Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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LindaKR - Excellent plan!
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What anti-nausia meds are any of you taking? My Dr. gave me Zofran and Compazine. They work slightly- but not enough to make me feel much better on my bad days. Maybe it is unrealistic to think something can make me feel a lot better? Also, did your SE get worse as your treatment progressed? I think I felt worse after treatment #2 than after treatment #1.
Laura
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Laura I was one of those weird people that didn't get nausea from chemo but got all the less common SE but… I was told by someone who works for Merck that there are other drugs to prevent nausea if the ones they give us don't work. They are more expensive but may work better for you. I would ask/push your onc.0
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Special K - I noticed the stiffness when sitting too long from H. I remember one time I stood up from the sofa when my (adult) daughters were visiting and I sort of hobbled the first few steps and they were totally horrified. It made me realize that I had gotten used to it but that it really WAS bad.
It went away when H was over. I am super active, at the gym or hiking or running all the time and I never notice it at all now. I think the H was what caused it. I never noticed it on chemo either, but then, maybe I had other things to deal with during chemo.
Another thought - I always said I felt fine on H. I guess compared to chemo, I did. But after 2-3 months went by after H was over, I REALLY started to feel great and realized that the H HAD affected me, but more subtly than chemo. So march on through until you're done, but keep an eye after 2 months or so and see if a lot of this doesn't dissipate. (Dissapate? Dissepate? How do you spell that?)
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Amy - I think your first dissipate was right! Ha! I think a lot of it is the H as well. It just seems to coincidental that I have bone and joint aching - (and yes, I do that same hobble thing!!) that started after chemo with the first H only, and before I started Femara. First thing in the morning is the worst for me, and I have to laugh thinking if the house is on fire I won't be running out, I will be hobbling out! I am looking forward to the begining of the year when H is done and recon is complete. I am walking now and as soon as I get LE sleeves, hopefully next week, I will be back in the gym. I am trying to walk a few miles - the first two miles are fine but my feet start to really hurt after that - I am doing it anyway! Thank you for the encouragement - it is nice to know that if it is from the H it will go away.
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Hello I am new here. I start my chemo first time on Monday and I am very, very scared.I was diagnozed July 12 , and I already had 2 lumpectomies and BMX on September 1. I still have temperature in the evenings, the drains were removed 3 days ago. They don't know why I have temperature, I just slightly anemic, anything else is fine.Everyone says me you are tough, u can do it.
But I am so scared.
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olgah34 - yes, you can do it! Anticipation of that first chemo is hard - once you get there you will be just fine. We were all scared too but, think how scared you were before those surgeries and then you got through those too - this will be the same way. If you have any specific questions, please ask.
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everyone is different..I just remember this movie with Julia Roberts "Too young to die" it's name and this kid was throwing up like crazy afterwards...And all these comments about how strong I am, I just don't know what to expect. Do these nausea medicine really work?
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olgah, yes, the nausea meds really work. sometimes your onc might have to adjust them a little to get them right for you, but they do work. i had my 3rd chemo tx last monday, and i haven't been nauseated at all. i was a little queasy after the first tx, but my onc gave me stronger meds and i've been fine. you CAN do this. all of us here were scared when we started. and as you'll hear, the waiting is the hardest part. as specialk said, ask any questions you have. you'll get answers from the lovely ladies who participate here. good luck to you. you are not alone.0
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olgah34 I was told by a friend that just finished chemo when I was first diagnosed that no one should be nauseous on chemo these days. If the drugs they give you don't work ask for others. I was very very nauseous after general anesthesia (every time). I thought for sure I would be tossing big time on chemo. I never used any nausea drugs except for the 3 days of Emmend.. Yeah believe it or not some of us don't get nausea. Did get heartburn though. They have drugs for that too.
I assumed I would get ever SE on the list. I didn't. I did get some of the rare ones but still got through all 6 tx just fine. I'm doing great now.
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BTW my left heel is definitely getting back to normal. It's cold and damp out. Usually this kicks the neuropathy up a level but instead its going away.
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Thank you, ladies! I have some trankvilizer they gave me, lorazepam or something, is it ok to take it before? And is it ok to get flu shots?
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What is SE?
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olgah, SE stands for Side Effects.0
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My onc order a flu shot for me. I think I got it at my 2nd tx (onc = oncologsit tx=treatment) Some oncs don't want you to get one. Be sure to check with your onc if you decide to do anything new including suppliments & vitamines.
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Thanks lago, my onc is actually very nice and down to earth. I'm sure he would give me anything I asked for. I have never actually thrown up, just felt like I needed to. Anyone else out there with nausea medication suggestions?
Olgah, It really isn't as bad as you think, you will be ok )
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Hi ladies. Anyone seen Lilylady lately?
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tonlee - I have seen her here and there but not for a little while. Also where did libraylil go?
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Amelie, sorry. I havent been on for a couple of days. I just had #4 Wednesday. Well I won't say it's been easy but certainly doable. I think I fall in the middle of the pack for SE.... More or different than some but not as many as others. I think back on my first tx and walked in without expectations. I did what was suggested and moved forward. I've learned a lot from reading all of the posts and asked a lot of questions because of what I read. Thanks to all of you and the ladies before us, I feel like I have the best chance of getting through this. The best to all.
