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Aug 21, 2007 08:29 AM unlimited wrote:
when I was receiving dose dense Taxol -- I took L glutamine - for the first four days of each treatment ...
taking 3 tsp - 3times a day -- you can mix it with any thing even water.. I normally used orange juice or crystal lite.
mthomp2020
Loveland, OH
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,932
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Aug 21, 2007 01:14 PM mthomp2020 wrote:
Do you think the L-Glutimine helped? I'll be starting dd Taxol next Monday, and I'd really like to do as much as I can to avoid any bone/joint pain. They initially talked about doing 8 treatments, so I'll be double-whammied. Probably not much you can do about the neuropathy. I had 4 dd AC already, and didn't have any real problems with it, outside of the hair loss of course! Nails are not looking too great either. Just hope I'm as lucky with the Taxol. I had Neulast after each treatment, and it never did give me any real problems, one knee ached a little for a day and that was it.
I'm going to take a joint supplement with glucosomine, chondroitin and MSM, so hopefully that will help.
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Aug 21, 2007 05:20 PM unlimited wrote:
L-Glutamine has been indicated to usewith Taxol txs to help with neuropathy. Im not sure how that did help me bc I also took the following to also help with neuropathy ...B6 100 mg - 2 pills a day and Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg - 1 capsule a day.
With my dd Taxol, I did exp some neuropathy right away in my hands - the thumb, and first 2 fingers on both hands were numb. Not bad where I wasn't able to pick up something or button something just annoying. I also experience in my feet which is hard to explain -- (first I tell u I had Taxol beginning in March and ending in April 2007, and I live in Wisconsin) what I experience is this... when I would be barefoot in the house or even with socks on and entered the Kitchen or bathroom on the vinyl floor -- heck even stepping on the bathroom scale --- those areas were extremly COLD almost like stepping on a BLOCK of ICE. I found some lite weight slip on shoes that helped during these weeks and after tx ended. ALSO my feet would be " COLD " in bed, Now when I say COLD - they were COLD on the inside of my feet touching my feet on the outside were WARM. Its like my nerves inside my body were saying ur feet are COLD. So at bedtime it was hard to sleep bc of COLD feet - I found if I latered a layer of aquaphor -- vaseline would work too - on my feet , then put my socks on in bed that would work. I would be able to sleep. Its strange I know I shared this tip with the Oncl he heard some women put * deodorant * on their feet to help with this sensation. Some women won't have this " COLD " feeling to their feet but rather the " HOT " feeling like stepping on hot coals. Any others will have the typical Neuropathy numbness to their feet. AFter I finished Taxol in April -- I would say by end of May 2007 my fingers and feet were back to normal. I have heard some women suffer longer with feet neuropathy. Maybe taking what I did help alleviate some of the more severe neuropathy. Not sure - but I got thru it and I hope you too will do fine with it. My ONLY COMPLAINT with TAXOL is that bone pain that many will get. My bone pian was in my legs. It would occur Friday and continue thru til early Monday. ( I was treated every other Tues with Taxol ) Percocet was my friend to help lower the amt of leg pain I had -- didn't take it away - but made it tolerable. Ask for the percocet prescription. Bone pain was wicked for me. whew.
maxgirl
MD
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 435
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Aug 21, 2007 07:08 PM maxgirl wrote:
Ginger -- My onc had me take a total of 30 grams of L-glutamine (3 heaping tsp, twice a day) starting with the day of Taxol treatment and continuing for a week. I had already had some neuropathy and hand-foot syndrome with A/C and I did notice improvement.
After my last Taxol, I stopped taking the L-glut, and the neuropathy got worse again, so I started again. I've been taking 15g a day, and I plan to start tapering off even though I still have some neuropathy. It's getting better, but very slowly -- I measure the progress in weeks, not days.
I had problems with my nails, but not as bad as some, and I couldn't say whether or not the L-glut helped.
mthomp -- I took Neulasta with A/C and never had any problems with it, but with my second Taxol tx, I had both Neulasta and Taxol bone and joint pains. Another poster said her onc thought the bone pain was an allergic reaction and suggested taking Claritan, which worked for her. I took Benadryl with my last two tx and had much less discomfort.
unlimited -- What a strange sensation to have with your feet! Mine have been cold, but just on the outside. LOL One other problem I have is that I roll on my feet a little when I first stand up. It's like the bottom of my feet can't quite tell where the floor is, and it makes me reel like a drunk for a few seconds. But like I said, it's getting better.
mthomp2020
Loveland, OH
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,932
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Aug 22, 2007 05:28 AM mthomp2020 wrote:
Thanks for all the helpful information. My onc hasn't really been particularly helpful about this sort of thing. I've gotten more info reading this discussion board. Since the original plan was for me to do 8 dd treatments instead of 4, I am concerned about the neuropathy/joint pain issues, so I'd like to do as much as possible to avoid those se's getting too severe. My hubby travels during the week on his job, so there's nobody here to help me if I start to have trouble getting things done. I have a very active young dog that needs to be walked or my house might end up getting torn up, too.
Once again, thanks for the info! As other people have said, this board rocks!
jacqniel
Omaha, NE
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,156
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Aug 22, 2007 04:44 PM jacqniel wrote:
Where do you purchase the powder L glutimine? Do you know, is powder better than the pills you can by at WalMart?
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Aug 22, 2007 05:27 PM unlimited wrote:
Yes powder is better -- if you use pills you will have to take many to get what u need on a daily basis....
The Powder can be purchased at any vitamin store -- I paid $38 for one pound of powder.
maxgirl
MD
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 435
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Aug 22, 2007 05:42 PM maxgirl wrote:
I bought it at GNC for about the same price, but I've read that some people have bought it online for less.
dville
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 51
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Aug 24, 2007 07:32 AM dville wrote:
I'm still confused. Is it 3 teaspoons 3 times a day or 1 teaspoon 3 times a day? I already get a fair amount of pain from the darned neulasta shot and would like to limit any more.
Thanks,
Debbie M. in Georgia
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Aug 24, 2007 10:09 AM daisybell wrote:
I took 30g a day of powder that came in little envelopes. I purchased it online. Also took 100mg B6/day. I only had a little numbness in my feet about a week after I finished and it went away within a month or so. Also my teeth were very sensitive to hot for a while. Finished taxol about 6 months ago.
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Aug 24, 2007 02:05 PM Cynthia1962 wrote:
The l-glutamine powder I bought was 5 g per teaspoon, so 2 tsps 3x a day. I usually only managed twice a day for 20 grams. I'm also taking 100mg of B6 twice daily.
For neulasta and joint pain, my onc recommends glucosamine.
My teeth have been bothering me a lot, too. Sensitive to heat and cold and sometimes too much pressure. Looking forward to that going away eventually.
Cynthia
dville
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 51
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Aug 27, 2007 05:54 AM dville wrote:
Thanks for all the info, ladies. I think I'm gonna have to head for town and buy the powdered l-glutamine because the capsules and pills are only 500 mg. I've got glucosamine liquid. Do I just take 1 oz. of that daily or more? I really appreciate the advice. My onc seems to know very little about supplements and I really don't think (and don't believe) that more lortab is the best cure for all side effects. I hate that foggy feeling.
Debbie M. in Georgia