Chemotherapy can come along with a bunch of unpleasant side effects. If you’re on a FOLFIRI/XELIRI regimen, here are some side effects you might experience:
Whew, sounds like a lot, right? Remember that you likely won’t experience all of these side effects — because everyone’s bodies are different.
If you ever feel like you can’t manage your side effects and symptoms, don’t be afraid to speak with your doctor about pre-meds or complimentary meds to manage them. You can also ask for a referral to the palliative care specialist or team at your cancer center. It’s important to note that palliative care is not the same as hospice care. Palliative care helps patients manage symptoms, and it can be extremely helpful for many people.
Remember that it’s important to check in with your healthcare team before starting any supplements, complementary therapies or fasting regimens. These treatments might not be appropriate for everyone — and some may even interfere with chemotherapy.
This is an extremely common chemotherapy side effect. Nausea usually lasts for a few days to a week after infusion.
Chemotherapy can be very hard on the gut. Many patients on capecitabine experience heartburn.
Some patients report experiencing stomach cramps shortly after being disconnected from the chemotherapy IV.
Do you feel a bit off your game? Chemotherapy can cause a decrease in mental acuity, difficulty remembering certain things, and trouble finishing tasks. You might struggle with concentrating, or learning new skills. Usually, things get better after the end of chemo, but many changes can be permanent.
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Chemotherapy can change the way your body perceives tastes and smells, causing aversions to things you usually don’t mind! These changes are temporary, and will likely go away after chemo has finished or if you have a chemo break.
Feeling tired is one of the most common side effects for people going through chemotherapy. It’s important to remember that your body is going through a lot.
You might feel anxious about your cancer diagnosis, or worried about your treatment plan. Many patients feel stressed before infusions. Managing anxiety is an important task, but it can be difficult!
When you first learned about starting chemotherapy, you might have been worried about losing your beautiful hair! However, colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemo often experience hair thinning, not complete hair loss.
Check out this link from the National Cancer Institute.
Chemotherapy can cause painful mouth sores. If you develop them, discuss your symptoms with your oncologist immediately. A dose reduction of 5FU can help.
Some people have trouble going to the bathroom while on chemotherapy. Many anti-nausea medications, pre-meds and home meds have a constipating effect.
Irinotecan can cause loose bowels. This is one of the most common side effects of the FOLFIRI/XELIRI regimens. You may experience this at any point during your treatment, even up to 10 days post infusion.
When on chemotherapy and other targeted therapies, try to stay out of the sun for extended periods of time. Wear hats and protective clothing, and purchase a good sunscreen. Wear it every day — whether or not you’re planning on leaving the house!
White blood cells (WBC) are used to fight off infections. Low white blood cell counts can increase your risk of infection, and make you feel short of breath.
Your healthcare team will monitor your WBC counts to make sure they don’t get too low. If they are, your treatment might be delayed by a week or two, to give your body a chance to recover. Treatment delays should be avoided whenever possible, but they are common.
Talk to your team about any concerns you have, but know that an occasional chemo delay should not affect your long-term prognosis or the overall effectiveness of your treatment. If you are getting a 5FU bolus, dropping it can help with blood counts.
Chemotherapy will likely decrease your red blood cell (RBC) counts. This can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. Your healthcare team will monitor your RBC levels to make sure they don’t go too low. Many patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer may already have anemia due to iron deficiency from tumors in the gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Chemo can worsen preexisting anemia.
Chemotherapy drugs can cause your platelet levels to drop. Platelets help your blood clot — so low levels can cause bruising, nosebleeds and sensitive gums.
Chemotherapy can cause a loss of libido. Women may experience a drop in estrogen production, which leads to early symptoms of menopause. This can cause vaginal dryness, and loss of a period. These symptoms may resolve after you stop treatment, however, they may become permanent. In men, chemo can reduce testosterone production, however it should return to normal after treatment has finished.
Chemotherapy can also affect fertility. Some drugs have a higher risk of affecting fertility than others, depending on your age and other factors. The risk of permanent infertility is even higher if you’re treated with both chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis. Speak with your oncologist before starting treatment about any concerns you might have.
It’s a good idea to keep a journal or notes about your side effects, so you can discuss them with your oncologist at your next appointment. This can help you advocate for changes to your pre-meds and home meds as necessary. Be sure to discuss possible side effects with your oncologist, so you know what’s normal and what might be concerning. Before your first chemo treatment, you should have been given a 24-hour phone number to call in case of severe symptoms.
Some of these symptoms include:
Some severe side effects may also be related to a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency, which means the body can’t break down 5FU. Although DPD deficiency is rare, it does affect a small number of patients and in some can result in death if untreated. For more information on DPD deficiency, click here.
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Last updated: March 9, 2022