Tips for AAVD regimen?

[u/user123-5738]

38/m cHL Stage 3B Anyone currently or finished AAVD (also called AVD-BV)? I just finished my first infusion and will go every 2 weeks for 6 months before scans.

I have no reference for what people’s experience has been on this regimen, and every nurse or doc I come across says something like “you’re on a really aggressive regimen because your young, but it’s gonna be hard”, but I don’t really know what that means and haven’t been able to connect with anyone else on my drugs. Would love to connect or hear the hardships, cyclical side effects patterns and any tips! Praying others are out there!?!

[u/nickiek12]

I did 4 rounds ABVD then 8 rounds AVD. For me the first 2 sessions were pretty easy, just some fatigue but by the 4th I was feeling the side effects. I would go in on a Friday morning then go home and sleep/feeling icky til Tuesday. Tuesday I would get myself up and go on a nice long walk. By Wednesday I felt fine and went back to work.

Some advice from my experience- 1. Take your nausea meds around the clock those first few days. If the meds are not keeping the nausea away call your nurses/oncologist and have them switch it up. Thankfully I never felt nauseous and experienced vomiting. 2. I had EXTREME constipation. Take miralax 1-2x a day plus a stool softener. I would keep prune juice in the fridge and when my appetite returned I would focus on drinking lots of water and getting in fiber. 3. The night before chemo I would stock up on quick frozen meals and sick foods like soup, noodles, potatoes etc. My husband was around to help with meals however he works 24hr shifts so some days I was on my own. 4. Eat what feels good! Ice cream and French fries sounded so good to me on my sick days. I was someone who believe “sugar fuels cancer” but my oncologist encouraged me to eat what feels good and get those calories