bcg side effects

8 years 1 month ago #50743 by sara.anne
Replied by sara.anne on topic bcg side effects
The only person who can answer most of your questions is your uro. I would discuss reducing the BCG dose with him.

Sara Anne

Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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8 years 1 month ago #50740 by rocksteady
bcg side effects was created by rocksteady
Hello Folks, it's been a while since I was here...I'll apologize now for the rambling.
I am now going through my 4th bcg treatment after being declared cis free after the 2nd round. Had a maintenance round last fall and a cystoscope this past January which showed a return. Because I always had some blood in my urine, my uro tried fulguration prior to the biopsy but to no avail.
I should say that painful urination is what sent me to the uro in the first place. I had suspected my diabetes med Metformin because it started around the same time I started Metformin. I stopped it and the pain went away and was switched to Januvia. Things were quiet for the first few weeks then I got severe itching, different then the pain. My gp doc said the itching was due to blood in the urine and that is when the uro cauterized me.
I had the 2nd installation of 6 of the bcg last Monday and have never had bad effects like I did this time. I've read about patients peeing blood or 'razor blades' but this burning/ itching continued when not urinating. I have not had the other side effects like tiredness, malaise flu-like symptoms like others have, only the razors and continued pain when not having to run to the toilet. Like others I drank tons of water and it started to quiet down about 4 hrs after the lido wore off but still killed with urination. I wear a 75 mcg/hr duragesic patch and take 2 mg didlaudid prn for other issues but it did nothing during this bcg episode Today is Thursday and it still burns with urination.
I would like to know if this is common and if the 1/10 solution might be feasible. I have stopped the Januvia also, just in case. Note to Mike, my urine pH is 5.5 on every pre treatment sample so I am going to start with the baking soda.
I am a heart patient as well and am wondering if stopping plavix for 3 or 4 days prior to bcg would help with the bleeding/ clots.
Thanks for your interest, good luck to all of you.

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