 cycles so 12 infusions. Midway ct scan booked for 23rd April. CA 125 has started to come down again week on week.

l am hoping to have a PARB/trial after this chemo.

As others have said you can carry on as normal and no hair loss so no one knows your back on treatment.

Good luck with this treatment.

Sylvia x

[SuziTench1 in reply to Birdsong222]

Oh thank you .. reassuring xxx