Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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dragonfly - For me the first treatment was a shock to my system. With the second treatment I was asking my husband if they forgot to include the chemo. With my third and on I had more problems but they were the cumulative type. I think there is good reason to think that this one will be the hardest for your gut. Hang in there. If you get dizzy or otherwise feel unsure call you onc office for some fluids. Console yourself with the thought that if there are any cancer cells lurking in your body they are all suffering and dying! ((((hugs))))0
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Dragonfly- I have had the cramping but not bad diarrhea was constipated earlier. My mouth is worse now and going in for herceptin and plan to get it checked. The pain is moving down my system.
Overall the headache is gone- little dull ache some- but not like it was. No appetite at all- and hurts to eat anything but bland food- so hoping I can get help/relief at my visit today.
I do get weird abdominal cramps sometimes- at night and other times. Almost doubles me over then it seems to pass.
Glad to hear others say round 2 is not as tough- hoping that for me (yes starting to worry about that now too...can't help it...will block it off for now).
Hope all have a good day
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Basia - great point - I forgot. My onco did the same, lowered me 15% and then added a bit back on the tch round #3.
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Round 2 and 3 (I am only two days post round 3) and i have felt absolutely normal. 100%. No issues on rounds 2 and 3. No side effects with exception on days 5,6,7 coming off steroid took a total of 5 pills (zofran and ativan at night). No ammodium. I did take antacids. Working out, walking the dog, making lunches in the morning for kids and staying up til 11pm.
Really - I think it was the add of emend and decadron and the slight reduction in chemo, which is still at the therapeutic level.
It will get better!!! Hang in there!!!
Annie
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Dragonfly I had that happen with first chemo as well, but I think it was my own fault. I got very constipated and took senekot which I didn't know has a laxative in it. The nurses said just to do colace after that which is a softener and I had no more issues. I did notice that all the really bad side effects were worse with the first treatment, like your body somehow gets used to the chemo? Hang in there it will be over before you know it but you won't believe that until you are looking back
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Thanks everyone-hopefully this cycle will be the worst and the rest will be easier...I'm taking it very easy today. Drinking lots of fluids and trying to avoid anything that will aggravate the situation. It has it end soon. Can't wait until I can eat normally again.
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I'm writing for my wife Liddy who had her first TCH last Thu (today is day 5/6?) Thanks to various tips on this board (fluids, claritin for neulasta) SE's seem to be manageable/tolerable so far. However, she has consistently had some queasiness each morning (and is taking one prochloroperazine every day). Is this something others have experienced? Thanks
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Dragonfly - I had no nausea but had increasingly terrible abdominal cramping - something with and sometimes without diarrhea. The cramping and spasms were unbelievably painful. I had no idea something could hurt that badly. I finally called the onc and got an RX for something called bentyl. It is a drug used to treat IBS (which I never have had). Within fifteen minutes the spasms subsided. I only took it a few times, but it was a LIFESAVER. It made me a little sleepy so I wouldn't drive or take it at work. PLEASE take this seriously and ask for it if this does not improve. There is no reason for you to suffer through this. I waited until my 5th TCH to ask for it - wish I had done it sooner!
(Note - this isn't something I think that immodium or other anti diahhreals (why can't I spell that word yet???) will help. It is the spasms in the intestine that is so painful. That is why bentyl works - it relaxes the spasms.)
Amy
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Samdobbs I had the same. Also got better. Ie second treatment didn't need the anti nausea meds that I could tell but still took them. After that didn't realize I forgot to take them until several days had gone by without issue. Eating small amounts all day long seemed to help as well even though nothing tasted too great...
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Yes, small amounts all day long. That is what I did too. I had this brief fling with McD's fish sandwiches too. Can't stand them now.
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Brief fling ...hahahahaa.
I had my food of choice to be cinnamon raisin toast. I used it as a reward, focused on it, obsessed about it. In my visualization therapy, i would focus on coming home from surgery and eating my toast. It worked great.
But I have never had one piece of it since then. Oh well!
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Peanut butter tasted a little wierd for me on chemo but I still ate it. Now it's so weird when I eat it. I still expect that wierd taste.
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Sam, my daughter has a reaction to the procholo; some people are allergic to this type of medication. After a miserable time, her doc told to stop using it and use generic Ativan for nausea. Surpised me because I thought Ativan was only for anxiety. Helps both ways for her.
