Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Well had my herceptin only chemo today plus two liters of saline, seems to be my docs answer to this horrible leg pain. She thinks I over did and that why I hurt so bad and cut back my activity by 90%, Which is kind of laughable considering I do not do much. Considering taking a shower is exhausting. My surgeon thinks it is bone pain this a do agree with, so back on the serious pain meds but they do help alot, still have some break through pain.
Looks like I am having a partial mastectomy the week of May 6th. Doc told me to use the numbing cream on my breast and rap myself with plastic wrap because of the shots they give you in nuclear medicine before surgery.
Monkeymom- I am so happy to hear your SE's are few. They did get worse for me each time, but it worked so it was worth it. Just need my legs to get better. Hair loss will happen and I hope the Neulasta shot is kind to
you.
Once again thanks to everyone for their unconditional support.0 -
Monkeymom, don't worry about it not working because you don't have a lot if SEs. It usually gets worse, but if sounds like you had some SEs so its working. I am always happy when someone gets lucky and sails through, as long ad you don't rub it in to those of us who didn't have such an easy time! LOL. My hair fell out four days after my second tx, so about day 25.
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Re the ice packs... in Canada it seems to be a standard to be given cozy comfy very frozen 'ice mitts' during taxotere. No feet mitts, though. Maybe ask your hospital if they have such a thing tucked in their freezer?
I'm curious... I have just 3 treatments left of herceptin, finished the 'full meal deal' last October. Now also on tamoxifen. Hair is coming in oh so slowly, and eyelashes are not growing much at all. Was told herceptin/tamoxifen combination might be the cause. Anyone have slow growing hair? Please tell me it grew wildly after herceptin was over.
Monkeymom, I was actually celebrating soon after first chemo treatment. In comparison to what my daughter went through with chemo, mine rocked. Her's was 'worst case scenario'... mine felt like the opposite. The side effects are cumulative... more tired, etc etc, towards end of treatments.. and I'm not implying it was fun...but it's quite possible that you will get through easier than we are 'taught' to expect. I did have allergic reactions, so was on an insane amount of steroids and benadryl...perhaps lessening all SE's? (even though making me a bit of a stoned basketcase -Looking back, I'm amazed at what I've forgotten during the whole time I was doing chemo.)
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ps. my daughter who had a rare germ cell cancer of the ovary, diagnosed 2.5 years ago, and brutal brutal chemo treatments.... is very well and just had a baby girl. Miracles, don't you just love them?
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FeelingtheMagic Herceptin slowed my hair growth a bit. eyelashes too. I think it took a full 2 years PFC for the eyelashes to be as close to normal as they will ever be. I do believe they are thinner on Anastrozole. Can't say much about Tamox because I'm not on that.
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Doing Herceptin only now, have a severe pounding headache, nausea, and dry mouth. This was suppose to be easier what's up. 48hrs since infusion. How long will this last, plus legs ache again.
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volleymom77 how fast is your infusion? I know some people switched from the 30 minutes to an hour and had fewer SE. Let your onc know you are having these issues.
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Its 30 minutes, I mentioned the slower rates and nurse never heard of it.
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Ask you onc then if it would be OK to try. Sometimes nurses, although wonderful will do what's expedient if it won't "harm" the patient. They are so over worked.
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Thank you ladies for the reassurance! It feels crazy to be WANTING side effects but I want to feel like my body is doing something. In a weird way I was looking forward to starting chemo because then I wasn't just sitting around living in fear of reoccurence- I was doing something. Then when I didn't really have many noticeable side effects, I didn't feel like much was happening in my fight. As a mom to a 1 and 3 year old, I'm eager to sign up for any and everything that will keep me here with them!!
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volley - I had my first Herceptin only infusion in 30 minutes (they had been 90 when combined with chemo) and I also had SE, particularly the leg and hip aching. I slowed it down to 90 minutes and never had the problem again. Towards the end of Herceptin I had a low grade headache a lot of the time, but it did finally go away.
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Volley,
I also had side effects when the herceptin was run over 30 minutes. I have them run it for 90 min now, and I'm experiencing almost no side effects.
Regardless of whether the nurse heard of this, the speed of the infusion definately makes a difference!
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I once asked my onc if they would speed it up and he refused. I guess he had good reason. Never had any SEs from H-only. If I were you, I would ask them to slow it down. It can't HURT anything, and maybe will help. I hope so.
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FeelingTheMagic, my hair is growing soooooo slow due to Herceptin, my nails too, even though I'm taking Biotin. I have only about an inch and I have been post chemo 4 months. Looking forward to a faster growth rate post Herceptin. My eye lashes and brows are still thin. Oy.
Volleymom, are you taking an antihistamine with the Herceptin? If so, that's likely the cause. And I agree on the speed. I tried just today to get them to speed it up, now I see why they won't. I go for about 45 mins.
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I have them run Herceptin for an hour.
During the first infusion they ran it in 30 minutes and I felt a weird thumping in my chest. I have no idea if it was my imagination or something else. I do have mitral valve prolapse so who knows.
