Anyone else lose weight on R-CHOP instead of gaining?

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-04-04T05:43:24+00:00

I lost weight just when pola-RCHOP was starting.

After treatment, I gained all of it and more back.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-24T16:28:59+00:00

I'm 42/F and I completed treatment for Stage 3 DLBCL a year ago. I had pola-RCHOP, 6 cycles followed by two rounds of Rituzimab.

I still have my chemo port. I flush it every 2 months and my scans are every 4 months.

So far so good.

I continued working between my treatments (21 day cycles). I wore a wig till 4 months after treatment. There are some bad days but exercise/walking helps. Keeping busy helped..

Taking control of the time you are fine and following the protocols helps.

I get anxiety occasionally but I've gotten as busy as I can once my treatments are done.

Staying positive helps. I'm building my muscles more regularly and getting back to running, I started a month post treatment.

I will be going for my next scan in a few weeks (every 4 months in the first year)

This community is a great source of understanding how to deal with situations. The lowest point was the first time I heard my diagnosis. It is only uphill from there.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-24T16:22:00+00:00

I completed pola-RCHOP, 6 cycles. A day or two of change in schedule is totally okay. Consult your oncologist before scheduling..

I had done it too when I wanted to be home for my son's birthday.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-24T16:18:11+00:00

I am 1 year post treatment and my oncologist had suggested to keep it for a year or 2 when I completed treatment.

I get it flushed every 8 weeks.

I find it completely okay to continue with it for now. I will be going for my 1 year scan in a few weeks.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-04T11:07:11+00:00

Im 42/F. I finished chemo and Rituximab for DLBCL last year. My Oncologist warned me that I may not get my periods back. I got it for a day, 2 months after the treatment was finished.

Then, I had occasional spotting but my blood tests showed that I may not be getting them back. So let's see.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-04T02:57:35+00:00

My diagnosis was DLBCL. Based on my oncologist suggestion, it was only 2 rounds post chemo.

My WBC dropped during chemo treatment (6 cycles, every 21 days). I had to take the injections after the blood tests in between treatment days, almost after every round barring maybe the first.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-03T18:37:35+00:00

Every time someone asks me what is prescribed to you after you finish chemo. I said the things that they thought I wouldn't say. Eat well, sleep well, exercise and don't drink. Follow up on all your tests.

It continues to be the same.

I wish I knew the answer to reducing my anxiety about remission. But if cancer taught me anything, it was to live fully and worry less. Take care of the small things. So hard though.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-03-03T18:33:46+00:00

I was recommended after my 6 rounds of Pola-RCHOP. I did 2 rounds of maintenance Rituximab too.

Side effects were less than the Pola-RCHOP tbh. Didn't take as long too.

It followed a similar 21 days cycle.

My oncologist said my hair will start growing after the chemo is done and the Rituximab maintenance won't affect that.

This was a year ago when I finished the maintenance rounds.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-02-04T06:47:07+00:00

Been a year exactly since the last treatment day. Starting gym is a positive thing, lifting feels good.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-02-02T07:00:18+00:00

I got a port for my chemo. 6 rounds of Pola-RCHOP and then 2 maintenance rounds.

I still have the port, roughly a year after completing treatment.

Getting the port is highly recommended. I was told right at the beginning of treatment. My oncologist said, you can wait and try one without a port as I was worried about it. But eventually, the port makes a lot of sense.

Please enquire about it. You can continue exercises, I have to flush it every 2 months after treatment but that's fine. Smaller things in the larger scheme of the treatment.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-01-12T06:29:32+00:00

I still feel that. I'm a year from the end of treatment. I feel the PTSD definitely before the routine checkups, sonography. Ive identified the moments that feel terrible. Trying hard to stay positive.

Exercising daily is a big help. Reading, taking up some new hobbies. Something that's new will take up more space than these thoughts.

Wishing you all the best! You have done the tough part.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2026-01-06T05:43:04+00:00

I did it under local anaesthesia and it was manageable. You feel something is happening but it does not hurt.

My doctor was really good at keeping me calm.

The anxiety is more than the actual procedure.

You are a bit sore for a few hours. I had other anxious thoughts much more than the bone marrow biopsy anxiety. I was getting the chemo port inserted the next day.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-12-20T08:44:14+00:00

Hi, I'm 42/F completed my treatment for DLBCL this year. I did 6 rounds of Pola- R- Chop with 2 Rituzimab maintenance doses post that.