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I had problems eating for about two weeks with each of my chemo sessions because my taste buds were so messed up. Others had told me to try that liquid Ensure drink but I didn't care much for that, then I tried the Chocolate hi protein Boost drink and that was great, a real life saver...the downside to it is that it's pretty expensive, but when one can't eat, it gets the calories and protein in that were needed.
Also Jello: make it and drink some while liquid and eat the rest when gelled as the gelatin really helps the nails stay strong, I really noticed a difference when I started that (and you can get the sugar free type).
SD: I was talking that Proc. nasau medicine, but I was allowed to take them every 6 hours and it worked really great, so it was more then one per day...not sure why your wife w/b on only one per day as I would think that would wear off and yes, she'd likely get the nasua back...might want to double check on why they told her only one per day? I also had a stronger one, Zofran, that I could take if things got real bad, and I tried Emend one cycle but that gave me more side effects and made me really sick (maybe I was allergic to that) and I never took it again.
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Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Liddy only has queasiness first thing in the morning, and one prochloroperazine seems to do it for the rest of the day. She has various cravings too, lunch was chicken nuggets and wants shrimp for dinner. I'm just assuming she can eat anything she can keep down. Today she is a bit down, I'm guessing this is the beginning of the nadir period ... Following y'alls tips we're doing 2/3 water 1/3 other fluids totaling about a gallon a day
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One wk ago today was 1st TCH- today was H (and a bag of IV fluids which helped SO much).
Treated for thrush now- got the best of me. Getting better already. Feeling quite euphoric actually because it's like coming out of the dark terrible place! My stomach has been a little weird (if i eat it goes through pretty fast but not terrible or too much etc).
Feeling gratitude for feeling better. Now the SE are slightly crampy tummy (not often/constant), weak/slow moving, sore mouth (thrush related), do have peripheral neurpathy (do not have as much sensation in feet). Night sweats. Hips are better and the bone pain thank you neulasta. However, my counts for the wbc etc are great. Platelets are low but not low for onc office.
Nail beds are fine- iced them and feet during taxotere and sucked ice entire tx last time. I am keeping them short cut and also nair hardener on them.
Guess I have another week w/ my hair??? At this point, just to feel human is so refreshing.
Life is good- Round 1 TCH- worst OVER- two weeks now for living and appreciating each minute before Round 2. The onc office though said that it gets better in that you learn to treat your side effects sooner and more aggressively since have experienced the cycle one already.
I am loving the days right now!
Thanks sisters! 0 -
Good news Lisa! Onc nutritionist recommended L-Glutamine 30g per day for peripheral neuropathy. I also take B6. Glad you are feeling better!0
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Hello Sistahs!!
I just dropped by to say that there is life after chemo. I finished herceptin a year ago Jan. I had TCH x6 and Rads. I had a lumpectomy. I gained about 27 pounds. Mostly from the inactivity. Not to mention the milkshakes that tasted some what normal to me. Ha. I kept my nail but only because I used perma bond under them when they started to lift. YIKEES! The numbness has all but resolved. I am working out still and dieting. Crawling back to my new normal.
I took fish oil. CQ10 Flax, Vit. D Calcium and Magnesium, I used utter cream and aquafor for rads. I drank an entire lake of water.
I am blessed to have lived!! I am confident that I beat it. Chances are so good for us. I wish you all great healing and health. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions,In peace and Beauty.
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Hey Bold~
It is great to hear from you. I read your posts when I was first diagnosed and it helped me a great deal. Thanks.
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So one question about supplements - my onco office said I can take whatever I want as long as it doesn't contain soy.
This is contradicting everything I I read on these boards. In the hair thread, someone said no biotin while on chemo. This wasn't mentioned to me at all.
The nurse asked me what i was taking, I didn't give her my big list, but I told her I was taking a TON of stuff (like embarrassing). She said no Black Cohosh and nothing with soy.
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I gave my onc a list before I started chemo. It included biotin and she didn't seem to have an issue with it.
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I think what you can or can't use depends on your type of cancer. ER+ is very diffferent from the ER negative do's and don't's.
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I just had round 5 of 6 on Friday. I was pleasantly surprised! I was able to get out shopping and out ot lunch with my Mom yesterday. I was out of it till Tuesday and perked up after that. Still tired yes, but manageable.
