Suggestions for Velcade Regimen

Three suggestions: Request a full liter of saline hydration with each injection, pumped in over about an hour. When I first started I got no more than half a liter, and sometimes substantially less. Most of those times the flu-like side effects were worse. I started insisting on receiving the entire half-liter drip, and usually felt better. Then I asked for a full liter, and often I had no side effects all.

Second suggestion: Do not receive both Velcade and Zometa on the same day. Looking back over my records, the days I did receive both were the days when my side effects were most severe. Previously, I had never had any problem from Zometa at all. The beginning of the seventh cycle, when the rash developed, was the worst I have felt on Velcade, probably because I had also just discontinued taking Neurontin, which I had been on for several weeks for the shingles pain. My next Zometa was last week, a week after the previous Velcade treatment, and once again I had no problem with it.

Third suggestion: Take ALL the vitamins and supplements on the D-F list. I really believe they have held my pn at bay.

Barb S.