Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Sorry Jlar I am on the TCH protocol so I can't help you.....
Speaking of TCH I finally started chemo yesterday. I only did Tex & Carbo as I did a a Herceptin tx last week. I had to wait two weeks for a radiation burn under my arm to heal to start the bigger guns. So far I'm a little disappointed, I had Zofran & Decadron in my pre-meds drip and I have to say I felt pretty crappy last night. Queasy bordering on nausea, headachy, and the Decadron was so nice to keep me mostly sleepless while I was feeling so great. Last time around I had Emend and felt fine the first 2 days then had a day when I felt like I did last night, and continue to feel this morning. Didn't expect to feel this way right off the bat. They gave me Kytril to take at home so I will see how that goes today. I'm hoping not getting Emend is just a choice and not that my insurance won't pay for it cause if this doesn't get better I was planning on asking to switch to it for tx #2. Speaking of things my insurance company will no longer pay for? They won't pay for me to get the Neulasta shot at my oncs office. They are sending it to me at home and I'm supposed to self inject it.
Um yeah, that won't be happening. My wonderfully kind onc nurse Dawn said screw 'em, bring it in and I'll do it. She rocks. I also have 2 friends that are nurses who said they'd be happy to do it for me as well. The difference in my coverage is night and day from my first go round in 2006, back then I didn't have so much as a co-payment for anything. This time? Don't get me started. I realize how lucky I was back then but it only makes having to go through all this again that much harder. UGH. OK I'm done venting. Thanks for listening
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relda - there are a few ladies who had intractable nausea with TCH and were given the Sancuso patch, which releases the anti-emetic med gradually over time. If none of the drugs work for you maybe this is a possibility. Zofran (my first line anti-emetic) did not work at all and caused the headache, the warning is right on the label. I moved on to Compazine and/or Ativan and they worked much better. My onc nurses said to take them at regular intervals for the first 72 hours whether I had nausea or not. Hope you can resolve this - it makes it much harder to gear up for the next tx!
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Relda ~ Like SpecialK, my onc told me to be vigilant about the anti-nausea meds. If that doesn't work, at least you have an idea from SpecialK what might work. I have read that the patch is very effective as well.
TCH friends ~ I am so happy to report that my platelet count is high enough for me to have my 6th & FINAL infusion tomorrow. Never in my life did I think I would be thrilled to be able to have chemo. It just shows how dealing with this disease makes us have perspective. As I said on another thread, I will let you all know when Elvis (me) has left the chemo building! Of course, I will be back there for Herceptin, but just knowing the big gun (and the nauseating one) will be over is a big deal to me! Take care and have a wonderful evening! Linda
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linny - yay for the last one! Hoping it will go smoothly and then you can work on recovering. Herceptin alone will be easy for you!
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SpecialK ~ Once again, thanks for your encouragment. Can't wait to be done and get that part of my life back...no nausea or metallic taste will be wonderful. I hope I do as well with the Herceptin as you have...on to rads next! Hugs...Linda
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linny - don't be discouraged by the amount of time it takes to get your energy back. I did not do rads but I know the ladies who were on my timeline who did were fatigued toward the end. How long is your break between chemo and rads? Eat well, rest when you need to, and exercise when you can and pretty soon you will start to feel so much better. It is pretty exciting when food tastes good again too! I was fortunate not to have any adverse problems with Herceptin, other than aching and the runny nose. After a while when I went to get the H only infusion I felt like Norm from Cheers.
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linny, YAY for finishing up tomorrow. it's a great feeling and i'm so happy for you.
i have a really dumb question ... does anyone know what bone mets feel like? and what is this pain that's still around my incision after radiation? is it residual radiation pain? i'm still so afraid of recurrence that i've written for a consultation with dr. slamon. sent all my records and reports to him today. i'm such a worrier.
