Chemo Regimen FAQs: FEC Chemotherapy

by PJ Hamel
Tuesday, July 03, 2007

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• Eye Irritation: Your eyes may feel sore, they may burn, or they may feel “gritty.” Try using “artificial tears” eye drops before going to bed at night. Also, you may find you can’t wear contacts during treatment.

• Bladder irritation: “C” will possibly cause some bladder irritation, which may feel like a mild bladder infection. Drink plenty of fluids; this will help allay the discomfort. And mention to your doctor that you’re feeling uncomfortable; he or she may want to check to make sure you don’t in fact have a bladder infection.

• Loss of fertility: Your ovaries will stop releasing eggs while you’re having treatment. Whether or not you get your period back once you’re done depends a lot on age: the closer you are to natural menopause, the more likely you are to be permanently infertile (menopausal). “Chemical menopause” caused by chemotherapy has all the possible range of symptoms of normal menopause, but condensed into a smaller timeframe. The bad news is, it’s more intense. The good news is, you get through it faster!

• Fatigue: This is pretty much a given with any kind of chemo. You’re losing a fair number of red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen around your body. You’ll find it harder than usual to do just about anything, from getting out of bed in the morning to climbing a flight of stairs to simply doing the dishes. Be good to yourself; rest when you need to. On the other hand, don’t just lie around constantly; exercise, even if it’s only a short walk around the yard, will make you feel better.

• Susceptibility to infection: Like your red blood cells, some of your white blood cells will be destroyed, too. These are the cells that fight off infections, so be extra-careful; act like it’s the height of flu season. Wash your hands, avoid crowds, stay away from sick people… If you get sick during FEC chemo treatment, you’re likely to get REALLY sick, perhaps even require hospitalization. So take extra precautions; it’s not a great idea to go shopping at the mall, work out at the gym, or go swimming in a public pool.

• Susceptibility to sunburn: This is a special side effect of “F.” You’ll be more likely than usual to get a sunburn, so wear a hat, slather on the sunblock, and just plain stay out of the sun as much as possible.

• Bruising or bleeding more easily: You may notice you bruise more easily. Or maybe your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, your nose bleeds when you blow it, you see some spotting in your underwear… your bone marrow is producing fewer platelets, which is what helps your blood clot. This isn’t a serious problem–it’s not like having hemophilia–it’s more an annoyance, something to be aware of. And, along these same lines, don’t panic when your urine suddenly turns reddish-pink directly after your treatment: it’s not blood, it’s from the drugs. This particular side effect should go away in about 24 hours.

• Chemo brain: This rather disheartening side effect is experienced by many women as they go through chemo. And in about 15 percent of women, it lingers for years. Imagine your brain is a blackboard: chemo brain is the eraser. Short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating are its main characteristics. You may forget your best friend’s name, your own phone number, or which way to turn a doorknob… any number of heretofore simple tasks are made more difficult, simply because you’ve (temporarily, hopefully) lost some short-term memory. Until very recently, this side effect wasn’t officially recognized, nor taken seriously. But now, as more and more women experience it, researchers are trying to figure out just what’s going on, and how to provide relief. If you do run up against chemo brain, try not to stress; if it doesn’t disappear pretty quickly once you finish chemo, it should lessen over time.

That wraps up the high points. If you’re feeling totally bummed at the prospect of FEC, please, don’t be. Not every woman gets every side effect; about all you can absolutely count on is losing your hair. When I went through FEC, I felt only mildly queasy, and had enough energy to work full time. It’s true, I didn’t feel great; but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d imagined. I wish the same for you!