Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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ohio4me...too funny! I totally misread your post to mean she still had an odor a year after her treatment! Glad to hear that's not what you meant!
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loriekg - I did the same thing, lol!
I don't know if I had an odor myself, but my sheets and pajamas did, not so much my clothes - I changed my sheets every other day, sometimes every day - but when I was done with chemo things returned to normal again.
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I was taking Latisse for years BEFORE it was Latisse (it was for glaucoma... and I got switched when it started to be used for eyelash growth! --to another eye drop). It definitely did grow my lashes, but it also started darkening the skin around my eyes, made fine hair grow around my eyes, and darkened the whites of my eyes. It MIGHT have darkened my eyes--but as they are already dark, this was no big deal. Personally, my lashes aren't great even with Latisse, so I would never bother with it just for growing lashes. The increased length and thickness barely showed up, even when I put on mascara. And having darkened whites and skin patches was just weird. I'm glad I was switched to something else, actually.
I use eye-liner if I put makeup on, and that makes up for lashes and mascara... So far I still have my natural puny eyelashes and eyebrows, though. I guess they still have plenty of time to fall out, since I'm only on cycle 3 of 6!!!
Hmmmm... odd smells, eh? Who knows? I'm just trying to keep as hygenic as possible considering I'm tied to this stupid IV drip for weeks on end! Bleh. If anything, I hope it's more a chemical thing than just a BO smell... since I can pretend it's something that isn't me! But I haven't heard of a smell before. I wouldn't be surprised, exactly, since it seems there can be all sorts of odd SEs! But most people seem to smell and taste things during chemo, rather than give off a smell... I haven't tasted a chemically taste, even though sometimes techs warn me I might when doing all the tests with trace dyes or getting stuff dripped into me...
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Special - how in the world did you have the energy to change the sheets that often during chemo? When I stripped the bed & washed sheets, it wiped me out for the entire next day.
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I asked my family and they didn't notice any strange odors. In fact, when I was on chemo I didn't require any deodorant and still don't since treatment. I don't seem to have body odor anymore. I'm over a year out from chemo....I wonder if that comes back??? I sure hope not.
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I use deodorant daily and during chemo I did not have to. Still don't use it except for one off days. Why is that does anyone know? Its like I don't perspire anymore under my arms. Not complaining of course
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minus - funny you asked that - I could take the sheets off pretty easily, but then was too tired to put them back on, so I put half the bottom sheet on and then laid on it for a while, then got up and put the other half on and laid down again, lol! The top sheet was pretty easy, and because this is Florida we don't have heavy comforters, just light blankets, so not too hard. The elastic on the bottom sheets was my nemesis! The good news is that I had several sets of sheets, so didn't have to change the sheets and do laundry all in the same day - that was helpful. I pretty much had to take a nap after sheet changing.
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OMG I'm obsessing about my damn hair! Tomorrow will be 14 days after my first chemo treatment, and I won't have another chemo go round until next week, although I'll have an Herceptin infusion tomorrow. I guess I've started to feel better after first treatment, so I've got to obsess over something! My hair hasn't started to come out yet. I haven't had it cut or colored because I don't want to spend the money (over $200 where I live in Central California!) if it's going to fall out. So, it's driving me crazy being too long with gray roots. Did anyone's hair start to fall out AFTER 2 weeks?
About Latisse -- it is expensive, but I usually use it because my lashes are short and thin generally. I understand that without chemo, Latisse helps your lashes not cycle as fast as they do regularly, so they grow longer and thicker. I usually get it in Mexico when we're on vacation, so it's cheaper. I smell a funny smell when I'm getting an infusion. Kind of metallic.
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Barbara - mine did not fall out until day 24 - pretty unusual - but when it went it kind of all went at once!
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I was told it would fall out on day 16. When day 16 rolled around I was showering and it just started to come out in my hands. If I didn't touch it, it kind of stayed put, but it hurt, it was like my body was rejecting it and wanted it out. It felt much better when I buzzed it, when the weight of the hair wasn't pulling on it. If I ran my fingers through it a bunch would come out. By round two I was covering my head. I didnt lose all my hair, but most of it. It started growing back 3 weeks after my last tx.
