Jump to content

Tarceva patients


SandraL

Recommended Posts

Well I am at home from work today as am freaking out over a few things. So am a busy girl on this site...just think if I didn't work!

Anyhow, I am astounded at how out of the blue and fast my side effects to Tarceva have appeared. Including my worry over blood in urine. I can just about see my "rash" grow from hour to hour and I am not kidding! I feel like I need to crawl out of my face and scalp and it is all over my chest area and growing! Please please send me any of your miracle cream ideas. I have moisturized with high quality expensive face cream and vaseline intensive care but that does not seem to help much.

I only started taking Tarceva last Friday. I just finally (as I am writing this note) got a call back from a nurse at the clinic who finally pinned a med onc down. Mine is away and that is very unfortunate. The message was to go OFF TARCEVA and that's it!!!! I said to the nurse that I was not at all happy with that advice and she agreed that she wasn't either. So I am marching myself on down there (and she agreed) to be seen. And you had better believe I am more than a bit ticked.

Anyhow, what I really wanted to ask was what dose of tarceva are other patients on. When I first discussed Tarceva with my doc she said she would try to manage the dose down to manage the severity of side effects. I am currently on a 150 mg tablet per day and I believe that is the highest dose. When I finally get to see a med onc in person today that is what I want to discuss...adjusting the dosage.

So what doses are some of you guys on and how long have you been at that level?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been on 150mg, the maximum standard dose, the entire year — except around week 4 or 5 when I took a 3-day break for bad-to-worse rash. The severity dropped quickly, I resumed the 150mg , and the rash never got that bad again. A good number of people do have their doses adjusted down, like to 100mg, or to 75mg by cutting a 150mg tablet in two, and still get good effectiveness from that dose with much easier side effects. Sounds like you might be a candidate for that. Aloha,

Ned

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was on 150 mg for 3 weeks and dropped to 100 mg because of uncontrollable diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. I feel great on 100 mg. I had started Minocycline for the rash and that dried it up a lot. I stopped that when I dropped the dose of Tarceva but restarted it 2 days ago because the rash started to blossom again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been on 150mg for 10 months. It took 5 months for my rash to appear and it's fairly mild and easily controlled by minocycline. The worse side effect for me is the diarrea. I have the immodium with me all the time, yuck. Anyway, what about trying minocycline first before reducing Tarceva to see if you can manage it that way. At least you know it's working. I also found that Eucerin face cream helped me at the beginning of my rash.

Anne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have beeing in Tarceva for 4 month, start 50mg for a week then I went to 100 for another week and 150 since then. my doct gave me 2 creams for the rush and MINOCYCLINE100 mgs. my face is kind of funny acne in old age, but nothing that heart.Sandra they said if it really shows works better. I hope you feel a litle bite better, i am thinking about you.

D'ont give up!!!!!!!!! We are here for you

xoxox bucky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.