› Forums › General Melanoma Community › switching to Tafinlar/Mekinist Combo
- This topic has 9 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 3 months ago by
john partrick michael murphy.
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- January 22, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Now that GSK's combo has been approved my MD is switching me from Zelboraf, which i have been on for about 14 months, to the GSK combo TAfinlar/Mekinist.
Has anyone used the combo and if so, what side effects did you have and was the combo successful?
Barry
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- January 22, 2014 at 6:04 pm
There was recently a long discussion about this. Check out: http://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/switching-zelboraf-brafmek
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- January 22, 2014 at 6:04 pm
There was recently a long discussion about this. Check out: http://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/switching-zelboraf-brafmek
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- January 22, 2014 at 6:04 pm
There was recently a long discussion about this. Check out: http://www.melanoma.org/find-support/patient-community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/switching-zelboraf-brafmek
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- January 22, 2014 at 10:11 pm
I've been on the combo for about a month and can honestly say I have no noticable side effects at all. With the possible exception of my skin being a little extra dry, but the extra cold dry winter we're having could have somethint to do with that as well. No problems at all- no headaches, no nausea or any other GI issues, no fatigue, nothing. The only thing I'm not sure of right now is photosensitivity. It's listed as a possible side effect, but being winter and an abnormally cold one at that, I haven't really been outside long enough to know if I'll have that or not.
The biggest "problem" I have with them is that they have to be taken 1 hour before and at least 2 hours after eating (i.e. on an empty stomach). Not such a big deal in the morning, just take them and wait an hour before breakfast, but in the evening it can be a bit tedious since you have to wait a full 2+ hours after you last eat before you can take them. Mostly for me what that means is that I can't have desert (which probably isn't such a bad thing, but I like desert), or if I do I have to stay up later than I usually like to. You have to be much more conscious of mealtimes and pill times than I would like. You also have to separate any other medications you take by at least an hour from these meds.
Oh, and one more note- if you're female and on birth control pills the combo reduces the effectiveness of your birth control so you must use a backup method as pregnancy is a HUGE no no with these drugs.
good luck and I hope you have success with them.
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- January 23, 2014 at 4:14 am
Here I am at 37 months on this magic combo. I had no side affects for 64 days, and then it hit, "All at once, and nothing first, like a bubble when it bursts." Just pretend it is happening to someone else and think of having no feeling at all as the alternative. I did call Dr. Lawrence, at MGH, and he had me stop the Tafinlar for two full days…I hated it because cancer was stealing a march on me. The shakes, sweats, fever, etc. vanished! Then back to full dose of 300 mg./day. The first year it happened four or five times, each time not as bad as what was before, and I have never taken another break from my precious duet.
After the first year I had no more symptoms other than SCC which comes at me and we cut it out, biopsy it, and throw it in a pail. It is like kissing your sister compared to Stage IV melanoma. You are in the bosom of Abraham and you should go hug your doctor. I call the pair, "Smith and Wesson."
You should eat dessert first anyhow, as life is uncertain. That's all I have to say other than I love GSK for developing these astonishing drugs. My lung tumors vanished, and maybe I am NED for melanoma but we don't know due to something on the scans that may be scar tissue, or we have a standoff with this last 6% of the largest, and only remaining tumor. Go get 'em, and put the twist on your cancer.
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- January 23, 2014 at 4:14 am
Here I am at 37 months on this magic combo. I had no side affects for 64 days, and then it hit, "All at once, and nothing first, like a bubble when it bursts." Just pretend it is happening to someone else and think of having no feeling at all as the alternative. I did call Dr. Lawrence, at MGH, and he had me stop the Tafinlar for two full days…I hated it because cancer was stealing a march on me. The shakes, sweats, fever, etc. vanished! Then back to full dose of 300 mg./day. The first year it happened four or five times, each time not as bad as what was before, and I have never taken another break from my precious duet.
After the first year I had no more symptoms other than SCC which comes at me and we cut it out, biopsy it, and throw it in a pail. It is like kissing your sister compared to Stage IV melanoma. You are in the bosom of Abraham and you should go hug your doctor. I call the pair, "Smith and Wesson."