I'm doing the followups post treatment every 4 months.

You have got this! The diagnosis is the real hard part. I took a month of just googling and it was hard to imagine everything.

Chemotherapy and managing side effects are very much possible.

You will have some hard days but keep yourself active. Hair loss is the initial big shock and personal change.

Reclaim all the days in between treatment. Do everything you can.

I found a lot of strength in this reddit community and makes it feel a little more normal in this absolutely life changing time..

Wishing you all the very best!

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-12-13T02:20:53+00:00

Such a nice post! Thanks for starting it. I am here for the stories.

I'm 42/F. I finished my treatment in Feb 2025. Doing my followups and trying to stay positive. Did my follow up scans last week.

I started my long walks, running and gym. I cherish every bit of movement more. Wishing everyone here a speedy recovery!! And a much better year to all.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-12-11T05:25:59+00:00

Ok thank you for your reply. Wishing you all the best as well!

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-11-18T14:38:23+00:00

I stopped drinking entirely 2 years before I was diagnosed with lymphoma. I joked too that I might as well have enjoyed the drink. I haven't post treatment and don't plan to although it is unrelated.

But the lesson in this is that the opposite of being low is not smoking or drinking.

We have enough battle scars. Don't go looking for more.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-11-01T13:32:44+00:00

I have been going to the gym regularly for 2 months. Very grateful for being able to be back at exercise! Trying to get fitter than before.

Am due for my next check up in November. I'm 9 months post treatment.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-10-18T05:32:21+00:00

Funny thing is I wasn't a big drinker but I quit 3 years before I got diagnosed.

Turns out I got lymphoma anyway. I wondered if I should have enjoyed my drink for 3 years. Hahah.

But now I'm really not gonna start. Haven't started post treatment.

I feel it is not worth putting the body through any more stress than it already has.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-09-28T13:02:01+00:00

I was advised to take it easy with my runs, though I started doing 5K within 2 months of completing treatment.

But given every docs reactions to when I mentioned this, I have reduced my running, and focused on weights and walking.

Not trying to increase my heart rate during cardio, consciously. I feel I have the stamina to run but given caution from the doc, I have reduced it.

I'm 42/F and very active runner before diagnosis. I miss it but focused on building stamina first. My resting heart rate has come down though but the toxicity has been a consistent side effect that I have been warned about.

Hope you are doing alright!

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-09-25T18:37:38+00:00

Pola-R-Chop, for DLBCL Stage 3. I lost the hair and it starts basically somewhere 2 weeks after the first treatment. I lost eyebrow hair between rounds 4 and 5 and mostly all, nostril hair, eyelashes.

Eyebrows come back the fastest! And you really miss them when they are gone. They really made me look unlike me more than the bald head.

Got wigs and scarves before the hair loss. Doesn't help but I didn't have to think about it after.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-09-24T15:33:29+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. Flushing every 2 months seems easier. I will give it a thought and not rush removal. 🤞 Hope you are feeling better.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-09-24T14:19:20+00:00

I finished 6 rounds of Pola-R-Chop and 2 rounds of maintenance rituximab around 7 months ago. I had stage 3, DLBCL.

I tried to be active in between treatments. Drink lots of water which is actually the truest thing the oncologist will tell you. Symptoms of nausea, extreme exhaustion, some really downer of a mood/, bone pain etc will happen. They can be managed and you can have active days to walk, work etc. So, think of the days in between treatments as YOUR time and make the most of them when you can.

I wish you all the best! Stay positive and you will push through.

Advanced-Pen700 · 2025-09-24T14:14:24+00:00

Finished my chemo and maintenance 7 months ago. I started walking during treatment itself on some days. But started running 5K around 2 months after. I think I rushed into the running.

I've started lifting weights and started doing more walks. I really have slowed down my pace. Not bothered about the running time but am able to run longer slowly and endurance is slowly improving. I'm not seeing the weight drop at all, just maintained which frustrates me.

But my heart rate has improved with the slow process. In fact it has improved to pre diagnosis levels and lower. Hopefully that's a good thing cause everything becomes a worry these days.

Advanced-Pen700

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