What is red devil chemo and what are the side effects?
Answers
Adriamycin, aka the "Red Devil," is a chemotherapy agent used to treat many kinds of cancer, including breast, lung, ovarian, and bladder cancer. It's also often called Doxorubicin, which is the generic name. Adriamycin is a brand name.
Adriamycin/Doxorubicin is often used as part of combination chemotherapy regimens; for example, when treating breast cancer it's often part of a three--part regimen known as ACT, which stands for Adriamycin, Cytoxan, Taxol.
Adriamycin's profile of side effects include low white blood cell count, low red blood cell count, low platelets, hair loss, and mouth sores. Read our articles on all these side effects for practical suggestions on how to cope with them. In addition, Adriamycin can cause some unusual side effects such as changes to the finger- and toenails and discolored urine. Recently, Adriamycin has come under fire because studies show it can have a toxic effect on the heart muscle, leading to heart failure.
For this reason, patients being treated with Adriamycin often have a MUGA scan to make sure the heart is working properly.
Why is this chemo. regimen sometimes called the "red devil"
If you have ever had to have it, you'd remember it. LOL It is the devil, hair loss, short term memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, stomach pains, loss of sleep, sweats, mouth sores, watery eyes, neuropathy, and on and on.....nasty, nasty stuff. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I hope you never need it.
I just got out of my first 4 day 24 hour/day dance with this Red Devil. I am back at work after a couple days of recovery, don't know how much longer I'll be able to, but it certainly is nothing I would wish on anyone. Terrible stuff, but it is tolerable with anti naseau pills, so far.... Also had Ifosfamide for three days with VinChristine and Mensa. Quite a little trio. I have a very rare Rhabdomyosarcoma that was in my throat, and its a nasty little critter I hear.
Yes, the adriamycin is a nasty drug with numerous side effects. About fives months after completing six rounds of R-CHOP chemo I started experiencing difficulty breathing when trying to sleep. I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and cardio-myopathy due to the adriamycin. My heart ejection factor had plummeted from 65% (normal) down to 15-17%. I'm now on medication for my weakened heart. It is of little comfort to know that this supposedly only occurs in 1% of the population. My oncologists did not test for problems with the medication during my chemo, but should have. Hind-site is a great teacher. Should my cancer return, I've been told that my heart has been weakened too much to undergo chemotherapy again. Take care and insist on adequate testing.
Just finished my round with the red devil and cytoxin, I can still smell it and it is disgusting. The side effects weren't too bad except for the nausea and the smell. About the time I was ready for the next treatment was when I was getting better. Glad that portion is over, now on to 4 rounds of taxatere. God Bless everyone who is going through this, this is not an easy road to take so I hope you are not alone on your journey.
Red Devil is some evil stuff. It's also Red in color and when they injected it into my medi port I could feel it making me sick. The nausea meds they gave me didn't help much. Now, I'm having problems with foot neuropathy pretty bad from the Taxol I'm on. Seems I'm sensitive to the chemo meds. The Oncologist send me for ECG's every 3 months to keep an eye on my heart for problems. Praying for they day I'm finished with all this and healthy once again.
Just got through this subject in Nursong school ... In addition to all the other nasty side effects thenmedication is known to turn the urine fruit punch red hence the name red devil.