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yaya - I still have weirdnesses from rads and it's been a year. I hope you get to see him, I would be interested to hear about that.0
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omaz, thank you! after you send your records to him, he decides whether he will see you, i think. he only sees patients once a month, so even if i get to go, it could be several months. i'm just getting more and more disillusioned with my onc. he's a wonderful guy, but i don't think he keeps up. never mentions anything new and when i saw him two weeks ago, i asked when i'd start arimidex. his answer ... 'that's a good question' and then he looked back through my file to see if i needed it. of course, he'd already told me i would. maybe that's not a big deal, but i felt uneasy.0
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yaya - That does sound a little disconcerting! Can you look for a new onc in your area?0
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Linny - YAY!!! Congrats on your last tx today! My platelets are on the rise too so I should be good to go for my full last treatment on Thursday!0
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Hi to All! Just had to let you know that I am an official "Chemo Grad" as of today! I completed my 6th and last TCH treatment this morning. I got to hit the chemo gong as the nurse announced to all in the infusion center, "Chemo Grad!" It was silly, but fun, and truthfully I loved knowing I had gotten through what seemed impossible 5 months ago! My platelets went from 57 last week on Thursday to 200 this Thursday. No rhyme or reason, it is what it is. I was just happy I could get it over with! Now it's on to rads (I meet the rad onc on March 28th). I did meet with her once before surgery and she is so knowledgeable and easy to talk with. She had all my previous info from other issues I had, plus all the reports that were available at that time for the BC. She had 3 hand-written 11 x 17 legal sheets with her research on my medical info as well as questions for me. So I believe I will be able to trust her. She is the head of the department as well and quite young (early 40's which seems young when I am going to turn 60 in August! But I believe I am a YOUNG 60...LOL!) Herceptin will be until October 12 and I am not sure what medication I will be taking for 5 or more years. Will discuss that with regular onc on April 4th. So...the BC treatment party will continue, but there is something exciting about the chemo part being over!
I want to thank all of you who I now consider my forum friends, for all of your knowledge, encouragement and kindness for these past months. I wouldn't be this far in my journey without you. My friends and family are fabulous, but I feel that you have to walk the walk to really understand how it feels to get through it all. I am hoping I never have to do chemo again. Let's get a cure and soon! I will be helping my teacher friend at school as much as I can as she begins chemo on March 20th. Like all of you have done for me, I want to pay it forward.
Kellogs ~ I will think nothing but positive that you can get your last full treatment on Thursday. We can then celebrate our chemo end together. I am feeling it will work out for you...just a gut feeling, but I remain hopeful that I will read you are finished sometime Thursday!
YaYa~ I can understand that you would be uneasy about not getting the answer to your Arimidex. I asked my onc about when i would start a drug. He said we will discuss on April 4th at my appointment. He seemed anxious to have me start whatever it will be (and he didn't tell me what...just "something better for you than Tamoxifen" so we will see. I just hope I can tolerate the rads, Herceptin and another drug all at once. Just trying not to worry ahead of time cause as my SIL always says, "Don't live it til it happens." Thanks so much for your encouragement for my last treatment. Can't believe I made it through. Now hoping for limited SE's! A girl can hope!
SpecialK ~ Thanks for the great advice. I figured the rads will cause fatigue, but I guess I will make it through. We always seem to do what we need to, don't we? My onc said it would probably be 4 weeks after last chemo, but that time line is up to the radiation onc. Boy, I feel like one high maintenance chick these past months! The metallic taste going away will help so much. I try to eat well, but to be honest with the nausea and taste, I have been eating whatever I can stand. That HAS TO change. I have lost 30 pounds...and yes, I am fat and need to lose more...so I want to keep that off and lose more. Hopefully, that will be one less risk factor for recurrence. But like Scarlett O'Hara, I will think about that tomorrow, or sometime in the near future...LOL!
Happy St. Patty's Day Weekend to all. Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to say something to all of you who have written to me. I am sure you can relate to the fact that I am on a steroid high and can't stop! Hugs...Linda
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linny, HOORAY!! i remember the night after my last chemo. i was like ... bring on the SE's! i'm done. nothing bothered me after that last tx. herceptin is easy breezy. really. i've had no problems at all with it that i know of. as for radiation, from my experience i would just say do everything your rad onc will allow you to do for your skin during treatment. stay up on that. i think most people have a fairly easy time with rads and you will too!0
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Congratulations Linda!!!
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Congratulations, Linda! You did it! My treatment was delayed twice so I understand your feelings of frustration and worry and the relief that comes when you are finally cleared for treatment. Now you are done! Herceptin will be so, so easy after this; you'll see.
Yaya, sorry about your onc. I am not crazy about mine either but at least she did prescribe me the Arimidex soon after TCH. She told me I could wait a little bit before starting it. I started it half-way through radiation. I have been taking it for almost 2 months now and it hasn't been too bad so far.
A question: I remember this discussion a while back, but didn't pay too much attention because it felt too far away to be relevant at the time. How many Herceptin treatments is standard? Is it 17 or 18? I just want to know when I'll be done, but I don't see my onc for another couple of months and the nurse during my last treatment wasn't sure. I sure would love to know. Thanks.
