Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Thank you Alice, thank you Yaya, and everyone. I never get tired of hearing anything anyone has to say regarding all of this. I appreciate each and every one of you.
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Ditto rickysgirl, I appreciate all the info I have found in this site. It helps to know we are not alone going through all these se's.
I am finally coming to the upside of chf. Woke up this morning and I have kneecaps and ankles! And can take a breath without coughing up a lung! A week or so ago someone on this site recommended massage and that sure helped too! Hugs to all and hope everyone has a smooth weekend.0 -
For all you newbies in particular but to all BC girls..here is a website recommended by my BS's colleague . He takes a holistic approach to cancer treatment. LOts of helpful stuff here.
Wish I had known about it sooner.
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I have spent a week feeling so lethargic that I just didn't want to do anything at all. I didn't get on the computer. I hardly ate or drank. I just could not function. These last couple of days, my boyfriend has been pushing me harder to eat so now I'm finally feeling a bit better but my head is still not 'normal' and I get tired quickly. He did go buy me a portable air conditioner which really did help a lot though now I don't want to leave my room because it's still hot everywhere else.
I feel like I've taken terrible care of myself to let myself get to the point of not wanting to eat for fear of feeling worse. I told my boyfriend that I didn't want to go through this again and he assured me that I would manage and that it's only for four months. I'm normally pretty durable when it comes to dealing with anything but nausea but that reduces me to a wimp so fast.
But I'm on the computer now - obviously - and slowly returning to something resembling normal. I really hope my MO can do some adjusting on mine because I really don't want it to be as bad as this again for 5 more times.
Oh - and my boyfriend brought a tiny kitten home on Saturday. It fell out of the undercarriage of a vehicle he was behind and he stopped and rescued it. No way to find where it came from. It is old enough to want to explore a lot so that's probably how it ended up under there but it definitely wants its siblings and momma. We haven't introduced it to our other cats yet and it's currently curled up on a pillow under my desk against my feet.
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Jinkala, I certainly understand how you felt, as I felt the exact same way. I spent 5 days shuffling between my recliner and my bed, crying, and begging the Lord to please take that horrible feeling away from me. I could have dealt with all of it, except the "not normal head" issue. That was the worst. Like you, I told my boyfriend to just forget it, take what comes and move along. I plan on having a long talk with my onc when I go back, because, to me, it is unbearble and something needs to be done. I know that this is hard for everyone, and one of the nurses told me that what I experienced is "what they would expect" but with all th davances in medical techonology and science, like growing ears on rats, one would think there would be something, SOMETHING that could be done to combat that chemo hangover feeling. I have more pills here than I have had in my entire adult life and have chosen not to take the majority of them, but that's just me. I will make trade-offs between a certain symptom and more pills, but the head................OMG !! I will be one more to say hang in there, as I need to do myself, but I am with you on this. I'm glad you're feeling better. It took me awhile but I did too. My problem is that I am now suffering from anxieties, knowing it will come around again, maybe feeling the same horrible way, or maybe it will be something different. My hat's off to women who go through this to completetion. I am a wimp, and this is not for wimps.
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jinkla I had terrible heartburn on chemo. I was on a couple of prescriptions to manage it. Not sure if that's the issue but it helped me. In your case it's really important to keep your diet balanced. The lack of food (as you know) is not good for your sugar levels.
Lots of folks get very tired. Not unusual. Do what you can.
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Rickysgirl and Jinkala...my head was the worst after my first tch but I didn't have it after any of the other 5. I got pretty much every side effect except nausea and some were the same each treatment. I hoping the rest of your treatments are easier...but if they aren't don't feel bad about staying in bed or not doing anything...you are being pumped full of poison! No guilt allowed!! I sat on the couch for four months. I feel really good now and you will too when you are done. Ben and jerry really helped me out too...chocolate -yum.
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HI Love, I have been hoping & praying that the head thing was going to be a one time deal, maybe from the initial shock of the first round of drugs. Makes me feel so good to know you didn't have it any other time. My other side effects weren't really all that bad, except maybe the abdominal pain, but I'd take that over the head thing any day, any time. I had a slight fever a few days after, but nothing Tylenol wouldn't take care of. Thanks for sharing with us. gives up hope, hope, hope. Bless you.
