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Life on Tagrisso


GingerSnap

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Hi Ginger,

  Great to see you here and in the Virtual Meet up group!    PS:  I'm not an EGRF patient, but I know many and would suggest you also join  LUNGevity's EGFR Group  on FB, if you are not a member, and also to th e https://www.facebook.com/groups/EGFRlung EGFR Resistors https://www.facebook.com/groups/EGFRResisters  -- Many of the LUNGevity members with EGRF are quite active in these groups!

    Lisa

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As I mentioned in your introductory post, I've been on Tagrisso since March 2020, after chemo and radiation. My side effects come and go but have been manageable. About 8 months in, I developed a dry cough which turned out to be Tagrisso-caused nasal allergies, so I take Claritin daily. My eyes are dry, so I use lubricating drops. In August, I developed a case of itchy eczema, and my dermatologist gave me a topical steroid which worked great. I do have to moisturize well. And my nails are a sad wreck no matter what I do. 

I've recently been more short of breath (another common side effect), and my pulmonologist has prescribed a different inhaler (Advair), which my pharmacy is having a hard time filling. Apparently supply chain problems. 

Some people have other side effects, diarrhea being most common. Fatigue, loss of appetite, changes in taste, ingrown toenails and hair loss are also possible. But everyone is different, so don't assume you'll get all of them. 

Thanks to all of the treatments I've had and Tagrisso, I am NED today and you'd never know I had any disease. In fact, I told my pulmonologist this week that if he had told me 2 years ago that I'd be in good health again, I wouldn't have believed him. I walk my dog for an hour every morning, clean my own house, do laundry and cook meals. Luckily I'm retired but I could work if I were younger (my last job was remote before it became fashionable). 

Bottom line is that your scans will hopefully show steady improvements and you can regain most if not all of the life you had before diagnosis. 

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