You should eat dessert first anyhow, as life is uncertain. That's all I have to say other than I love GSK for developing these astonishing drugs. My lung tumors vanished, and maybe I am NED for melanoma but we don't know due to something on the scans that may be scar tissue, or we have a standoff with this last 6% of the largest, and only remaining tumor. Go get 'em, and put the twist on your cancer.
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- January 23, 2014 at 4:14 am
Here I am at 37 months on this magic combo. I had no side affects for 64 days, and then it hit, "All at once, and nothing first, like a bubble when it bursts." Just pretend it is happening to someone else and think of having no feeling at all as the alternative. I did call Dr. Lawrence, at MGH, and he had me stop the Tafinlar for two full days…I hated it because cancer was stealing a march on me. The shakes, sweats, fever, etc. vanished! Then back to full dose of 300 mg./day. The first year it happened four or five times, each time not as bad as what was before, and I have never taken another break from my precious duet.
After the first year I had no more symptoms other than SCC which comes at me and we cut it out, biopsy it, and throw it in a pail. It is like kissing your sister compared to Stage IV melanoma. You are in the bosom of Abraham and you should go hug your doctor. I call the pair, "Smith and Wesson."
You should eat dessert first anyhow, as life is uncertain. That's all I have to say other than I love GSK for developing these astonishing drugs. My lung tumors vanished, and maybe I am NED for melanoma but we don't know due to something on the scans that may be scar tissue, or we have a standoff with this last 6% of the largest, and only remaining tumor. Go get 'em, and put the twist on your cancer.
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- January 22, 2014 at 10:11 pm
I've been on the combo for about a month and can honestly say I have no noticable side effects at all. With the possible exception of my skin being a little extra dry, but the extra cold dry winter we're having could have somethint to do with that as well. No problems at all- no headaches, no nausea or any other GI issues, no fatigue, nothing. The only thing I'm not sure of right now is photosensitivity. It's listed as a possible side effect, but being winter and an abnormally cold one at that, I haven't really been outside long enough to know if I'll have that or not.
The biggest "problem" I have with them is that they have to be taken 1 hour before and at least 2 hours after eating (i.e. on an empty stomach). Not such a big deal in the morning, just take them and wait an hour before breakfast, but in the evening it can be a bit tedious since you have to wait a full 2+ hours after you last eat before you can take them. Mostly for me what that means is that I can't have desert (which probably isn't such a bad thing, but I like desert), or if I do I have to stay up later than I usually like to. You have to be much more conscious of mealtimes and pill times than I would like. You also have to separate any other medications you take by at least an hour from these meds.
Oh, and one more note- if you're female and on birth control pills the combo reduces the effectiveness of your birth control so you must use a backup method as pregnancy is a HUGE no no with these drugs.
good luck and I hope you have success with them.
-
- January 22, 2014 at 10:11 pm
I've been on the combo for about a month and can honestly say I have no noticable side effects at all. With the possible exception of my skin being a little extra dry, but the extra cold dry winter we're having could have somethint to do with that as well. No problems at all- no headaches, no nausea or any other GI issues, no fatigue, nothing. The only thing I'm not sure of right now is photosensitivity. It's listed as a possible side effect, but being winter and an abnormally cold one at that, I haven't really been outside long enough to know if I'll have that or not.
The biggest "problem" I have with them is that they have to be taken 1 hour before and at least 2 hours after eating (i.e. on an empty stomach). Not such a big deal in the morning, just take them and wait an hour before breakfast, but in the evening it can be a bit tedious since you have to wait a full 2+ hours after you last eat before you can take them. Mostly for me what that means is that I can't have desert (which probably isn't such a bad thing, but I like desert), or if I do I have to stay up later than I usually like to. You have to be much more conscious of mealtimes and pill times than I would like. You also have to separate any other medications you take by at least an hour from these meds.
Oh, and one more note- if you're female and on birth control pills the combo reduces the effectiveness of your birth control so you must use a backup method as pregnancy is a HUGE no no with these drugs.
good luck and I hope you have success with them.
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