When I saw my onc I had mentioned that I noticed that one of my herceptin treatments will be June 24. I am always in Washington State on June 21 because my sister and I share a birthday and that's just the time I like to be there at my folks. I hate the fact that my stupid treatments want to dictate to me what I can and can't do. My Onc suggested my Mom and I contact her Onc center and doctor and see about having one treatment up in Washington. I had actually thought about that but never said it because I thought it was easier said than done. My Onc said she does not have a problem with it and is encouraging me to do so and says she will communicate with that doctor to help me.
Has anyone ever done this? I am excited at the fact that I may possibly still be able to go to Washington when I want to!
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Hi Nora - WOW - you are almost done with chemo! Congrats. Can't comment on the herceptin, but sounds like your onco is in support. GO FOR IT!
Annie
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I have not done exactly that, Nora. BUT when I was down to my last 3 or 4 herceptin's, my insurance changed and I had to go to a location in MD, instead of the cancer center in DE where I had everything done up to that point. My onc's office had a branch in MD, so I finished my treatment there. It was a little different in set up, and obviously a different environment, but it went fine. So as far as being in a different location, I have done that and it was no problem.
I would check to be sure your insurance will not be a problem, though.
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Day 9 of the first TCH cycle and I'm finally feeling almost human again! 4 days of diarrhea and painful cramping really took a toll on me. I can't believe how painful that was...it seems like it might be over now. I'm finally able to eat crackers, rice and plain cooked chicken today and I feel like I'm catching up on the hydration too. Slept through the night for the first time in days which made me feel a lot better. Thanks everyone for the encouragement through those days and I really hope that it's not going to happen in the next TCH cycle. I'm back at work today which should help to take my mind off some of this.
By the way, when should I expect my hair to start falling out? Not that I care with the all the other SEs I'm having but I would like to have some idea so I can prepare...in general which day is it likely to begin?
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Dragonfly at 14 days I could reach into my hair and pull out a big hunk and it didn't hurt a bit. It was sort of cool but gross. At 16 days I noticed my part was very wide. I went and had it shaved off that weekend which I think was 18 days and was glad to see it go it was getting super messy and looked awful. Then I wore a wig to work on Monday. To me it was no big deal, I was glad to see proof the chemo was doing something. Now that it is over I am looking forward to having hair as the wig is looking pretty ragged! Good luck with it, I know some just let it keep falling and ended up not losing all but I didn't want to deal with the mess as I said.
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Hi All,
Dragonfly and LisaGH - We are all on the same wavelength - today is the first day I have felt at all normal. Still some diarrhea, but more controllable. I actually feel like I could go away from the house! I have developed mouth sores in spite of ice in my mouth during T portion of infusion. I may have done myself in because I have consumed a lot of lemony stuff. I also am prone to mouth sores (canker and cold sores) so I am not that surprised. Nails are fine - using hardener and iced during tx. Not a lot of bone pain - took Claritan before and after Neulasta. What I did have was manageable with meds. Finally slept for a few hours last night.
Now it is a matter of psyching up for next time! I plan to enjoy as much as possible before the next tx and am hopeful that the body will have adjusted to this as some of the other have said, first one was the worst. I have my first post-tx blood draw tomorrow morning.
Glad to be through the first week!
Kathie
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SpecialK: I've got the mouth sores too and I wasn't eating anything acidic that could have caused them...I also iced during the T and I've never had problems with mouth sores before this...so looks like Taxotere is just giving us a really rough time on this first round
Oh well, happy that we are all beginning to feel normal again today! SpecialK, LisaGH and Anyone who wants to jump in here: What's your plan with your hair? I was ready to pull mine out in the past few days ahead of time while dealing with all of these SEs. But seriously, I'm planning to have my DH shave my head as soon as the serious shedding begins. I've got a wig ready for work but otherwise I'm planning to wear hats.
Beth
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Hi,
Dragonfly - I know - it is like a small miracle!
The hair thing - I went and purchased a nice wig prior to beginning chemo but I don't like it that much. It is very similar to my normal hairstyle. I got my hair cut short a couple of weeks ago and now that I am used to it I don't want it to go! My husband asked me AGAIN if he can shave my head when the time comes! At least I know I can look like a normal human when it does grow back. I have had long hair for the last 25 years! I do have a couple of hats but I am not really a hat person. Plus, it is hot in Florida - nobody is wearing a hat! I was planning to send my cut-off hair to a lady here in Tampa that makes an "underhair" thing to wear under the hats. I have also looked at a couple of scarf options because it may be easier. I am not currently working due to a leave of absence so it is less of an issue for me to have a daily solution.
Kathie
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