Hiya I to had ec I was obviously nervous before my first but it was nowhere as bad as I expected it to be I felt off it for about a week .the worse part for me was constipation .drink plenty of water and try to warm your hand /arm before to help needle go in better.hope all goes well for you x
Everyone reacts differently but personally I found with EC I started to feel nauticious during the evening on treatment day but was never actually sick. As Jayceeu says keep hydrated with lots of water during treatment and after. Then after the first night it was really just fatigue I found for the most part for a week to 10 days or so until my body bounced back. Try not to get too anxious about it. Easier said than done I know!! but EC is very doable and the nurses are all absolutely amazing at putting you at ease through it all and addressing any side effects you may experience. You can and will get through this!
Thank you so much for replying.....I really appreciate you taking the trouble to do so as I know there is a lot on the internet about EC, but it is a personal experience that counts for everything. I will heed your advice....kind regards xx
Thank you so much for replying to my post and offering me words of encouragement and support...............hydration appears to be key and warm hand/arm for ease of needle insertion. I am a main carer for my disabled son and with Covid, the day centres and respite care facilities have been closed so he has been home for some time now........I just hope the fatigue isn't like a bad migraine where you can't lift your head off your pillow and I can somehow 'muddle' through. I really appreciate your kind words.
Hello ElaZed I like you was so scared and didn't know what to expect with my first EC chemotherapy session. I waa so nervous,evertything was explained to me by the chemotherapy nurses ,they are very good at putting you at.ease,they stay with you as they administer the EC chemotherapy, I was still anxious as the drug started to go in,I was just alert and waiting to feel something,I thought I'd feel some feeling,like pain. But I honestly didn't feel any,.
They did flush the line through and flush some steroids through,which did give me a funny tingling sensation im my private parts and bottom, which apparently us normal, but ut doesn't last long.
They gave me anti sickness pills a good time before the chemotherapy was administered.
I didnt once feel sick,was able to eat and drink.
Yes after a couple of rounds of the EC chemotherapy you feel a bit tired ( I had four EC chemotherapy sessions,and four Taxol chemotherapy sessions) they look after you well. I finished chemotherapy in December 14th 2020,and Radiotherapy 15 sessions, ended in March 30th 2021. Good luck with evetything, do let us know how things go .
Hello Jassoscared, thank you for taking the time in replying to my post....... I feel reassured that the procedure is do-able. ..... and will let you know how things pan out.......kind regards xx
Hiya, after being dropped off for the appointed time......the paperwork took about 2 mins. Didn't have to wait long, was shown into a four chaired ward, made comfy and given a cup of tea. A steroid and anti sickness tablet was given. A cannula was then expertly inserted in the vein on top of the hand....that was pretty painless and this was taped down. The nurse in charge of my treatment explained that the saline drip was in place whilst the syringe full of the red coloured liquid (Epirubicin) would be slowly injected by her. Then after two large syringe doses of the E drug came the colourless C drug. This drug gave you a funny momentary sensation in your mouth, but, I was so busy chatting with the nurse I hardly noticed.....which was good. The whole process took about an hour and three quarters, if that. Nothing hurt and I walked away unaided.
I did make the mistake of having a coffee, don't ask me why as I had given up caffeine a few months back, so my body didn't like that. I had a feeling of a hang over that evening. Again I should have snacked on something. So that is important. Drinking a pint of milk seemed to rehydrate and nourish....and then I slept.
Felt much better this morning but have taken the steroid and anti sickness tablets.
I do hope you aren't too worried about this procedure and I send you my kind thoughts xx
I had my first cycle of EC on 26/5/21, had no issue during the administration of it, I was give iv ondansotron and dexamethasone pre chemo and was ok, felt a little nauseous in the evening but had been given some metaclopramide that I could take too which I did
try to keep hydrated easier said than done, as everything tasted different
inwas quite nauseous and vomited a couple of times over the following weekend, but this settled by the Monday xx and have discussed this with my oncologist and she has adjusted my anti nausea medication for my next cycle
Hiya, good to hear that you managed. I've not been sick yet, but have a uti, so antibiotics......fingers .Only on third day of treatment, so waiting for the fatigue ........ I know what you mean about the hydration.........I've always been somehow not thirsty! But it is so important...........stating the blinding obvious. Let me know how you get on with your next round on the 16 th.