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I think my worst se-wise was the first one so far and like you said maybe due to the onslaught of toxins into my previously med free body. Treatment #4 was hardest because I was dealing with chf and low blood counts but had to push #5 off for a week and just had that one a few days ago. And I have to share that it has been the mildest so far! Little nausea that fz yogurt took care of (yum). The chemo fog lifted and was able to go out today and walk without listing to one side! Wanted to share this with you all as I have shared the bad stuff, somedays are better than others just gotta take it one at a time and communicate with your drs about what you are feeling.....I have to keep reminding myself too!
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Reading this makes me so so glad that my mom decided to come out here and help me during my first treatment- and through that whole next week! Phew! Sounds like it is gonna be rough. I am glad that I am able to read all this stuff though and prepare for it. Also glad to hear it gets better....
I am curious about the puking thing though- in general, I am not a pukey person. Felt dreadfully sick at times during first trimester in my pregnancies but never puked. Wonder if that kind of thing carries over to chemo or if that is just a whole other ballgame?
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Yeah...If you can get through the first one then you can get through all of them...just stay strong and read these forums. There are lots of remedies on here that your doc will never know about. One of my fave remedies from here is Aquaphor...my new best friend. My feet are still peely and gross so I use it all the time. And coconut oil for your head...keeps the folicles juicy!!! And one of my fave meals during chemo was perogies.
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Been through chemo twice now and I have never puked. The first time, in 2006, I barely even got queasy. I had one bad day (had chemo Thursdays, Sunday was my "chemo hangover" day) and then went to work on Monday. Worked full time. I had 4 tx of AC & 4 taxol (as well as Herceptin starting with the Taxol tx's), dose dense (every 2 weeks). This time (recurrence last October) I did TCH and had a whole other experience. Queasy, weak and exhausted for 10 days after each tx. Major taste bud changes. Bloody noses. Stopped after 4 tx's (was supposed to do 6) after the last one put me in the hospital with neutropenia. But I never puked!! Had my last tx May 15th and I am feeling great. Even managed to move (found a place in a week, packed, had a garage sale, moved over the course of a month) starting two weeks after I got out of the hospital, that's how much better I felt! It's a bitch but its doable.....
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Damiana9 - I didn't ever feel pukey. I kept up with the anti nausea pills until day 4 or 5 and it didn't ever get me. I think there are additional meds you can get if the usual ones don't work well enough for you.
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damiana - I never puked once, never felt nauseous. I took my antinausea meds as prescribed. I had lots of other issues, but thankfully, nausea was not one of them.
I have met 2 other women who despite taking all meds, still had ongoing nausea issues. Hopefully, this will not be you!!! Most do not have nausea if they take the meds as prescribed. I also think getting emend with aloxi in my premeds apparently was effective for me.
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Relda - love that statement "it's a bitch but it is doable". To me, describes if perfectly!
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damiana I had some bad back pain for a few days because of the nuelasta, heartburn bloody nose and some slight pins & needles in my left hand after my 1st treatment. All this was only for a few days. 2 days after my 1st tx I went on the bus to the ACS to pick out a wig. I was pretty high/spacy on Zyrtec too. By 6pm I had to crash. To be honest the first 2-3 tx weren't too terrible. You might be OK too. I had no nausea. Never used the meds.
I assumed I would get ever SE. Instead I just got the less common ones that they don't have meds for… because I'm special. Seriously you might breeze through this. I know a gal that did with the same cocktail as me (actually same onc). After tx 6 she finally had some taste changes.