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Hey Barbara…ME TOO with the hair!! I've been just waiting for "Day 14" and sure enough after my shower Wednesday night, I brushed my hair and there were sooo many strands on my brush I was fully expecting my pillow to be covered in hair the next morning. Nope. It's still hanging on. I'd cut it off—but I just can't bring myself to just yet. And yep, I should've colored my hair before Christmas, but it wasn't THAT bad yet, and just planned on doing that after the holidays. Well…you know the rest of THAT story…it's looking pretty shabby—why do I want to hang on to it, I ask myself! LOL Maybe we'll get a little warning if our heads start to hurt or tingle.
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I had an appointment at the wig place to get my hair cut on day 18, atwo days my hair was supposed to fall out. Day 15 nothing. I called. They said wait till tomorrow. Sure enough it started.
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lorekg - Yes, we know the rest of that story! And the ending will be clear of cancer... right??? My hair is looking like hell, and pretty unmanageable (but it IS my hair - HA). My scalp has been tingling for about 5 days. It hurt up until about 3 days ago and now just feels weird. More will be revealed (of my scalp?) Keep me posted.
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I had very long hair before I started treatment and had mine cut really short. On the 21st day it started coming out in the shower while washing my hair. When I got out, this was the result. It wasn't gradual for me....it was all at once. Within a day it was all out.
Edited: I thought it fell out the 14th day.....it was actually the 21st.
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Hi ladies, the smell that you all speak of can come from platinum containing chemotherapy. Like platinol, carboplatin and cysplatin. I have also been told by my patients that were on the taxol type meds that they could smell a funny odor as well. Anyone taking platinum type meds do not use metal eating utensils or metal cups to drink from. Its not pleasant.
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I had my hair, below shoulder-length, until about day 15/16. It all came out at once in the shower! One big nest of hair. Kind of creepy, though. I think the hot water and the weight of getting tangled and wet just pulled it off at once. I had whisps after that, but it was constantly shedding. Now, cycle 3, it's nearly all out... just some fuzz here and there. Still have eyelashes and eyebrows, but they are thin and could still go at some point.
I'm more worried about losing nails. So far they only have those white bands... no darkness or ridges, But there's still a lot of chemo to go!
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Interesting about not needing deoderant! I hadn't heard of that before... but it sounds like a good thing!
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hi April, my nails had the white lines too up until the last two I think. Then I saw red or purple bruised parts in some of them including two toenails. After final chemo they hurt a bit and lifted in the top half but did not fall off. I keep them short and painted and one cannot tell from the outside, unless I tap something with the nails the lifted ones make a different sound
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Hi All,
As far as nails go I just have the white ridges. I managed to keep my nails. 7 weeks out the tips of my nails are yellow, brittle, and not terribly attractive. Like others, I keep them cut short. I might try painting them later this week. I remember reading that if you keep them iced during Taxotere infusion they won't fall off. I did that the first few rounds, then it became more than I wanted to deal with..
The hair stuff is crazy. I lost most of mine by the 3rd treatment. I just had a few thin patches here and there that somehow hung on. I shaved them off after the 6th round. They looked totally fried. Now my hair is growing back at a snails pace, and has me quite frustrated. I am on Herceptin only every three weeks through August. Maybe that's what is slowing down hair growth on my head. Unfortunately, I have an abundance of fine peach fuzz on my face. What's with that?!
I managed to keep about 1/4 of my eyelashes throughout treatment. Now my remaining precious lashes are falling out. Argh! I read that new lashes coming in push out the old ones and it should be a short turn-around. My eyebrows are starting to look good though--must be related to the facial hair..?
I did not realize how excited I have been to get back to my old look, but apparently I am! A lesson in patience, this cancer thing..
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Daisy, My hair grew in very slowly during Herceptin. I finished in July and now it's growing like crazy.
I had a very fine line on my nails - barely noticeable. I kept them short and used Sally Hansen Hard As Nails - clear.
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I feel like my hair is growing slowly, and I am still on Herceptin. But it is growing, so I'm not going to complain.
My nails didn't show any problems at all until after round 5. Now, 8 weeks or so PFC my left index fingernail is probably going to lift and the middle fingernail is iffy. I feel like it's a race against time, hoping they grow out before anything else happens.
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Still obsessing about my hair!! Well, not really, because most of it did fall out around day 18 after first treatment -- started coming out in handfuls and then I had my husband buzz my head the following day. Now the thing is that I have acne on my scalp, which I don't normally have. Did this happen to anyone else? I'm trying to keep the wig off most of the time to help my scalp heal, but it doesn't seem to be healing. Any tips? Otherwise, I'm hanging in there. I think my worst day is the Monday after chemo day on Fridays
Woke up just crying and my husband recalled that I did this on the Monday after the last Friday treatment day also. Nauseous and very tired. But most other days are okay. And now I get to start rebounding until next time. April25, are you finding that the SE from the Taxotere and Carboplatin treatment are cumulative - worse as time goes on? I just had my second chemo treatment. The infusion center told me the doc decreased my dosage because my white blood cell count was so low, but it seems like the SEs were about the same.
