Capecitabine and Weakness: What Users Say

• van...
• November 18, 2011

Capecitabine for Colorectal Cancer "My father was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer one year ago. I'm thankful for Xeloda, it has worked in shrinking the tumor on his colon. He has not lost hair, does not vomit, or have constant diarrhea. He is eating well and can still taste flavors of the food he eats. I thank God for this. However, he does have other symptoms like pain and peeling on his hands and feet, blackness on his hands and the bottom of his feet. I do notice he has chills, feels weak and disoriented at times, body aches, and his hearing is not as good as it was before."

• Ver...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2021

For Colorectal Cancer "My husband was started on 1500 mg twice a day of this while also receiving radiation for rectal cancer when he developed life-threatening problems. It causes dehydration, horrible diarrhea, weakness, and fatigue, kidney functions declined (he has kidney problems), and the combo with radiation caused severe radiation burns internally and enteritis. He recovered from the first infection, started the chemo/rad combo again, his dose of this was dramatically decreased to 500 mg twice a day and continued his radiation. He got sick again in a little over a week and again ended up in the hospital with enteritis and blood infection! To make a long story short, he had a heart attack from this medicine! Thankfully he was in the hospital with these other infections and was rushed to a larger hospital where two stents were put in his right coronary artery and there will be another stent procedure on the left side very soon. This is a horrible medicine and cannot take any chemo now!"

• LIN...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 7, 2023

For Colorectal Cancer "My mother, who is now 92 y.o., was diagnosed with originally stage 3 rectal cancer. The first scan after surgery came back negative for cancer. Three months later, the scan showed recurrent cancer in the rectum and mets to her liver-three lesions. Initially, she was given 2000 mg per day, two tabs in the am and pm, one week on and one week off. A follow-up scan showed all lesions had shrunk. She developed neuropathy in her hands and feet. Ulcers were treated by a wound doctor while the oncologist gave her a 5-week holiday to allow for the ulcers to heal, which they did. The oncologist reduced her dose to 1500 mg, 1 in the am, 2 in the pm, one week on, one week off. She is now on her second cycle. She is fatigued, weak, has vision problems, and is anemic. She received iron infusions. She has good days and bad days. Most likely, she will be on this regimen for life. However, she has sleep apnea, which is being addressed in hopes of helping with the fatigue. It is difficult to delineate what are Xeloda side effects."

• Jes...
• October 10, 2016

For Breast Cancer "My mom was hospitalized three days after taking a low dose of this poison. Even before she started, she was not really eating and drinking (receiving hydration IVs three days a week). Her liver was so swollen that she could barely swallow her tiny pain pills every four hours. We had to be creative - using honey and Jell-O to keep pills from getting stuck in her throat. I’m guessing that this drug is intended for younger or healthier people, and that in my mom’s case, it probably robbed her of some precious time with her family. She is so much weaker now than before."

• Anonymous
• February 27, 2021

Capecitabine for Breast Cancer, Metastatic "This stuff doesn't work, found a lesion on the liver. Made my daughter so weak. Don't take it!!!"