Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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damiana - that is awesome that you are finished with the chemo phase!
Lago - I too have a cold. It started just as I was beginning to feel better after tx 2. So many people are sick right now! Hope your cough gets better soon.
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damiana, congrats on making it through tx #6! I'm with you on 2012. It was great until October, then it was a big crapslide downhill from there. Have you started grad school yet or just been admitted so far? I start my last semester in 2 weeks. It was tough finishing up this past semester with surgery in Nov then chemo starting in Dec. I hope for you and me both that 2013 looks way brighter
I'm sure it will.0 -
I was supposed to start in August, put it off and hoped to start in january, but with rads and another surgery coming up, i put it off till next august. That is my biggest disappointment this year- i was so excited about going back to school :-(
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I'm sorry
Being in the same boat, I think you're making a good decision to wait if you haven't started yet. Can you start in the summer semester? I'd personally take a break until chemo is over but long story short I have a promotion and raise riding on when I finish. Who knows, maybe you'll qualify for some extra scholarships now being a cancer survivor?? I tried looking for myself but didn't dig too deep since I'm almost done, but I saw lots of cancer scholarships pop up on Google when I looked.0 -
Congrats Damiana!
Anyone still have a bit.of vertigo? When I turn my head sometimes, I still get a nauseous feeling. It's quick and goes away fast, but it stops me in my tracks every time.
Oh well.
Everyone have a great New Year. May 2013 bring better things to all. Much love.0 -
Hey Happy New Year everyone!!
Did anyone have kidney damage from the carboplatin? My PCP is sending me for a renal ultrasound because my GFR has fallen below normal. I do not know even how to worry about that!! I also will be having my first mammogram since my surgery in a couple of weeks....a little nervous!!!
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mt4ever, my GFR fell into the 70's, but never below 60, which is the point at which my onc would have become concerned. I worried quite a bit about it, but it has bounced back into the 90's at one point, then dipped back to the 80's. Then I found out my GFR had been run for an MRI I had done prior to chemo, and it was in the 80's then...so I figured it wasn't perfect before chemo, so no use continuing to worry about it.
I don't know what your number is, but hope it may help you to see that my numbers have jumped all around. Supposedly they can really be affected by dehydration and things you eat, etc.
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MT, I ended up in renal failure due to dehydration, meds that conflicted and just pure bad luck. I had absolutly NO symptoms, and if my blood test hadn't shown it, I would have been so much worse by the time I got to a hospital. so it can happen, but I wouldn't worry too much. My BUN was 66 and creatinine was 4.0 . My GFR was around 55. That's all I remember. But, iv fluids and four days in the hospital and I went back go finish my last four TCH. Good luck and dont panic. much love.
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Hi all. Hope everyone had a Happy New Year. I am on the hunt for input concerning the Tamoxifen (sp?). I start it on the 14th. Is there anything anyone can tell that ya'll think I should know? I have heard about the bone and joint pain, and was told to take Advil or Aleve, and if that doesn't take care of it, they would have to switch me to something else. That's all I know. Any info would be most appreciated.
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Ricky'sgirl, I had a lot of problems on Tamoxifen related to vaginal dryness and severe frequent hot flashes. These side effects were uncomfortable, but manageable until I developed urinary tract issues of urgency, burning, and itching (cystitis - not a UTI). My onc ended up agreeing with my gyn that a very low dose amount of vaginal estrogen cream (Estrace) was indicated in my case to allow me to tolerate the Tamoxifen. I haven't heard any other women complain of this issue, so apparently it is not common. Hopefully you will do just fine! I'm doing great now - hot flashes are not as bad in the winter time! Just step out onto the porch for an instant cool down, LOL. I do have mild joint pain off and on, but it is minimal - exercise and avoiding prolonged sitting helps.
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rickysgirl - I have been on it since May 2012 and really haven't had any SE's except for hot flashes. I take it in the morning now and the flashes at night are not as bad. Good luck!
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RG, there is a discussion board just for tamoxifen. I am sure someone there will help.
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Dance and Moon, thanks for responding. Mine has fallen to 60. Not sure what it was before because on all the copies I have of my labs it just says >60. I also do not have any symptoms other than being more tired than when I was on chemo. I am just doing Herceptin now and do not think it is that. I have just within the last month been so very tired that i am having to take naps during the day and going to bed super early. Guess we will find something out Tuesday!
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how does your GFR get measured? Is that part of a standard lab draw? I didn't see it on my lab reports.
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steiner - I had it as part of a quarterly CMP (complete metabolic panel), but here is a description - it is a routine lab blood draw.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/gfr/tab/test
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Hi there, I'm usually on the November chem threat but am in the middel of 6 TCH treatments and have a tip for anyone on Herceptin this year - unless you already know...Genentek(?) the manufacturer of Herceptin is offering a program to cover 80% of copays. A woman at my onc office signed me up and sure enough, they called last week to confirm it! I guess they really want us to use it.
