Summary and Research[]
Oral form of 5FU (brand name Xeloda)
Diarrhea and hand and foot symptoms are the most common side effects. Fatigue, back pain, hyperbilirubinema, and constipation are potential side effects also.
See Table 4 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3879291/#!po=42.5000 for other common side effects.
See 5FU discussion for research and additional side effects.
Patient Experiences and Suggestions[]
From http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?pid=57198#p57198
- Personally, the side effects are not bad for me , I am on it for 16 months and counting -- anemia,and fatigue are the two that bother me the most but very tolerable without affecting my quality of life.
From http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?pid=57198#p57198
- Patient on Coumadin(Warfarin) should decrease the dose and monitor the INR level closely by medical professional for potential bleeding drug-drug interaction of Xeloda and Warfarin.
- I take ferrous sulfate 300mg (iron pill) once daily and take loperamide (Imodium) 2 tablet ASAP and one every 4 hours up to 8 tablets (max.dose=16mg)/day.
- Make sure you drink a lot of fluids to replace the fluids loss in diarrhea; Gatorade or electrolytes supplements suggested by doctor is highly recommended to replace the loss of electrolytes.(ie: potassium, calcium,magnesium,phosphous ) If diarrhea still not under control, call doctor for furthur advice.