Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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RG, I had my back go out on me abouty 5th tx. They said it was deconditioning. It hurt. I actually took my hydrocodone tablets I had left from BMX it hurt so bad. Took about two weeks to get better and ended going to a chiropractor and that helped right away. Insurance actually paid. So I hope you get help, you don't need back trouble now too. Much love to all.
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hello ladies,
I'm new in this. but facing the same dilemma. 3 oc suggest I had a 1.4 cm lumpuctomy of 1.4 cm with micro 0.5 mm positive sentinal node removed. I'm HER2 , Estrogen progesteron positive.
had an ECO which showed 60% EF. I'm 60 years old.
3 onclogists said I should get AC -T and then Herzeptin, one says I should have TCH becuase I must get the Herzeptin in case of heart damage casused by Adremicyn.
What I'm most concerned about is how shall I endure the treatment which is very harsh , side effects etc.
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Shelly1 another woman in my building diagnosed right after me in her early 60's (also triple positive) got TCH… but we have the same onc.
Another friend in her early/mid 60's started with TC (Er+/PPR+ HER2-) but had such bad nueropathy that her onc switched her to AC, no T. Both are doing fine with no heart issues to date… the gal her did AC just finished chemo in October. The other that did TCH finished 1.5 years ago.
AC-T or TCH are all correct for triple positive. There is a risk of heart damage with Herceptin and increased risk when given with Adramycin… so that's why you don't get them the same time. Seems eastcoast trained oncs go with AC-T while westcoast trained oncs go for TCH. Adramycin had been around a long time and is very good for lots of cancers. Taxotere is a bit newer (3rd generation chemo). AC-T seems to have a slightly better outcome but very slight. Not sure if it's reduced recurrence or increased survival.
I hope that helps you make your decision or form questions to ask your oncs. BTW which onc did you like better? that's important too.
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Shelly 1 - I had TCH, and it's very doable, they really try to keep up on the SE's so that they aren't an issue - I was 54 when I started chemo. My doc wanted me to start the herceptin ASAP, as I was stage 3A, so he opted for the TCH! Good luck!
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Thanks Moon. It seems to feel a little better today. I wondered what this was all about, as I have not been aware of overdoing anything to cause such a problem. Of course, my problem is this........When I feel bad, I wallow, but as soon as I see an opening to feeling better, at go it with guns ablazin', probably doing more that I should, until I just poop out. Thanks for the info.
Welcome Shelly1. You found the right place. These ladies here are the most amazing.........I have just finished TCH, as of last Friday. I don't know if this will help or not, as I , too, have seen a difference in treatments by region. I have had two Echos so far, to check my heart from the Herceptin, and my onc said my second one was identical to the first one, which I did before I started, and which was fine. She told me that in all the years she has been dealing with this, she has only had 1 patient who had any problems with the Herceptin. She took her off of it to recover, and started it again. I gather she's all done and all good, but I didn't delve that far. My first two both came in at >55%. I can't speak for anyone else, but the TCH I received, for the most part, really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, we're all different and will have different side effects. Collectively, I don't think I had it too bad. Of course, while they were going on I thought they were the pits, but I think my mindset had a lot to do with that as well. Looking back, yes, there were some bad rough days, but I'm sure it will be like that for any treatment. I'm glad I went the route I did because now that the chemo is done, all I have left is the Herceptin for 7 months since I started it with the chemos. Hope some of this helps.
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Shelly1, I was also concerned about Adramycin with Herceptin so was switched to TCH. My EF remained at a good level. Don't get too worried about the side effects. There are a lot of good antinausea meds out there and I used cold caps and kept my hair.
Good Luck!
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Gosh I wish I had known about the cold caps. I guess I didn't read everything. I sooooo want my hair back, along with my one cock-eyed eyebrow.
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ricky I did know about cold caps but first of all the price was something that I couldn't afford. 2nd I don't think I could have sat there with ice on my head for over 35 minutes. Also a real PITA carrying all that dry ice to keep them cold. I wish I knew a bit more about the nail issues. I would have spent the money to protect my nails. My were so painful, smelly and at one point there was only 1 pair of boots (hiking type snow boots) that I could fit my foot in because one of the toenails (that had to be eventually removed) was so lifted. My nails never fully recovered. My hair did.
I know the nail thing is rare but I got it and got it really badly. I tend to get the less common things/SE. I mean who has that SE but has no nausea and minimal fatigue?
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Oh my. I really don't have a nail issue, except a couple of them have a faint black line running down them. I had no nausea to speak of, either, but the fatigue has been unbelievable, unbearable and debilitating. I go so long without driving my car that the few times I do, I am scared and feel like I've never driven a vehicle before. One other thing that bothers me is that I have spent sooooooo much time at home, alone, doing mostly nothing, that it seems to have affected me psychologically. It's almost like I've lost my social skills, and have nothing to even talk about. I haven't done anything interesting, gone anywhere interesting, nothing. I have nothing to talk about. I will be home for Christmas, rather than going to the boyfriends family's house. I feel so ashamed of the way I look, I am scared I will have a bathroom attack while I am there, which can be so excrutiating that I sit and make noises, or, worse yet, something will just come out with no warning and run down my clothes. I am thankful that it is the LAST time I will be going through this !!
And I think you're right. I couldn't have handled the cold caps. I'm glad I didn't invest. I just didn't know the procedure, even. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that you did. I feel like an idiot for complaining about my deal when yours was so much worse. I'm so sorry.
Have a Merry, Merry Christmas!
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Rickysgirl - Sorry you don't feel like you will be able to join your boyfriend's family for Christmas. I know that is sad; at the same time I hope your day is brighter than you anticipate. I can identify with what you are saying about social skills, etc. Even with being somewhat out of circulation for only a couple of months, I feel cut off from civilization. I have my darling daughter around and my husband before and after work, but it's not the same as really socializing. I have become addicted to this computer, and it's not a great conversationalist!