Amelie
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I had 18. My onc PA explained that they want to achieve a certain total dose and for me it took 18 infusions.
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amelie, my onc told me that one herceptin every three weeks for a year would be 18. however, when i do the math, it's really 17.3, so i'd say it's anywhere from 17 to 18. maybe it depends on how your onc does his/her math!0
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Thanks, Omaz. Do you remember if he said that everyone gets 18, the same way TC is given 6 times for example?
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linny - yay, yay, yay! So happy for you!
amelie - I got 17. I asked about it and I got a vague answer.
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Amelie - I was scheduled for 17 then she told me there was something with the calculation and it would be 18. So like yaya said, 17 to 18 depending on the math!0
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Congrats Linny!!!!!!! That is so wonderful! I am hoping to get my last one this Tuesday. Praying the doc clears my arm on Monday. It looks and feels so much better, so I am staying positive he will release me, and I can get the chemo and put it behind me. I am also grateful to all of you wonderful ladies. This journey would be a much harder one without each of you! xoxoxoxoxo
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slgarcia - I am glad to hear that your arm is better!! and that you have your last treatment coming up. Good Deal!!0
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Thanks to ALL for the good wishes on my being through the TCH treatments. I honestly believe that the support of those who have endured these treatments has been an incredible support and made me know and believe I would make it through. My heart and support is with all of you who are still going through the journey. I just have to say that if I can do it, you can, too!
SiGarcia ~ Hoping and praying that your arm is better and you get to finish treatment this week. As they say...onward and upward!
Happy Sunday to all...looking forward to hearing you are all feeling well and having a great day! Hugs....Linda
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Hi everyone! I need a little support. I started TCH 01/31 and had an anaphalatic reaction so I switched to taxol next treatment 21 days later and had a awful rash. Last week we switched to Abraxane and I am now doing weekly Abraxane, Carboplatin (every 21 days) and Herceptin. Due to the change in the steroids and anti-nausea meds this week has been really tough. No pain, thanks to no Neulasta, but I have this stomach acid problem that causes the most painful diarrhea and nausea. I was doing fairly well and now I can't believe I have to do this again Tuesday. I'm sure it's just a matter of getting more drugs to help the side effects, but everything feels so overwhelming. I can only eat rice and Gatorade and my two best friends, zofran and Zantac have failed me. Anyway else switch from 21 days to weekly and have a hard time adjusting?
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linnyhop,
I read your post that you used the Cold Caps. Did they work? I will start chemo in a few weeks.
Let me know.
Mimi8
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I have been on abraxane and carboplatin for 7 weeks out of a 12 weekly treatment. I have not had treatment due to low white counts for the last two weeks. Have had neupogen shots for the past 4 days and hope to be able to start Wednesday and get last 5 treatments behind me. I've got to say, based on the other SE effects others are having, I feel very fortunate. Lost my hair, had some trouble with stomach cramping and for the most part food is disgusting. I hope you will have luck with this coctail as well.
BB
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Hi, I am getting Taxotere, Carboplatin, and Herceptin X 6. I have had one treatments so far. During the treatment I iced my hands and feet and chewed ice. My blood pressure was rising throughout my infusion. The nurse blamed it on icing my hands. I'm wondering if anyone else did this, and if they had a problem. I do not have a bp problem normally. The nurse had never seen anyone do this before and seemed annoyed. Just wondering if anyone did this and had problems?
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Hi Ladies! Today I will find out if my arm is clear enough for my last TCH tomorrow. If you are on here today and reading this, please pray for me. I am so ready for this part of my journey to be over. Thank you in advance! Will post again when I find out. Fingers crossed! Much love and respect to you all. ~~Shannon
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brax - I iced during taxotere only since that is the one associated with nail problems. As far as I know you don't need to ice for the carboplatin and herceptin. My blood pressure ran high (and still does) every time I go to the onc's! They were OK with me icing, I just said I was doing it to make myself feel like I was being proactive, like I was doing something to help myself through treatment. Were you icing through all treatments?0
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brax - I only iced during Taxotere, because it is the agent responsible for nail lifting - 10-15 minutes prior to infusion and for 10 minutes after if you can handle it. Taxotere was the first agent given after my pre-meds. Nobody else at my center was icing (I read about it here) but neither my MO or the nurses seemed to mind that I did it. I had one nail lift but it was injured before I started, the rest looked fantastic - no lines, no ridges and no darkening. I also chewed ice during Taxotere to try to stop mouth sores. I had no issues with BP, but elevated BP could come from a number of other sources.
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