Leukeran/Chlorambucil Question

Hi All,

My 8 year old kitty Jill is 6 months post amputation of her right hind leg and finished IV chemo 12 weeks ago for osteosarcoma.  So far she is doing GREAT.  All her lung x-rays are all clear.

To give her an extra shot at living a long life, her oncologist suggested we do metronomic chemotherapy, which is basically a low-dose form of chemo given orally.  She is taking 1mg of leukeran (chlorambucil) once a day for 6 months.

I know many kitties are given 2mg of this for things such as lymphoma, so, I'm wondering if any of you out there have any experience with this drug.  She has had three doses so far and the first three days she was fine, but tonight she is simply EXHAUSTED.  She is still eating and drinking, but has no interest in belly rubs (her favorite thing) and doesn't perk up when I make kissy noises, which she always does.  She just looks and is acting completely completely lethargic.

Has anyone had any experience with this as a side effect from leukeran?  I just get so paranoid with her fighting cancer...

Thanks much,

Erica

From what I've read, it seems lots of cats of side effects like Jill, and several even lose their appetites, so you might want to talk to your Vet and see what he says.  Six months is a long time to go if this is how she is going to feel .  Most of the cats I read about ended up taking Prednizone along with it to make them feel better, but that comes with it's own set of risks, IMHO. 

I have heard there is another drug out there for cats who cannot tolerate the Leukeran, but it's also possible, that with enough time, she'll get used to it and no longer be bothered by any side effects.  I would still talk to the Vet about what's happening now though.

Thanks!  She definitely doesn't have a loss of appetite right now.  Again, she is only on 1mg, when the usual dose is 2mg, so I will continue to monitor her.  I just get nervous that the lethargy could be a sign of something else since she is fighting cancer!