J Korean Med Sci.  2013 Oct;28(10):1549-1551. 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.10.1549.

Secondary Prophylaxis of Docetaxel Induced Diarrhea with Loperamide: Case Report

• Lee HY
• Lee YH
• Kim MJ
• Kim HK

• KMID: 1777697
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2013.28.10.1549

Abstract

Diarrhea is a common adverse event of docetaxel with 20%-40% of incidence and severe diarrhea occurs in 5%-6%. Several treatment guidelines for chemotherapy induced diarrhea (CID) exist, however the prophylaxis for that is not well known. We describe a new prophylactic approach for the CID with loperamide. A 72-yr-old male patient with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer developed diarrhea repeatedly after docetaxel-cisplatin chemotherapy. His diarrhea persisted despite treatment including loperamide and fasting. However, the diarrhea was successfully prevented when loperamide was given before and after the chemotherapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of prophylactic approach for the CID with loperamide.

Keyword

Docetaxel; Diarrhea; Loperamide

MeSH Terms

Aged
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/*drug therapy/radiography
Cisplatin/therapeutic use
Diarrhea/chemically induced/*etiology
Drug Therapy, Combination
Humans
Loperamide/*adverse effects/therapeutic use
Lung Neoplasms/*drug therapy/radiography
Male
Neoplasm Staging
Taxoids/*adverse effects/therapeutic use
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Cisplatin
Loperamide
Taxoids

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Contrast enhanced computed tomography scan of the chest. (A) Lung cancer in the medial aspect of right lower lobe (arrow), prior to chemotherapy. (B) Much decrease in size of the lung cancer after 2 cycles of docetaxel-cisplatin chemotherapy.

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