Help for Xeloda Side Effects
Posted 8/17/2009
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Xeloda is an oral (pills) form of chemotherapy that is frequently used in the treatment of Stage IV/metastatic breast cancer and sometimes in the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer. It is an oral form of a chemotherapy drug, 5-FU, that has been around for a long time and used often for the treatment of both breast and colorectal cancers.
A big advantage of Xeloda is the fact that it is oral and does not require frequent trips to the hospital/doctor's office for IV chemotherapy. However, as we all know, nothing comes without its problems, and a common side effect of Xeloda is something called hand/foot syndrome. This is a syndrome that includes pain/redness/sometimes blisters on hands and feet; it can be mild or it can be severe enough to prevent normal activities.
One of our patients discovered that henna (yes, the substance that is used in India to paint beautiful designs on women's bodies) can be a helpful antidote. Here is a link to her blog that describes its use: http://xelodasideeffects.blogspot.com/
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