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Jinkala and Rickysgirl,
I'm so sorry you're having it rough. My little piece of advice is to "give yourself permission" to rest all you need, lounge around, nap, eat what appeals to you, and let go go of as much responsibility as you safely can. The caveat to You, Jinkala, is to follow your guidelines for diabetes. It's hard to deal with two new major conditions at the same time. You're going through a very tough treatment protocol -- my oncologist told me that. He and his nurse also told me not to try to "bite the bullet." They wanted me to call if I had a side effect I didn't have meds for. They did not want me to suffer needlessly. So, don't hesitate if you have a SE you can't deal with. Call the doctor. I called them about once a week at first. Then things calmed down. You will learn a lot by keeping up with this board. Remember, you have permission to treat yourself well during this unique time in your life.0 -
Oh ladies............such wonderful information to wake up and read today. Thanks so much for ALL the insights and suggestions. Again, I am hoping with the firs one out of the way that things will look up a little. I am also a previously med free body - until now. I really havent' taken any of the ones prescribed, either. I took a week of antibiotics I was give since I ran a slight fever for a few days. They gave them to me "just in case." I haven't had to take anything for nausea. I did have some terrible abdominal cramps, for which they gave me another prescription, but I opted not to take them. Just wait for it to pass. If I can get past the head thing, I think it will all be o.k.
I have had a bit of trouble with toothpaste. No mouth sores, but my toothpaste seems to burn my mouth so intensely that brushing is a little traumatic. I called my dentist and he suggested this: Rinse mouth with Maalox, yes, Maalox, then brush with plain water. The Maalox seems to numb the inside of the mouth. He had previously given me a prescription mouth wash, and I rinse with that after to get that extra clean feeling, but he said the brush, not the toothpaste, is doing the cleaning. Brushing with plain water feels weird, but I'll trade weird for burning anytime.
Keep that info coming ladies. I'm loving everything I can wrap my eyes around on here. Ya'll sure make this seem more doable than I was seeing. There's a line in the movie Driving Miss Daisy where Hoke says "how do you know what I see unless you're looking through my eyes?" Thanks to you all, I can now see through your eyes, and it does make a difference.
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rickysgal be sure to floss too. Chemo can do nasty things to your gums. I don't know if the biotene products will work better for you. No alcohol. I used the mouth wash during chemo. They have a toothpaste too.
AND TAKE THE MEDS. No need to suffer and that's what they are there for. I too was drug free till chemo. I was not too happy about all the drugs especially the antibiotics but I took them as prescribed or needed. Even now all I take for prescriptions is the estrogen sucking drug (Anastrozole) and a small amount of a diuretic because the ESD makes me retain fluid. The rest are supplements. You will get back to drug free soon enough.
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I used the Biotene products and switched to a soft toothbrush...worked pretty good for me...good call Lago...I forgot about that.
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Hi everyone! God bless all of you who are currently going through TCH. I swear I thought I would never get back to normal but it does happen as so many have said. I'm feeling better all the time but it's taken more than a year.
I'm only here sporadically now but wanted to share some info. I had really bad "Taxotears" (constant watering eyes for those who haven't had the joy yet) at the end of chemo that went on for a month or so. I went to the eye doctor at the time to check the tear ducts and he said it would resolve in time which it did. Fast forward to now: I'm about 15 months PFC and I went for an eye checkup today. I mentioned that I have slightly blurry vision in my right eye when I'm tired and wondered if it was from dry eyes (of course I was afraid that my Tamoxifen had caused a cataract or something!).
The eye doctor noticed that I had been on Tax and said he wanted to check my tear ducts. Well, although this sounds horrid it really wasn't very painful at all. He threaded some tiny thing into my tear ducts and then pushed saline through it to make sure it was clear (the saline ran down my throat). Well, the right tear duct (my eye that gets blurry) was blocked by scar tissue. He was able to push until it broke/popped and he cleared it and said it should be fine now which should help that eye to produce tears. Anyway, when you finish chemo make sure you tell you eye doc that you had Tax and ask them to check your tear ducts.
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Hi dragonfly -Glad you got that fixed and thanks for the info!0
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Dragonfly - thanks so much for that info!!!
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dragonfly - hi! Interesting on the tear ducts. I have had an eye exam but don't think he checked this as I had no complaints about my eyesight. He was aware of the BC and chemo. I too am just feeling pretty normal - still have some days where I am more tired, or just meh, but getting better all the time!
