Oncura

Capecitabine (Monotherapy): what to expect, day by day

Colorectal21-day cycle5 effects documented

A take-home pill taken for 2 weeks on, 1 week off. The two things to watch are hand-foot skin changes and diarrhea, both of which can build up — tell your team early so the dose can be adjusted.

Oral capecitabine twice daily for 14 days, then 7 days off, every 3 weeks. Effects track the oral on/off schedule; hand-foot syndrome and diarrhea build cumulatively over cycles. People with DPYD gene variants can have severe toxicity.

Get help straight away — this is true on any regimen, on any day.

A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during treatment can mean a serious infection while your blood counts are low. Call your team or go to the ER — do not wait it out.

Also urgent: trouble breathing or chest pain · swelling of the face, lips or throat · new confusion or fainting · shaking chills · not being able to keep fluids down.

This is standing guidance shown to everyone. Nothing on this page is based on anything about you, and nobody is monitoring you.

Timed to the cycle

Day 1 is the day of your infusion. These are the effects a retrievable document ties to a day range for this regimen — not a prediction about you.

Stomatitis (mouth sores)

Typically around days 3–14 · usually worst around days 7–14

Soreness or ulcers in the mouth. Gentle oral care and a bland diet help; tell your team if eating becomes hard.

Call your team: Can't eat or drink because of mouth pain.

reported by about 24% of people; severe in 2% · Timing from a clinical guideline · from Capecitabine

Not tied to a cycle day

These build with the number of doses, or are measured from when treatment started, so a cycle day would be the wrong shape for them. Each keeps the timing its own source states.

Hand-foot syndrome

builds over cycles; dose-dependent

Redness, tingling, swelling, or peeling on the palms and soles that builds over cycles. Moisturize generously, avoid friction/heat, and report it early — a short break or dose reduction usually reverses it.

Call your team: Blistering, cracking, or peeling that makes walking or using your hands hard.

reported by about 54% of people; severe in 17% · from Capecitabine

Diarrhea

Loose or frequent stools during the pill days. Start anti-diarrheal medicine and hydrate per your team's instructions; pause and call if it's severe.

Call your team urgently: More than 6 stools above normal, or diarrhea with dizziness/fever — stop the pills and call.

reported by about 55% of people; severe in 13% · from Capecitabine

Nausea

Sickness in the first 24 hours is the "acute" phase and usually peaks 2-3 hours in; anything from 24 to 120 hours is the "delayed" phase.

Usually mild; take pills with food and use anti-nausea medicine as advised.

reported by about 34% of people; severe in 3% · Timing from a clinical guideline · from Capecitabine

Hyperbilirubinemia

A rise in bilirubin on liver blood tests, often without symptoms. Your team monitors it; report yellowing of the skin or eyes.

reported by about ~20-40% of people; severe in ~10-20% · from Capecitabine

Where this comes from

  1. S1. Capecitabine (Xeloda) FDA prescribing information — FDA label

Timing windows on this page rest on:

A window appears here only where a retrievable document ties it to a drug in this regimen. Where nothing could be found, the window was removed rather than estimated — so a missing time is an honest gap, not an oversight.

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