Hope that helps.
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Thanks, SK....I'll go further back to my first labs. I'm curious what mine was pre-chemo.
Day 9 after 2nd treatment and last night I noticed shooting, sharp pains in my fingers when I was trying to fall asleep. One spot between my fingers was like a needle kept poking it. I'm guessing this is the start of neuropathy?
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steiner - Be sure to tell your onc.
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Iago, I was lucky to have a friend suggest, when I had the lumpectomy (re-excision) that they should put in a port at the same tmie, and spare me having to do it while I'm awake. So I have one. And I'm scheduled to start TC-H next Friday.
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steiner - keep tabs on that tingly pain - mine always resolved with my fingers and tongue (weird, huh?) but my feet didn't after #5 - it did finally go away but it took a couple of months PFC. Don't be surprised ifyour egr number fluctuates some - Carboplatin is kidney-filtered so the poor kidneys are bound to be affected to some degree during active tx. Yet another reason to drink and keep flushing them out.
ably - you have a smart friend!
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Steiner- I had never thought of cancer scholarships- that is an awesome idea!
Sickofpink- wow! Thanks! That is super helpful if it works, especially with my beginning of year insanely high deductible!
Still holding on to my cold. My eyes are watering worse than ever- it is very hard to read and drive (as someone else recently mentioned!) Then occasionally my eyes stop watering and instead, start twitching :-/
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Oh, yes I have the eye twitching, too. Not so much watering, but foggy vision.
I sent in my Genentek paperwork earlier this week - thanks Sickofpink for the tip.
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Damiana,
I have the eye watering. I am now 10 days post my last TCH treatment, and my eyes have not stopped watering since treatment # 5. It is very annoying, and does cause problems when I'm trying to read or drive.
I wish I had a solution. The eye dr. prescribed pred forte, a steriod eye drop, but that didn't do anything so I stopped using it. The nurse practioner at the MO's office basically said the tearing won't stop till after chemo, so I'm hoping that within a few weeks this is all behind me. For now, I just keep using lubricating eye drops and dabbing my eyes with tissues.
The eye dr did tell me to put this ointment, called refresh pm (OTC) into my eyes before I go to sleep to keep them lubricated at night. I find if I use it, my eyes aren't tearing too much in the morning. It does make everything super blurry, so don't put it in till right before you get into bed.
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The eye watering & flickering are from the Taxotore. You might try artificial tears (do not get the stuff that "gets the red out"). The reason why your eyes water is they are dry. It's possible you might even have a clogged duct. Be sure to report to your onc.
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cgesq - did the eye doctor check your tear ducts to make sure that they weren't swelling/healing closed? Mine were and I had to have stents put in, they left them in for about 4 months PFC to make sure that my tear ducts had healed, they use them kind of as place holders to keep your ducts open during the healing, they can actually heal closed. If you have any questions, PM me. I think that I'm the only person that I've seen on the forums that had to have the stents -
On the bright side I never threw up 
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To all those already in the middle of TC-H: I am about to start on Friday.
I'm hearing so many different things. 1. What is this about side effect about nails? Is it serious or trivial, and is there something preventative (and effective) to be done about it? 2. What else (besides what the doctors probably tell me) should I know about getting ready?
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ably - I recommend icing your nails - both fingers and toes. You should ask permission from your MO but I brought 4 bags of frozen peas and iced from 15 minutes prior to the Taxotere infusion until about 10 minutes after. This is to prevent nail lifting and loss, and damage to the nails, and yes this is potentially a permanent side effect. I also brought an insulated cup of ice chips and tried to keepice in my mouth during the Taxotere infusion to prevent mouth sores. Here is a link to a list of handy things to get ready for chemo, read the stuff in the header:
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/706846?page=28#idx_811
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ablydec the nail lifting (and loss) is rare. Some get it on a few nails but very few do get this SE. Granted I got it and every single F'n nail lifted. Lost a few toenails and one toenail had to be removed. Even my dermatologist said it was rare and I got a really bad case of it.
Don't assume it will happen to you. But if you do ice be sure to keep them really cold. I tried with the peas but I don't think it was cold enough.
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Linda,
My eye dr. actually checked my tear ducts by flushing them, and they weren't blocked. My eye tearing is just from the chemo drying the mucus membranes in the eyes.
Thanks for the heads up.
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CQ - I'm glad they checked that for you, sorry for the tearing, it was a real pain - I actually couldn't see well enough to drive or read, just wanted to lay with my eye closed they were so bothersome. Glad you don't need the stents, they worked great, but that was a more painful surgery than my MX!
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