Allergic reaction after 6 months!
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Hi,Patty,
I am a patient of CC for 2 years,I am not a doctor.
The info.I provided is solely for information purposes only.doctor consultation is a must for changing of treatment plans.From my point of view,if you had allergic reaction to any drugs before ,it will not be a bad idea to get an” Epipen”-a easy to carry injection of 0.3mg epinephrine for emergency use.;more or less the same as to carry a candy bar or a tube of glucose for diabetic patients when they have low sugar and need it right away.But be sure to ask the doctor if he/she agrees to the idea.
Most often,for the infusion reactions, double the iv dilution volume (ie:from 100ml to 250ml or from 250 to 500ml or 500ml-1000ml;or increase the infusion time of the chemo(ie: from 30 min to 1hr or from 1hr to 2-4 hr) will be enough to solve the problem.
Pre-med with dexamethasone(a steroid) with Zofran or Emend(an anti-emetic)will also provide protection of n/v as well as for allergic reaction to a certain extent. Benadryl Iv and famotidine(pepic) Iv are also given if needed to prevent allergy in the future.But if after the above adjustments to the chemo therapy and still having allergic problems the following will help understanding of the problem.According to Clinical Pharmacolology.”anaphylactoid reactions such as yours,flushing,wheezing,tachycardia,itching,abdominal or back pain and nausea are not uncommon.There is an increasing incidence of hypersensitivity(allergic) reactions in patients receiving repeated courses of cisplatin and usually develops AFTER>/=6 courses of cisplatin;reactions may occur up to 3 days after therapy —-.”
There are other chemo therapy such as Gemzar/Xeloda or combinations of 5Fu and molecularly targeted drugs (ie:Tarceva);MoAbs such as Avastin;also Erbitux to name a few.Desensitization (which involves readministration of the implicated drug),in this case,cisplatin ,performed by allergists or experienced oncologists who handle desensitization protocols by themselves before could be of value if continuation of cisplatin’s potential benefit of further treatment and there are no other reasonable alternatives exist.
Cross-reaction(that is a patient who is sensitive to cisplatin or carboplatin may tolerate the other agent without the need for desensitization.—May,2011 uptodate.comGod bless.
Hi Patty,
My husband had a very similar reaction but to the gemzar a few treatments in.
He turned bright purple and had difficulty breating. They gave him massive doses of benedryl and steroids. He has continued on the gemzar but they give him 25mg 2 times 20 minutes apart prior to treatment and lots of hydration after. The Onc wanted to push thru it and he was right since there has not been another occurance.It’s scary to have a bad reaction and my husband seems to react strangely to all of the medication. You should ask the doc if he feels strongly that it will happen again and maybe try to go more slowly
good luck
I usually get chemo every 14 days but due to a family vacation to Outer Banks, NC, I added another week so it was three weeks (yesterday) before I received my treatment of Gemzar/Cisplatin. My bloodwork looked wonderful which was in part due of the extra week off from my regular routine of chemo.
The Gemzar went fine and a little over half way through the Cysplatin, I woke up and my hands were itching…..then they turned red. I thought they were red from itchng so I kind of blew it off for about 45 seconds. Then I was hot…so I threw off the blanket and sat up. My husband asked me what was wrong and I responded that I didn’t know. Maybe I just needed to use the bathroom. While washing my hands, I looked into the mirror to see the reddest hot pepper looking face/neck/chest I have ever seen. I walked back to the room and was by this time, having difficulty breathing. My husband had followed me to the bathroom so he was off getting a nurse. She immediately asked another nurse to get the dr. He was there within 15 seconds. My lungs were tightening, I was nauseous, and had a tummy ache. They started me on a breathing treatment (pulse was up over 110) and after the treatment, they put me on oxygen. They also injected steroids and a couple of other meds to counteract my allergic reaction. The dr says I am allergic to Cysplatin and will never be able to take chemo from that “family” ever again as the next reaction would probably be worse. He is contacting my Dr. at MD Aderson for an alternative second chemo drug. I am back at work today and pretty well for the most part feel fine. I take the Benedryl for 2 days “just in case” there could be another reaction. Has anyone esle had an allergic reaction to Cysplatin after taking it for 6 months? Any suggestions of drugs I might recommend to the drs? My dr states nothing will work as good as the Gemzar/Cysplatin plan for my Intrahepatic CC….gee thanks for the good news. I am looking for ANY suggestions as I know this is my “wealth of information family”
Patty in Illinois
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