Has anybody out there used these two drug combo to fight BC mets to the bones. 
Faslodex and Taxotere has done almost nothing for me
Xeloda is a 21 day regimen of 14 days on and 7 days off from the pills. 
Ixempra IV is also a 21 day cycle like most of the cancer drugs.
I will start on Xeloda the same day I start of Ixempra.  (April 30).
The info sheet handed me by the oncologist, of course, scares the bejeebies out of me.  What else is new!
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Found lump at age 65 - 9-05; DX 11-05; Surgery 12-05; Port installed - 3-06; chemo - 1st 4-10-06, last - 7-10-06; Arimidex - 8-1-06, went topless - 9-23-06; port removed - 3-20-07

Mets to the bones, official diagnosis June 2011,  Faslodez failed me;  Port reinserted 10/11/11; Taxotere 10/24/11,
Xeloda, 3 or 4 cycles, couldn't tolerate it at all. 10 cycles of Halavan. Next up: back to Faslodez for 1 year.

Nancy ~ I have done Ixempra and Xeloda but not as a combo. My first 6 months after mets to liver I did Avastin & Ixempra then after 6 months and everything under control my dr switched me to Xeloda and still on Avastin. 

With the ixempra the schedule was every 3 weeks but to reduce the side effects I went in 5 days in a row the week I was on. I experienced fatigue and thinning hair but not complete hair loss so I just kept it very short. Took anti-nausea meds and also a little bit of neuropathy. 

With the Xeloda I think I am on a maintenance dose so the side effects are mild. I have the very dry skin on hands and feet. My hands and feet also are discolored, almost like stained a henna color. With the Xeloda my hair came back enough so that it can have some style.

I hope you tolerate this combo well and get good results.

all the best to you,
gail

Age @ DX 47
12/05 Axilla lymph node biopsy pos
1/31/06 bilateral mast
IDC 3cm 10+ lymph nodes
Stage IIIc/High Grade
A/C x4 Taxol x4
Rads x 35
TX done 9/06, Tamoxifen 5/09,Femara
5/09 PET Scan mets to liver & nodes
7/09 Avastin/Ixempra x8
1/10 Avastin/Xeloda x ?

Hi Nancy,
 
I have no personal  experience but know some people on the her2 site who had success with this combo, as Gail mentioned the dry skin on feet and hands is the main se of Xeloda and they all swear by a cream called Udderly smooth and say when you lather it on at night wear light socks and gloves to help
absorb it more.
 
I'm just curious if they did a biopsy of the bone mets to check if your her2 or hormone status had changed? 
Good luck and really hope you have a good response to this combo!:)
 
P.S  I just remembered there's a stage iv forum on www.breastcancer.org  so you could try checking that out for more personal experiences!

Tricia Keegan...From Ireland Dx July '05 IDC 3/9 nodes pos..triple positive..a/c x 4..Taxol/herceptin x 12
Herceptin 1yr ..rads x35 oophorectomy Aug '06
Currently taking Arimidex /Zometa 1 x yearly
Carepage- survivortricia