My 3rd bcg of 6 treatment

5 years 7 months ago #55720 by Alan
Replied by Alan on topic My 3rd bcg of 6 treatment
Reduced dosage is often a solution. 1/3, 1/4 even 1/10 have worked with many and that is enough for a complete cure in many. My URO gave me 2 groups of 6 and that is all he normally does and he studied under Dr. Lamm who pioneered BCG. Some even have to discontinue as you don't want to ruin the bladder. You are at the point to watch and listen closely to what your body is saying. The good news is the reaction is often indicative that it has worked!

DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.

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5 years 7 months ago #55719 by Jack R
Replied by Jack R on topic My 3rd bcg of 6 treatment
Jpmains,

Many people sail through BCG and report a bit of discomfort but no real issues.

Others have a different story. My problems started about where you are now. By the sixth BCG instillation, I could count of losing 3 days to just dealing with the BCG side effects. The first 24 to 36 hours were the worst.

I kept going because BCG is the most effective initial treatment for bladder cancer. I kept mine under control for about 2 years, with additional BCG treatments. The cancer would be gone, then reappear, so we stayed with BCG.

It is important to you talk to your care team about your symptoms, and the side effects you experience. There are a number of things that can help. Ask about pyridium (a urinary pain reliever) and other medications. Doses and timing might be varied to help you recover between BCG instillations. Hold nothing back - talk about how BCG affects you and for how long.

On your own, find out what helps you deal with the side effects. For me lying down and taking all pressure off the bladder was very helpful, as were hot packs over the bladder area. Hot liquids, once urination was possible helped a lot ( I like coffee, some docs don't - so ask). Lots of cold drinks, including carbonated helped (same need to see what doc thinks).

Do try find was to deal with YOUR symptoms. Ask for help.

Best,
Jack

6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
Tis CIS comes back.
BC clear as of 5/17 !
RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
8/18 begin Chemo# 3
Begin year 4 with cis
2/19 Chemo #4
9/19 NED again :)
1/2020 CIS is back
Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
Workin on a new plan for 2021

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5 years 7 months ago #55718 by Jpmains
My 3rd bcg of 6 treatment was created by Jpmains
This my 3rd of 6 bcg treatment it’s the worst so far bleeding and sloughing off big chunks of tissue painful is this the norm?

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