Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Just noticed that I wrote Mira MAX rather than Mir LAX......That's what I wanted it to be...MAX.
I'm so happy b/c I got an A+ on my WBC today and which means the Neulasta shot was worth the fire and pain. So, I am a go for Monday, July 21 for Treatment #2.
I really appreciate the advice about preventing constipation. Shelbaroni and Donnalee -- please be careful about infections. Good luck on Thursday. Bethany
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Hey Gina; Thanks for the advice. Maybe I won't have to call Roto Rooter (for me, not the toilet)! I was thinking along those lines...starting some chemically-induced diarrhea starting tomorrow. The suppositories are a good suggestion too. And the enema is a last resort, but can be useful. We'll see if I do a better job of handling everything this time--as if it's some kind of achievement or something. Maybe I'll qualify for the "Golden Latrine" badge at camp or something. LOL
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I have had a rough time since Sunday. I was doing okay and was teaching my class when it hit me. I needed to use the bathroom since I had taken a stool sofener. I still have a little of the runs. I tried to work yesterday but they sent me home just 15 minutes shy of when I was to leave anyway. I am going to try to go today but I feel awful. I am in a lot of pain and think it may be the fibromyalgia. I came home last night and ate some macaroni with nothing on it and took some stronger pain med. I felt better until this morning.
Aly I am sorry you are not doing so good. Also I am concerned about cupcake. I go for my herceptin on Wed. and I am afraid my white count is down.
Carolyn
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Carolyn, did you have a Neulasta shot by any chance? Sorry, I'm so far behind on posts. I also have Fibromyalgia and suffered tremendously with pain after the Neulasta. If you had it, that may explain it. I did much better as far as pain went this time around having Neupogen over 5 days instead. Still had some minor bone pain but *nothing* like with Neulasta. If you had Neulasta or Neupogen it's probably unlikely that your counts are down. I even had my doctor check my potassium yesterday because I was just *desperate* to find some reason *why* I feel so bad but everything came up normal. I think it's just an unfortunate part of this blasted chemo.
My biggest problem is I'm not responding like I should be to the blood thinners for the clot. Clot seems to have responded well, the swelling and pain are gone but my clotting time is still not where they want it to be. My doctor wanted to know if I was a super veggie eater or vitamin taker (ha!! Doesn't my husband wish!) because I seem so resistant. I've had to have twice daily shots in my tummy for the past 10 days (not including the Neupogen shots for the first 5 of it). I'm getting checked again tomorrow and I'm telling her she has to find an alternative to the shots, even if it means I have to come in every single day for I/V Heparin until the Coumadin (pills) kicks in. You should see my poor belly. I can't take it any more.
Carolyn, I do hope you feel better soon and I hope we hear from Cupcake as well.
Aly.
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Today is day 8 for me and I'm fed up with constipation! Second time in 8 days, as I had to give myself that enema after the first 5 days post chemo. Since then (Saturday) - nothing!! Just bloat and more abdominal pain. Spoke to the onc nurse, who says yet more Colace, Senekot and now add lactulose. Hope there's no big chemical reaction going on in there!! Maybe tomorrow....
I told my onc nurse that I thought things got better after 7 days and she said yeah, everyone thinks that, but the side effects can change and go on for 2 and a half weeks for some people! Oh well, besides the constipaton and sore mouth, I'm doing okay. Good energy level.
Wishing you all the best!
Gina_M
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Gina,
I'm sorry you're having this problem. In addition to lots of fiber, I've also been eating Activia cottage cheese or yogurt once or twice/day for the first time -- Jamie Lee Curtis says it's "guaranteed" to help with digestive health...it might not help right now but maybe will keep things going for next time. It's sposed to take a couple of weeks to build up the right flora..... ~B
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Gina;I second the probiotics. And some of the acidophilus/bifidus supplements they sell in the health food stores are probably even more potent than yogurt! Here's some of the other things that I work on when I have that problem....water---really pound down the fluids, especially if you're taking fiber. You don't want to make bricks down there! Secondly, a little mild exercise helps, walking, etc. I know for myself, if I don't move, my bowels don't either. Thirdly (and I wouldn't try this unless I got the doctor's permission), but if I were desperate, I would ask if I could use that PhosphoSoda stuff (by Fleet) that people use to clean out for a colonoscopy. But I repeat, I would never, ever do something quite that drastic without permission. And make sure you're eating your fruits and veggies, too. Don't overlook the basics. One of the highest-fiber fruits there is, is strawberries!0
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Thanks all. I appreciate your concern and advice. It's 2:30 AM here (does that make it day 9?), and I'm here at the computer because of the bloating and discomfort. I don't think I got more than 20 minutes of sleep. I even was desparate enough to add an Exlax to the chemical soup! The bloating and gas are pretty horrific. It's amazing how much more daring one gets in managing the side effects when they get really bad. I've been on Activia for the past 3 months (wonder if I might be getting lactose-intolerant) and am getting in my 3-mile walks at least every other day, so I think I'm on the right track
Mouth sores also getting worse and painful. I SURE hope tx 2 goes better than this one!