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I am almost 3/4 of the way through my Taxotere tx (3rd of 4 on 8/23), and I am having "Taxo"tears like crazy. I called the eye clinic to ask about it, talked to a triage tech/nurse, and she basically just said to keep using Genteal gel drops and that it should get better maybe three weeks or so PFC. I wasn't surprised at that, but am wondering if she really knew all that much about chemo. My treatments are 3 weeks apart and I don't see any improvement at this point. (I haven't entirely given up on the Genteal drops but I really don't think they are helping at all). I am constantly wiping/dabbing my eyes, and when they fill up (which is most of the time), my vision gets blurry, too. Did anything help at all with the watering before you finished chemo, or did you just have to tough it out? I've been taking a decongestant, too, because I'm concerned about it causing a sinus infection.
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Hello Friends.
I hope everyone is well. I made a great discovery this week and I had to share. It's called Jamberry nails. 9 months after TCH my nails are still so fragile, thin, and splitting. It drives me crazy. Jamberry nails come in a sheet of precut nail shapes. They are similar to a vinyl sticker. You do have to do some trimming to the sticker, heat the sticker with a hairdryer, apply the sticker to your nail and then reheat with a hairdryer again. It takes a bit of practice but it's not too hard! There is no glue, no fumes and they are very durable. They are so protective of my nails. My nails haven't felt this good in a long time. They come in alot of fun patterns and I have had alot of positive compliments on my cute nails. I've even put them on my toes. My sister has used these and says that they stayed on her fingers for 2 weeks with no chipping or touch ups. To remove them, you just heat them up with a hair dryer and they peel right off. No chemicals, no nail damage. It is so easy. I really wish I'd found these months ago. It is way better than anything else I have found. It would have been so nice to have these during TCH.
Here is the link www.jamberrynails.net
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the hot summer. I send happy thoughts to everyone.
Christean
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Hello Friends.
I hope everyone is well. I made a great discovery this week and I had to share. It's called Jamberry nails. 9 months after TCH my nails are still so fragile, thin, and splitting. It drives me crazy. Jamberry nails come in a sheet of precut nail shapes. They are similar to a vinyl sticker. You do have to do some trimming to the sticker, heat the sticker with a hairdryer, apply the sticker to your nail and then reheat with a hairdryer again. It takes a bit of practice but it's not too hard! There is no glue, no fumes and they are very durable. They are so protective of my nails. My nails haven't felt this good in a long time. They come in alot of fun patterns and I have had alot of positive compliments on my cute nails. I've even put them on my toes. My sister has used these and says that they stayed on her fingers for 2 weeks with no chipping or touch ups. To remove them, you just heat them up with a hair dryer and they peel right off. No chemicals, no nail damage. It is so easy. I really wish I'd found these months ago. It is way better than anything else I have found. It would have been so nice to have these during TCH.
Here is the link www.jamberrynails.net
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the hot summer. I send happy thoughts to everyone.
Christean
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Hi Dragonfly and others with the watering eyes. I finished my last taxotere on July 6. At about that time I developed episcleritis. That is a condition where the outermost layer of the white of the eye gets irritated and turns bright red. I had to go to the eye institute at the medical school where I receive my cancer treatments. I felt like I had an eyelash dragging on my sclera. I was prescribed some steroid drops and it was suggested I use artificial tears. I was to come back in 3 weeks. I was still having a time with the watering, but the redness had healed. I don't think the doctor knew much about taxotere. I've been thinking since this whole thing started, that the oncologists need to give the ophthalmologist a little workshop on how chemo affects the eyes. I even suggested to the ophthalmologist that he check my tear ducts to see if they were scarred or plugged. He wanted me to come back in THREE months. If I'm still bothered by this watering, they will flush out my tear ducts. DUH. THSES DOCTORS HAVE NO IDEA What it's like to dab at eyes constantly hour by hour and day by day. I hate not being able to wear eye makeup and going around like I'm crying all the time. I may be an old lady, but I'm still wanting to look as good as I can. This has
really added some wrinkles to my eyes. I think I'll go see my optometrist. His wife has breast cancer (Bad) so,he probably knows all about this problem.0 -
It took about 6-8 weeks for the tearing to go away PFC. Pretty much just had to roll with it. I put Aquaphor under my eyes and at the corners so they wouldn't sting or crack. No problems now.
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I was afraid of that... oh, well. I'm still talking to the MO NP about it when I see her on Thursday.
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