Cytoxan Side Effects & Stories

Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide) Side Effects & Patient Stories

Read about Cytoxan, or the generic cyclophosphamide, and its side effects as told by patients who’ve experienced it in cancer treatment.

Cytoxan is used primarily in in chemotherapy treatment for cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer, and others.

See below for Cytoxan experiences from real patients.

Patient Experiences

William Y., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

“Before you get the cells infused in CAR T-cell therapy, they start you on four days of chemo and then you have one day of rest before infusion. The four days of chemo are Fludarabine and Cytoxan.

During the rest day, you get prophylactic medicine, immunoglobulin, and some sort of anti-fungal. That day isn’t bad at all. You just get to chill out. The chemo gave me heavy loss of appetite, but that was it.”

→ Read more of William’s story

Tina C., Breast Cancer

“I did four rounds of Cytoxan and Adriamycin.

I had really bad nausea. First time I did the Adriamycin-Cytoxan I went in, probably administered about 10 or 11 in the morning. By the time I got home it was early afternoon and by 4 that afternoon I just felt horrible. It felt like a hangover and you had no idea when or if you were going to throw up, but you just felt you were going to throw up. I felt that way probably for three days.

My smells were really heightened to me. My cousin was there and she was making pancakes and I didn’t even know pancakes had a smell, but it was  the most horrible smell ever. I was taking the anti-nausea meds that they gave me, but it was almost like I was behind and I could never get ahead.

And I am always hungry, but I had no hunger. For me to eat maybe a teaspoon of Cream of Wheat and maybe a cracker in a day was enough. I had to force myself to even do that.”

→ Read more of Tina’s story

Arielle R., Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Primary Mediastinal (PMBCL)

“I was getting so sick, not oxygenating and all these things, so they needed to give me a round of chemo to start. Before we even had the full diagnosis they gave me two baby doses of Cytoxan which is kind of an evil chemotherapy.

It’s very harsh, very old, makes your hair fall out immediately.  Then we found out what my diagnosis was and I did a full round of what my treatment would be which was six cycles of dose-adjusted R-EPOCH.”

→ Read more of Arielle’s story


All Patient Stories with Cytoxan

Chance O. feature profile

Chance O., Stage 2, Triple Negative, BRCA1+



Symptoms: Lump on breast
Treatment: Chemotherapy (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, carboplatin), surgery (double mastectomy), radiation, radical hysterectomy (preventive)
...
Laura E. feature profile

Laura E.



Symptom: Increasing back pain
Treatments: Chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, bispecific antibodies
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Christine E. feature profile

Christine E., Stage 3 Triple-Positive



Initial Symptom: Lump in left breast
Treatment: Chemotherapy (AC-T), lumpectomy, radiation
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Renee F. feature profile

Renée F., Stage 2 Metastatic



Symptoms: Breast shaped differently, dimple in breast, flat nipple
Treatment: Chemotherapy, mastectomy
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Bethany W. feature profile

Bethany W., Stage 2, ER+



Symptoms: Lump in breast and armpit
Treatment: Chemotherapy, double mastectomy, radiation
...
Anna T. feature profile

Anna T., B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-ALL)



Symptoms: Heavy period for a few hours, fatigue, feverish, sweating, bruises on legs
Treatment: ECOG 10403
...
Pete D. feature profile

Pete D., Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia



1st Symptom: Irregular blood test results during a regular workup for Crohn’s
Treatment: Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, monthly IVIG
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Ray H. feature

Ray H.



1st signs: Hemorrhoids, low red blood cell count
Treatment: Immunotherapy, Chemotherapy, Stem Cell Transplant
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Elise D.



Diagnosis: Multiple myeloma, refractory
1st Symptoms: Lower back pain, fractured sacrum
Treatment: CyBorD, Clinical trial of Xpovio (selinexor)+ Kyprolis (carfilzomib) + dexamethasone
...

Sheryl B., Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), Stage 4



1st Symptoms: (Over 15 years) Skin irritation from temperature changes, rising WBC levels, unexplained fatigue, retinal hemorrhage, hardened abdomen (from enlarged spleen)
Treatment: 6 cycles Hyper-CVAD chemotherapy
...

Caroline Chisolm, Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia, Grade 3



Cancer Details: As a result of a molar pregnancy
1st Symptoms:
Morning sickness and an unusually high beta hCG
Treatment:
EMACO chemotherapy
...
Clay

Clay D.



Diagnosis: Multiple myeloma
1st Symptoms:
Persistent kidney issues, nausea
Treatment:
chemo, radiation, stem cell transplant
...