Gina_M
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My prayers will be with you today, Gina. When I got mouth sores after tx 1, the doc ordered a prescription concoction of antifungal, antibiotic, cortisone, and benzocaine for me to swish in my mouth 4 times a day. Worked like a charm. Also said they'd dose down my taxotere. I would call about that s/e because you could end up with thrush or a bacterial infection if the mouth sores aren't treated.
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what you all generally do to avoid constipation?
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Thanks shelbaroni, I'm already on my second prescription that the onc. gave me for the mouth sores. It doesn't have any anti-fungal or antibiotic but is more of a numbing benzocaine thing. So far it is just two very large canker sores - one under my tongue and the other between my teeth and gums at the lower bottom side (which you can't really see). Did you get the mouth sores for your later treatments?
punita - I was unable to prevent constipation; had it twice so far since my first tx and today is day 9. I'm planning to take Colace every morning and every night until I get regular again.
Thanks,
Gina_m
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Gina; Just had lip blisters the second treatment and a little mouth soreness, because they dosed down my taxotere some. I'll keep knocking on heaven's door about your bowels until I hear a good report.
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Hello All!
Got my second TCH treatment yesterday. Shel, I do agree with your theory that the side effects may hit one day earlier on the second go 'round. I definitely feel worse than I did on day 2 last time. Day 3 was my worst last time, nausea and vomiting all day. This time they gave me Ativan to back up the Zofran and to help me sleep. This should allow me to lay off the steroids and maybe not gain 150 pounds during this process.
I'm also going to start the Colace, since the Zofran stops me up the minute I look at it.
Pineapple juice is my drink of choice today. That's gotta have some fiber in it, right?
Well, since I'm only doing 4 treatments, I'm now 2 down and 2 to go.
Where are you Cupcake, and how are you doing?
Lynn
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Lynn;Your head is so cute. I have a treatment (#3) tomorrow. I am being so proactive about constipation that I'll probably detonate on the way to the doctor's office. I might have to wear a diaper tomorrow.Cupcake--I hope everything's good.How are you doing?0
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Can't sleep -- even with the Ambien. Does anyone have scratchy/gritty eyes? to the point that you've tried eye drops --- have you gone so far as asking a prescription? My eyes are driving me crazy...short drive right now. Hoping all of you are asleep right now. Glad to know you're out there. I think about many of you during the day. ~~bb
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Hey, I'm up too...cruising on decadron. Just watched the new Project Runway. Have to make a couple costumes for Comic Con. Might do it tonight or work on a painting. I have tx 3 tomorrow. At least I get to watch a movie and read my book for awhile. Then we're going to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Bathany,
I have itchy eyes and the skin all around my eyes is extremely dry and itchy- wvwn more so than the inside of my eyes. I put Aquaphor on my eyelids and under eye skin 2-3 times a day and that seems to manage it- it also seems to reduce the internal eye itching. Sometimes i put the Aquaphor all over my face to combat the dry chemo skin.
I have tx 5 today (next to last) - made 10 pints of homemade salsa last night (thank you steroids!)- hopefully will sleep through part of chemo- at least the morning until hubby arrives with lunch and to take me home!
Kristy
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Hey, sounds like a few of you have treatment today. Best of luck. Hope it goes smooth and quick.
Lynn
Earth to Cupcake. Send an update, please. We are thinking about you.
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Kristy:I'm about to go in for Poisoning #3. I think we should start a compilation of wacky things we do at night on steroids. Last night I was up until 2 am, inspired by the premiere of season 5 of Project Runway, and made my son an Ash Ketchum (from Pokemon) costume for Comic Con. I was going to finish my painting too, but I thought I should at least get some sleep.Bethany;My eyes are always like that anyway. I just use those over-the-counter eye drops.0
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Hi everyone! I had my #3 chemo on Tuesday. Doin O.K. Sleep a lot!!! I have a new interesting side-effect. I'm getting my period! I haven't had it since the beginning of May!! Since I had an estrogen fed tumor I though this was odd. Does anyone have a similar reaction?