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@Laura5, I was going to get compazine but am allergic. They suggested something else, pharmacy said no, I would be allergic to it, too. Of course, I have forgotten what it was. But, the first time for chemo, I had no problem, oh, unless my effinn hair coming out in my hands in the shower 2 1/2 weeks later counts. The second chemo I got on Thur. and missed work Fri and Mon. They gave me steroids and Zofran and when I was running out of pills, I was still nausous. Not throwing up, but knew I needed more pills. I called the on call onc and he said next time they should give me Emend along with stronger steroids and twice the amount of days of steroids. Also, I wasn't setting the alarm at night to get up and take the pills. He said even if I don't feel sick, to take them. It's like pain, you can't let it get ahead of you. So, he called in more pills and I got them. The 3rd chemo introduced chemo brain. Called my boss and left some weird message. Walked into a wall. Couldn't figure out what button to push to set my alarm for work. I was up most of the night for two nights, only slept 3 and 4 hours respectively. Then, slept for two days. I never threw up from nausea, and I am easily made nauseous. Yes, I am the 53 year old that gets car sick when going out to lunch if I don't drive. So, they are pretty good at keeping us from puking. Keep some saltine crackers handy and peppermints, they help. So does lemondrops, the tartness helps. Stay hydrated, my chemo info said 70 % of people are nauseous because they are dehydrated and don't have enough food in their stomach. I will say that the 3rd thru 6th chemo's were identicle in how I felt after, but we are all different. I say, take the prescriptions and don't be afraid to call the on call onc if you need anything. The strangest thing to me was that I would have my worst day and the very next day I would feel completely normal again. Freaky! It happened like that the last 4 rounds of chemo. Herceptin just made me stiff and muscle painy (I just made that word up-painy):-)
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@lago-I also get sick after surgery. One time I didn't and asked my Ans. dr. what she did. She told me she gave me steroids. I had to have a revision and asked for steroids with my ans. and it worked! I woke up ready to jump out of the bed and was asking if I could go home. I know we've all had lots of steroids, but maybe if you ever need surgery for anything again, some steroids will help.
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@Olgah-When I got my dx I rented The Bucket List. When I saw those guys puking I got scared. I wondered what I was in for. I was so happy they have come such a long way in making chemo easier than it was so many years ago. It's that awful fear of the unknown that is so hard to take. You will get through this and we are here for you. Big hug!
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olgah34 & Laura5 - I took Emend for three days too, they gave me anti-nausea drugs IV, then I had compazine and ativan in case I had any nausea at home, I usually had to take a couple of compazine on days 3-5, I would nauseous at night. They told me that if what I had didn't help, please call immediately and they would get something different for me. I did have really bad heartburn and diarrhea on #1, but they gave me prilosec for the heartburn and it worked well, I think that lago had to take something else for that, as the prilosec didn't work for her.
I read all the info on what to expect at your first chemo, what to bring to chemo, what to have on hand after, so I went to my first chemo very nervous and packed for every possible thing, pillow, blanket, books, snacks, mp3 player, then at home had all the things I would need for just about every side effect. I was a little over prepared, found I didn't need half the stuff I took with and also didn't need half the stuff I had at home. Chemo was not as bad as I expected in a lot of ways, but in other ways, it was worse. I guess we all are effected differently not only than each other, but each chemo brought different SE's too.
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amyisstrong - Next week I will be 1 month out from last one. I hope I get the same nice surprise that you did after 2-3 months. Yes, hobbling around, especially in the morning and getting up from sitting.0
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Is Emend anti- nausea drug?
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Emend is an antinausea drug. At the chemo place I went to I got it IV prechemo. Great drug!!
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Thank you, ladies, so much! They told me in Cancer center they will give me SOME MEDICINE, but I don't know what is it. I was very nauseaus after my 1 operation, lumpectomy, I told them about it
and they gave me something for BMXand I was not nauseaus at all.They did not tell me what it was.
I would like to find out.
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pscheer1 Thanks. I will ask about that. I'm doing nipple reconstruction with some pocket revision and fat grafting on the 6th. I'm pretty sure they are going to use general.
LindaKR you are correct prilosuc never works for me even before chemo. I was on protonics but then had to switch to Nexium with my new insurance. I was also taking carafate suspension. Both really helped. I had Constipation. Metamucil and my spicy chicken chili with lots of beans and banana peppers helped.
What to bring to chemo. Basically it was a book or gameboy (basically something to do. Wish I had an ipad). Water to drink and something to eat that isn't smelly (so you don't bother others that may be nauseous.) Also don't forget your lidocain/prilocaine cream for your port. If you have taxoteares or the runny/bloody nose bring tissues. And of course your DH, DP, DD, DS, DM, BBF or etc.
Granted my DH couldn't stay for my 5th chemo (interview) and couldn't come to my last chemo (got that job). I didn't drive though. Took public to treatment and I cabbed it home. I was a bit spacey so I didn't want to ride the subway. I would be suck a target for a pickpocket-er.
Thanks Olgah. They they gave me something at exchange but I still felt like crap. They gave me a patch but I still felt nauseous. Not as bad as bmx but I wasn't under as long either.
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Hello!
Today is day 3 after my first TCH treatment. I feel like I have the flu without the fever. Really, not too bad. Burnt mouth feeling, sore throat, burning eyes, achy and a little nauseous. The worst part is my TE's! I had them filled the day before chemo and they hurt like heck!!!!
Is anyone else taking Glutamine for joint/muscle pain? My Onc. suggested it. I'm taking it, but I'm still having pain. Maybe the pain would be worse without it. I don't know, but I don't plan to find out!
I hope everyone had a wonderful relaxing weekend.
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Kelliregi, we are not allowed pain medicine?
your answer, actuallu, encouraged me
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Kelliregi and olgah34 - I took L-glutamine powder for my neuropathy symptoms during chemo and this was approved by my onc. Also, I would like to suggest that you consider icing your fingers and toes during the taxotere infusions. If you search on icing you can find information. Taxotere has a slightly increased risk for nail problems and the icing may help prevent them. Here is a link to the information about this at the National Cancer Institute.
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