Quick Keytruda Update

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  • Post
    • October 14, 2017 at 3:25 pm
    TexMelanomex
    Participant

      Hey Warriors, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend and relaxing! I wanted to post a few very minor SEs I've noticed since my first infusion of Keytruda on Tuesday (for informational purposes only, not griping 🙂

      1) Minor flu-like symptoms and fatigue (not enough to keep me home from work or being able to do all my normal things), this lasted only 48 hours and resolved by Thursday night.

      2) Sunlight sensitivity. This could be from the PV-10 so I can't blame the Keytruda but this has consisted of my exposed skin turning light red and itching like crazy even after brief exposure to sunlight (i.e., the side of my face after driving for 10 minutes). I don't know if this has improved since I have made sure to cover up even more since this started happening. I can say there have been no rashes or itching since the first 48 hours and benadryl topical cream was very effective.

      3) Night sweats and getting up to pee at night. These are new developments but tolerable…I suppose its better to wake up to pee a few times vs not waking up and peeing the bed! The night sweats don't wake me up, but when I do wake up in the morning, the pillow and sheets are soaked.

      Overall, I consider these things pretty minor and they are pretty easy to adjust to.

      Rock on Warriors!

      Tex

       

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        • October 14, 2017 at 8:44 pm
        MovingOn
        Participant

          Thank you for giving us updates. I’ve definitely heard of some fatigue and even muscle stiffness from others on Keytruda. 

          Maybe if the sun-exposure symptoms are from the PV-10 then it could mean it is acting systemically instead of just locally. I’ve heard that there is testing to see if the intralesionals would also act systemically when paired with a PD1 immunotherapy.

            • October 14, 2017 at 11:53 pm
            TexMelanomex
            Participant

              Entirely possible! I can tell you that the purple/pink color of the PV-10 has spread across my chest, shoulder, and neck from the original injection site so I know it is traveling, not in patches but an entire swath that is quite large. I also have read some of the previous studies that discuss that the PV-10 sometimes does travel and also treats "bystander lesions" that were not injected (I'd be ok with that!!)

              • October 19, 2017 at 8:51 pm
              jrtufo
              Participant

                Take a selfie of your rash and send it to your oncologist.  Very small chance that you are starting down an allergic reaction road.  Photo any changes and remember to take your temp and include that info too.  Better to over react than under react.

              • October 18, 2017 at 2:04 am
              CancerSpouse
              Participant

                Tex, you and my hubby underwent your first Keytruda infusions within a week of each other. His was yesterday. So far he's only experienced "fatigue to the bone." Since you both started the Keytruda portion of the journey at the same time, know that I'm going to be watching you and cheering you on from LA! 

                  • October 19, 2017 at 2:26 am
                  TexMelanomex
                  Participant

                    Hi Spouse! Yes, I will be tracking your posts as well! I can say that now that I am a full week out from my first treatment all side effects have disappeared. No more night sweats, no more flu symptoms (those were brief anyway), no more having to get up in the middle of the night to pee. Dare I say, I feel pretty good! I hope your husband's fatigue is brief. I'm going to enjoy the next 10 days or so before the next round!

                     

                    Tex

                    • October 28, 2017 at 5:25 am
                    CancerSpouse
                    Participant

                      You and John are living parallel lives. His side effects are nearly identical to yours. No real fatigue after the first week. Hang in, Tex!

                      • October 28, 2017 at 5:25 am
                      CancerSpouse
                      Participant

                        You and John are living parallel lives. His side effects are nearly identical to yours. No real fatigue after the first week. Hang in, Tex!

                      • October 18, 2017 at 4:20 am
                      MelanomaMike
                      Participant

                        Hay Tex, oh man, thanks for reporting your Keytruda treatment, when we where chatin' before i musta not paid attention that you where actually "Currently" taking Key! lol..bare with me, as ya know the ol' brain gets a lil' foggy when all sorts of stuff starts comin atchya!. Im gunna push for Keytruda, and hope i am eligible for it, i mean, what would stop me? i do hear one may have to have the correct "balance" of things in my system right?either way,  it seems that it is a must product to have in a Warriors arsenal! Fight on Tex & to all who are at battle…Mike..

                          • October 19, 2017 at 2:32 am
                          TexMelanomex
                          Participant

                            Hey Mike! I think I was still waiting to start when we first started talking (my first infusion was on the 10th). I hope the Keytruda is a good fit for you man, at least for me the side effects are brief and pretty mild, not to mention the data is pretty good on this drug. That's not to say that they might not offer you something equally effective but like I said, so far (and I'm only one infusion into this so I'm a relative newbie to it) its very manageable…straight back to work I went! It's killing me to have to wait until December for the next round of scans because I really want to know what its doing, but I know it takes some time to work so a scan probably wouldn't tell me much right now anyway. When do you get to start this party? Don't you meet with the KP oncologist soon? I hope all is well Mike!

                            Tex

                            • October 19, 2017 at 5:34 am
                            MelanomaMike
                            Participant
                              Hay Tex, thanks 4 writing back i was actually waiting for you to! Haha..well, my schedule so far is a CT Guided lung biopsy next week (26th) then after that off to Kaiser in Riverside (im here in Calif.) Riverside has the “SPC” out there not here in my town. No biggy, about a 150 mile round trip, been there before so, thats when the Doc & I will have my results to go on, i wanna time it where my results are ready same day or day befor i have appt out there, i dont know if im “trippin'” or not but twice now my left then my right arm went numb (a day a part) and i couldnt raise them! Only for a few seconds 15/30 seconds real wierd…i think i am starting to feel the effects of my tumors in my lungs. Im doing a US Navy plaque from wood (18inch)on commision $$ and im like scrambling to get it done! Im thinkin all kinds a weird stuff lol..Im 75% done though!..im so glad yer doing well on the Warrior Juice yer body is strong as i hope mine will, i have Hep C & pray thats not an issue…Warrior Strong my carnal, Warrior Strong!…
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