William Y., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



1st symptoms: Extreme fatigue, achey hands
Treatment: Chemotherapy, CAR T-Cell therapy
...
Casey

Casey H., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)




1st symptoms:
Lump on throat, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, bruising easily
Treatment:
Chemo, immunotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant
...
Kayla

Kayla T., Hodgkin's, Stage 3A



Cancer details: Possibly misdiagnosed the first time; later diagnosed as grey zone lymphoma
1st Symptoms: Pulled muscle in chest
Treatment: ABVD chemo, radiation, high-dose chemo, stem cell transplant
...
Stephanie

Stephanie O., Hodgkin's, Stage 2B



Cancer details: Stage 2 with bulky disease
1st Symptoms: Shortness of breath, dry cough
Treatment: Stanford V chemotherapy (12 weeks, 1 infusion each week), radiation (20 days)
...
Fabiola

Fabiola L., Hodgkin's, Stage 2BX



Cancer details: Stage 2 with bulky disease, relapsed after 1st chemo. Remission after 2nd chemo & bone marrow transplant
1st Symptoms: Shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue
Treatment: ABVD chemo (6 cycles), IGEV chemo, bone marrow transplant, BEAM chemo, brentuximab
...
Logan

Logan A., Hodgkin's, Stage 2A



Cancer details: Diagnosed at age 15
1st Symptoms:
Lump in neck & fatigue
Treatment:
4 cycles of ABVE-PC chemo
...
Tina C., DCIS & LCIS, Stage 3A, ER+



Cancer details: Both ductal and lobular, estrogen receptor positive. Different than breast cancer Tina’s mom was diagnosed w/ twice.
1st Symptoms: Sunken in nipple of right breast
Treatment: Double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy
...
Margaret A. feature

Margaret A., IDC & DCIS, Stage 2B



Cancer details: IDC is most common kind of breast cancer. DCIS means cancer has not spread into surrounding breast tissue
1st Symptoms: Pain in left breast, left nipple inverting
Treatment: Double mastectomy, chemo (AC-T), Radiation
...

Alison R., Partially Differentiated DCIS, Stage 4 Metastatic



Cancer details: Triple positive = positive for HER2, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR)
1st Symptoms: Lump in underarm/breast
Treatment: Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, targeted therapy
...
Erin

Erin C., IDC, Stage 2B/4, Metastatic, Triple Negative



Cancer details: Triple negative doesn’t have any receptors commonly found in breast cancer making it harder to treat
1st Symptoms: Pain in breast
Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation
...

Stephanie J., Stage 3, Triple Negative, BRCA1+



Cancer details: Triple negative doesn’t have any receptors commonly found in breast cancer
1st Symptoms: Lump in left breast
Treatment: Chemotherapy, surgery
...
Melissa sitting in her car

Melissa H., Stage 2B, Triple Negative



Cancer details: Triple negative doesn’t have any receptors commonly found in breast cancer making it harder to treat
1st Symptoms: Lump in left breast
Treatment: Mastectomy, chemotherapy, 2nd mastectomy
...

Stefanie H., IDC, Stage 3, Triple Positive



Cancer details: IDC is most common kind of breast cancer. Triple positive = positive for HER2, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR)
1st Symptoms: Lump in breast
Treatment: chemotherapy, lumpectomy, radiation
...
Monica

Monica H., IDC, Stage 2B & Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma



Cancer details: IDC is most common kind of breast cancer.
1st Symptoms: Tightness and lump in left breast
Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery
...

Callie M., IDC, Stage 2B, Grade 2, ER+



Cancer Details: ER positive = estrogen receptor positive
1st Symptoms:
Dimpling/lump found on breast
Treatment:
Mastectomy, AC/T chemotherapy, hysterectomy, reconstruction
...

Joy R., IDC, Stage 2, Triple Negative



Cancer details: Triple negative doesn’t have any receptors commonly found in breast cancer making it harder to treat
1st Symptoms: Lump in breast
Treatment: Chemo, double mastectomy, hysterectomy
...
Caitlin

Caitlin J., IDC, Stage 2B, ER/PR+



Cancer Details: ER/PR positive = estrogen and progesterone receptor positive
1st Symptoms:
Lump found on breast
Treatment:
Lumpectomy, AC/T chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy (Lupron and Anastrozole)
...

Rachel Y., IDC, Stage 1B



Cancer details: IDC is most common kind of breast cancer. Stage 1B.
1st Symptoms: None, caught by delayed mammogram
Treatment: Double mastectomy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, hormone therapy Tamoxifen
...
Amelia

Amelia L., IDC, Stage 1, ER/PR+, HER2-



Cancer details: IDC is most common kind of breast cancer.
1st Symptoms: Lump found during self breast exam
Treatment: TC chemotherapy; lumpectomy, double mastectomy, reconstruction; Tamoxifen
...

Crystal Z., Primary Mediastinal (PMBCL), Stage 2



1st Symptoms: Chest pain
Treatment: 6 cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy
...

Arielle R., Primary Mediastinal (PMBCL)



1st Symptoms: Swollen neck lymph nodes, fever, appetite loss, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, coughing, itchy skin, trouble breathing
Treatment: R-EPOCH (dose-adjusted) chemotherapy, 6 cycles
...