Donalee
Cupcake where are you?
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today my mother has gone to doctor, he has decided to give herception after 21 days of chemo. but when he has checked my mother sugar level , it was 300+ ...
whether anybody had this side effect earlier ?
please let me know your experiences and thanks for sharing the same
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Hi,
I had tx #3 last Friday. Pretty much the same schedule of se's. Monday thru Wednesday were the worst. Today a little better. One thing I've been taking (since a bad case of constipation after one of my surgeries) is Fiber Choice with calcium and vitamin D. Two chewables a day has worked. Of course, some days, it seems I go a lot, but at least it keeps things working! I may skip a few days mid treatment, but overall, it has worked well for me. I eat a lot of Tums on days 3-4 after tx, everything I eat brings on heartburn. Yuck. Well, looking towards the weekend, as I hope I will start to feel better tomorrow. On a side note, my hair is growing! Weird. has this happened to anyone else?
Kelly
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Kelly,
I only lost about 50-60% of my hair to start with- it was salt and pepper (well without the normal color product on it) and all the peper came out, around treatment 3 the remaining hair started growing and is not 1/2-1" long, Around treatment 4 the other hair started coming back in so I now have hair all over my head- some really short and fuzzy and the other about an inch in length. Nurses said it happens sometimes- not usually but even the taxotere info says you may lose all your hair or just have thinning.
Punita,Is you mom on steroids before treatments? Steroids make your blood sugar go up and for me blood pressure goes up on the days on steroids too. Im really careful around treatment days to eat fairly low carb which helps control the blood sugar rises.
Im home from treatment- had a great nurse today- stayed on top of things and got me through quickly AND she was a lot of fun- I took the burses zuchini bread muffins for breakfast today.
Kristy
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Bethany: I have very gritty, dry eyes but I blame it on the gabapentin that I'm taking since chemo is just a fond memory. During chemo I had blocked tear ducts which made my eyes dry at night and watery all day. Anyway, I just went to the eye doctor and he recommended eye drops 4 times per day and a humidifier in my room at night (It's very dry here). He gave me a sample of of Systane something or other (my eyes are too dialated to read small type) and I also have been using Refresh Liquigel, which his assistant said is a very good eye drop as well.
Kristy Ann: I had the itchies as well. It would start on my hand (left only, weird) and then the skin around my eyes would itch. It got so bad I couldn't sleep so my onc gave me a prescrip for an antihistimine (Atarax). I took it at night since it tends to knock me out but by that time (treatment #4 which hit me hard) the thought of being in a drug-induced fog for the next 9 weeks was very appealing.
Punita: I have a chem panel done every three months. My glucose levels have been fine.
Good luck to all of you facing your treatments this week.
Terri.
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Dear Kristy and Terri and all,
Thank you for the tips about gritty eyes. I hadn't thought of taking anti-histamines for it -- and that would help with the sleeping too.
Such a thoughtful idea you had: taking something yummy to the very kind people that work at a cancer center..... I can't imagine having their jobs.
Cheers, Bethany --- Day 16 and no hair falling out yet...
p.s. Shelbaroni-- glad you reminded me of the new Project Runway season!