Remember, you are done with the treatments, and things will only be getting better as time goes on. Merry Christmas!
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Using cold caps is entirely up to the person, of course, but I must tell you that using them is not what you must be imagining.
Yes, they are expensive, but what keeping your hair and looking like yourself does for your psyche is priceless. After the first few minutes, which feels extremely cold, your scalp is numb, and you do not feel them. All of the women on the cold cap boards who iced their nails as well, said the nail icing was far more uncomfortable than the cold caps. I cannot say one way or another as far as problems of using dry ice, as my facility accepted a biomed freezer from Rapunzel, a non profit organization.
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I do the finger and toe nail icing at each TCH treatment and (so far, fingers crossed!) I've had 5 treatments with no nail problems. It is a pain, and you have to bring a good friend along so he/she can help wrap your toes with zip lock bags full of ice and then feed you ice chips for an hour and a half. Last time, instead of sucking on ice chips. which were making me nauseous after a while, I brought frozen strawberries which I liked alot better.
I wish there was a way to prevent eye tearing. I am struggling with constant eye tearing, which is making reading and driving difficult. I went to the eye dr, who, after performing a very uncomfortable test where he flushed my tear ducts, said it wasn't blocked tear ducts, just very dry eyes caused by the chemo.
Can't wait for this to be OVER!!!!!
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rickysgirl my journey was not worse just different. I feel in most ways I had it easy because of no nausea and not so wiped out.
I did ice chips after tx1 or 2 and never got another mouth sore. That did work for me.
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I haven't done any of these cold/ice treatments. Geez, maybe I should be more proactive! Tx #2 is Wednesday. I'll definitely try the ice chips! I don't have any mouth sores or nail problems, but I'm only 1 TCH treatment in. I can't imagine sitting there with my hands or toes covered in ice, probably won't do that. And even if price weren't an issue I probably wouldn't have bothered with cold caps either, seems like too much fuss for me personally. My head is shaved now, did that on Thursday because it started falling out.
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cgesq, My onco had me use dexamethasone eyedrops (prescription) for 24 hours after infusion (two drops every 8 hours) of TCH and I never had any problems with tearing. I had very little eye jerking.
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Grandma, Thanks for the advice. My eye dr. prescribed steroid eye drops (pred forte) but they don't seem to be working! I'm nervous because treatment # 6 is this Weds, and my eyes haven't stopped tearing from treatment # 5! I can't imagine another month of this!!
Steiner, if you have any questions about icing your fingers or toes, pm me and I'll share my routine. Its not fun, but it seems to work. You will need to have a friend with you to feed you the ice chips.
To all who celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May it be as meaningful, comfortable and joyous as possible. Remember, by next Christmas, this will all be behind us!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rickysgirl, I had the same problem as you.know. I took Lomotil when I absoulutly had to get somewhere. Otherwise I stayed close to home. But on two occasions I had to return home to change and shower because of uncontrolled D. I was feeling fine, and then boom. Not fun but you make it through.
Cg, hope your eyes stop tearing, but the nickname of taxotear is for a reason.
To all, Merry Christmas. And much love.0 -
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!
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Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
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Someone may have brought this up in the past but does anyone have ringing in the ears as a SE? I noticed it more after the tx2 and last night it was so bad I really had trouble going to sleep because of it. If it is a SE does it go away after tx is over? This is really annoying!
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Bren, The carboplatin can cause ototoxicity. Talk to your Onc about it.
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Bren, yes I developed tinnitus from tch. It is less severe now than during chemo, but turned out to be a permanent side effect for me. I can ignore it most of the time, fortunately. I use a fan to help block it out when trying to sleep. Do tell your onc.
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Thanks Dance and Sewing, I will definitely talk to my MO.
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I had tinnitus also, it went away after treatment (rarely I have a little bout of it again), I did have some hearing loss though that did not come back, my hearing is still within normal ranges, but definitely can't hear as well as I could before.
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I have had pulsating in my ears. The onc said it couold be due to anemia. It comes after a tx, and then goes away. It does coincide with my blood counts. I can always tell when my counts are back up, because the pulsating stops.
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Well, I am happy to report that my last treatment was a BREEZE! It was nothing like #5. Maybe the fluids I had 2 days later helped. I went in a week later for my labs and my neutrophils were super duper low. She even asked if I forgot to take my Neulasta shot! And now of course I have a terrible cold, and it is really kicking my butt. No fever though. I am taking my temp 2x a day to make sure- though I imagine I am far enough out now that my count has started to climb again.
I feel so weird about new years. I don't want to make a resolution. Not really gonna try to lose weight right now- still being held hostage my my onc until september, +rads and surgery. That's enough crap on my plate, so no resolution for me. What a crappy year 2012 turned out to be, and I had thought that it was going to be one of my better years because I was really excited about getting into grad school. HA!
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ears- I always get fluid in my ears for about a week after chemo- then it goes away. I have a little tinnitis also but nothing terrible.
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damiana9 congratulations. BTW I'm almost 2 years PFC and I have that same awful cold. I'm now in the coughing up a lung phase. I think I've consumed 2000 calories in cough drops the last 48 hours. Seems everyone is getting sick in the US this past month
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To anybody just starting chemo in the new year, the BEST thing my onc did was to give me hydration IV 2 days after my treatment! It made a lot of difference in my side effects. I didn't get it on treatment #1 and was soooooo sick, I did get it after treatments 2 thru 6 and I did have side effects but not even close to #1. Hope this info helps anybody starting chemo in 2013 . Good luck and come here for all the love and support you need in the new year, we are all here to help you on this journey.
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