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It seems like there is a lot of variation on how long to run Herceptin. Mine is run for 90 minutes and they won't shorten that. I don't mind the longer run time since I have never had a problem. I wonder what the mfg suggests since there doesn't seem to a standard that is used for all Drs or Infusion centers.
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If you launch the Interactive Patient Brochure on the www.Herceptin.com website it says it can be run between 30-90 minutes depending on dosing. This info is under the "Receiving Heceptin" tab. It says the infusion speed can be adjusted depending on patient tolerance, but 30 min. is the minimum speed. I am also thinking it might apply to the weekly (smaller) dose. Linked is a study about infusion speed:
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I've been getting Herceptin only since December (finished the TC part in November) at three week intervals and they do mine in 30 minutes. I know they will go longer if necessary because they did that with my Taxotere but I have never had any issues with the Herceptin by itself. About the only side effect that I'm experiencing from it is slower hair regrowth. It's been wonderful compared to the chemo.
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Thanks ladies for this thread which I just found. I thought I was through after DCIS (8cm & 3.5cm tumors) (really-centimeters), BMX, clear SNBs & reconstruction in 2011. And only mild truncal & upper arm LE. Now I'm back w/IDC in the chest wall & mets to the lymph nodes. I'm ER/PR neg but HER2+ so I just had my first chemo with TCH and the addition of Perjeta. Hoping chemo shrinks the multiple new tumors (5.5cm). If so, I'll have 9 rounds, then surgery, then rads. Based on past history, I know BCH threads will be an enormous help. Some of you are familiar from other topics.
Anyone else doing Perjeta?
I'm not a computer guru, so could someone tell me how to pick specific pages and be able to bounce back & forth in this 519 page topic? Eventually I hope to read it all.
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Also - just want to send a special thanks to Special K who reached out from another thread & sent the basics to get me "ready" for chemo.
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Minus, sorry you have to be here again.
Save this thread as a "favorite topic" (you will see the option to save it near the top of the page) and then it will appear on the home page under favorite topics and you will be notified if there are new postings. Btw, there are always new postings!!!
I haven't had perjeta, but I've heard very positive things about it. You should take comfort in the thought that you are getting the latest, cutting edge treatment. I did TCH (I'm still doing the H) and it is doable!!
Sending good karma your way!
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cgesq: thanks for your reply. I've got it saved to my favorites. Just need to know how to get to page 6 or page 12 when I log on as I read along on the past posts.
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Minus, I don't know how to do that! When I get a notification that my favorite topics have updates, it immediately loads to the last page I left off at.
Good luck!
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Latte: I was on Taxotere and Carboplatin in the beginning. Like Lago said, I think most of my SEs were from the Taxotere. I was taken off the Tax before my second round of chemo. My doctor apparently ran some micro test showing that was not effective on me. So it took probably 8 weeks before the SE from that one round went away. Then whenever I had Carbo the SEs were mild. I still had nausea issues and without meds would be vomiting. Very tired. (Although, I also got neulasta the following day and that could relate to acheyness and tired too) But if I were to choose a Chemo of choice at this point, I would take Carbo any day. Certainly manageable. And your hair does not fall out! (Mine fell out with the Tax, but has since stopped and is coming in again.)
I just had my last round of Carbo this past Wednesday. I am sluggish through the weekend. But I have a party to go to tonight and things to do.. so I am moving forward!
Good luck. I am not familiar with the other drug.
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I will be starting my TCH journey this week. Port placement on the 1st and chemo the next day. I will be heading to the pharmacy today to pick up all of my RX drugs and have claritin and miralax on my list. I asked for emla cream for my port so hopefully that will make life a little easier. I have 2 small children (3 and 6) so I am nervous about the fatigue. I read through all of the SE of Taxotere and all I can say is wow, I guess we shall see.
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Good luck to you Michelle, I'll say a little prayer for you.
)The Taxotere side effects won't be too bad at first. The worst will be your reaction to the Nuelatsa shot, if you get that. Remember chemo treatment day isn't so bad, just a long day. The chemo effects probably won't hit you till the 4th. Then it will be like a bad flu. But you should feel better in 5-7 days. Then a week of feeling pretty near normal, then it begins again. Each time takes longer to recover as more and more is staying in your system. At least this was my experience. Hang in there!
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Thanks Dea!
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I never got the flu-like symptoms. I just got tired towards the end of the day. I think it was because I did powerwalk through most of my chemo. I wish I didn't stop after tx 4 but it was winter and I didn't want to be exposed to germs in the gym. Walking outside just got too snowy/icy.
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hi ladies. Just checking in as I can't sleep from steriods. Chemo number four of six is tomorrow morning. Not looking foward to fatigue, food tasting bad and diarreah/ constipation dance. But really excited to be able to say Only two more TCH. Then Herceptin through October.
PS- wearing a wig when it is hot outside sucks! And also during hot flahes.0 -
Thanks Victoria! I am so glad I found this discussion. I have opted to not wear a wig but yesterday I was told that it may be hard for small children to have a mom with no hair. I hope my decision to wear hats and scarves works out for me and my family. 2 more days til treatment.
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