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Donalee;Congratulations on your period. I am such an old crone myself that I would welcome such a sign of youth and vitality. I had tx #3 today and feel like a truck ran over me. I'm very anemic, I found out, but not bad enough for the insurance to cover that stuff they give you to boost your red cell production. The nurse said she'd give it to me next time probably. That way I can run the duathlon my husband wants me to run just to say I did it 3 weeks after my last tx. Maybe I'm tired cuz I stayed up until 2 on steroids making an Ash Ketchum costume and only got 4 hours sleep. The onco threatened not to let me take steroids anymore if I go crazy and party. Ha!Well, I think I found a premedication regimen for constipation: beginning 2 days before treatment, start stool softeners and this herbal stuff I found that's mostly African bird pepper. It works so far.Kelly--watch the Tums. If you take a lot of calcium-based antacids, they can contribute to constipation. You might want to switch to Magnesium-based antacids. Those have the opposite effect. (Like Milk of Magnesia).Kristy--Your observations about the hair are interesting. I've got a good growth of stubble after 3 treatments, but not uniform all over my head. I'm going to razor it soon for my Comic Con character...also so I can go commando more comfortably. I am worried that my hats and do -rags will slip off my head, though!Aly and Cupcake--How are you guys?Gina: Any success yet?I AM NOT GOING TO STAY UP UNTIL 2 TONIGHT.0
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Hey, I've got a question. Has anyone had more edema (swelling) in legs and feet from subsequent treatments? I definitely have more this time than tx's 1 and 2. I'm going in for a lymphatic massage tomorrow. Hopefully, that will help
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Hi all,
I'm at day 11 and except for painful mouth sores, I am hanging in there! I have very little interest in work these days, so I left a vacation message on my voicemail and decided to give myself a break (at least till I get rid of these #!*!! mouth sores). I've lost about 3 pounds this first cycle - not for lack of appetite (which has not been a problem for me), but mostly from these mouth sores which make swallowing, talking or eating very painful. My onc. has put me on 3 different mouthwashes, none of which have provided relief so far. I think they will ultimately get better on their own - I just have to be patient (not one of my finer traits).
Anyone notice any bleeding? Twice in the past 2 days I blew my nose and spent 10 minutes stopping the bleeding. This may be my gauge as to how the blood cells are doing. I think I am at the WBC nadir now and am "visualizing" my white cell precursors in high production! We don't get Neulasta prophylactically here unless one of the cycles has to be postponed due to low counts. I don't really mind that (who needs yet more side effects?), but I will sure be nervous the day before tx2 to get my WBC counts back. My onc says the majority come back okay on their own.
I'm still taking Colace each night. I NEVER want to be that constipated again.
Cheers and hope all is going well for everyone.
Gina_M
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Gina;Your nose is lined with mucus membranes just like your mouth, vagina, and digestive tract. When a certain type of tissue is reproducing, that's when the "kill" will happen. That's why we all start losing hair 2-3 weeks after the first hit--that's when hair multiplies. Blood in the nose is de rigeur for chemo, but you want to prevent it from turning into a full-on nosebleed. I have blood in my nose (a little clot) every morning, especially if I forget to gently coat the inside of my nose with Vaseline every night. Never blow your nose forcefully, especially by shutting one nostril and blowing the other side. (I know all these tricks because years ago I was hospitalized for a week with a bleed in the back of my nose which they had to pack down to my throat--couldn't blow my nose for a whole month!) My onco nurse also swears by saline nose sprays, which I also use occasionally. I hope all that helps, and I'm really glad the colace is working. Have they said anything about maybe reducing any of your doses next time? Your extreme mouth issues might indicate that they hit you a little bit too hard. You might want to ask.Either someone snaked an NG tube down my gullet when I'm sleeping at night and is packing it with 5000 calorie "snacks" or something is whacked. I'm gaining weight...and being an ex-weight control professional, this really bothers me. I hope it's just edema from the steroids and the IV. But I've noticed a couple pound climb over the last month. I've been running more...maybe it's just my leg muscles packing out a little. Hope so. I would hate to "diet" at this time...Has anyone else had this problem? I thought you were supposed to LOSE weight on chemo!0
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I think this stuff will kill you! I was told by the bank not to come back until I felt better. I do have FMLA but it pays nothing so I had to pull some money out of my IRA.
I have diarrhea and so far the immondium has taken care of this. My eyes are dry or something anyway I have a hard time focusing. This is the first time I have been on the computer and it is hard to see. Tuesday evening I threw up like there was no tomorrow at work and may be the reason I am not wanted back. I am too weak anyway to do a good job and they have a bunch of new rules. I just can't concentrate either.
I took my second Herceptin Wed. and I guess Wed. is going to be my day. Maybe by Sunday I will be able to teach my class but I got real sick last Sunday. I guess we will see!
As for the mouth sores mine are just extremely dry feeling and it feels like I burned my mouth on pizza. I think we have all done that at one time or another
they said to use a quart of water which I boil first and add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of soda..I am supposed to rinse 5 or 6 times a day. I am not able to eat much right now. I did get the sensitive toothpaste made by biotene. I don't like it but I guess until this is over I will use it.The doc gave me some Protonic which is great for indigestion which has been more of a problem than nausea.I hope all goes well with all of you.
Carolyn
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