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Barbara, as weird as it was, in some ways rounds 5 and 6 were easier for me. It was almost like my body had started adapting to the SEs. Big C got worse those rounds, but the migraines I got during the first four disappeared toward the end. My worst days were usually Sunday-Tuesday following a Thursday treatment, much like you. I didn't have the bumps on my scalp, but I seem to remember someone else talking about that.
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Some of my SE's like acid reflux and constipation, were more manageable as time went on because I knew what to expect and how to prevent it.
The horrible, terrible, don't even know how to decribe it, bad taste in my mouth kept getting worse each round as did the fatigue. I told a friend "I don't think I really knew the meaning of the word fatigue till I went through this."
To all of you doing chemo now, I pray you have minimal SE's and know that this will pass and you'll feel better soon.
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Hi everyone,
I have been lurking on these boards and decided to post to get some help. I was diagnosed Aug, IDC, had surgery Sept, Savi after surgery, and just finish round 5 of 6 chemo. Two weeks ago I got a bad cold and ended up with fever, bronchitis and just felt like crap but continued my herceptin. My BP has always been normal until 2 weeks ago when I got sick. (I am better now). Before my BP was always 130/70 and my pluse never goes above 55. Friday when I went for my chemo my BP was 180/70 and my pulse was 110!! I was able to have my chemo but then ended going to the hospital for 2 liters of blood. While in hospital it varied from 140 to 185 but stayed at 70 and pulse was all over from 75 to 115. My MO wants me to see family dr. ASAP and I am freaked out as I find this ironic that this all started when I got sick. I am convinced it is either from chemo or the herceptin and if from chemo will go back to normal when I finish. My biggest complaint is I just don't want to go on BP medicine unless I truly have HPB which means my family doctor will send me to a cardiologist and so on and so on. Anyone been through this or have any suggestions? People tell me in the scheme of things this is nothing and just take meds if I need to but if there is anything I can do to avoid it I will. Thanks everyone....these boards have helped me in so many ways and have truly been a blessing.
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FaithHope - i appreciate the fear/panic you are feeling. Chemo is scary enough and when something goes wrong, and you feel like things are getting out of control it is very upsetting.
BUT - (and this is just conjecture on my part) - from what I have seen and heard in my six years since going through all this - I THINK they will look at your bp issue IN CONJUNCTION with the chemo, not as a totally separate issue (as if it had happened just during 'normal' life). I think you can explain to the GP your entire situation and discuss options (rather than just doing whatever his/her knee-jerk response is) and come to a course of action that works for you, not just whatever they decide. If there is ONE thing I have learned through all this medical stuff, it is that there is a lot more room to negotiate with doctors and say "I'd be comfortable with trying this first, can you live with that?" rather than just going along with the first thing they say. Now if a doc says something is critical and there is no room for other approaches, I'm not stupid - I go along. But often times that is not so.
So when you see your GP, be open about your concerns, they have your bp history which has always been normal. Obviously this is related to your course of treatment. They will understand that. If you need meds to deal with in in the short term, that may be. But you can stress that you want it to be short term only and to have the oppty to try to come off them later.
I feel that having more options is going to help you feel a bit more in control and less upset. People can say "in the scheme of things, this is nothing" but it does not feel that way to you, I know. There was one point along the way that they were concerned my port was clogged or malfunctioning and I would need it replaced. I just FELL APART. It felt like the end of the world, on top of everything else. Turns out it was fine. But for that few days, I was extremely shaken.
I really think, FaithHope, that when we are in the midst of tx, we are hanging on by a thread. And it is easy for any small thing to push us over the edge. So be gentle with yourself and accept how you are feeling. The "This shouldn't bother me so much" way of thinking just makes us feel worse. You are in the midst of battle, and your battle plan is being interrupted a bit and that is upsetting.
But go see the GP, get feedback from him/her and then figure out what to do.
You're going to be ok. You only have one more chemo to go, right? That is awesome.
It was six years this month that I was dx. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, in other ways, very recent. But time does heal, and life is wonderful for me now. You will get there too. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
PM me if you have any other questions.
In sisterhood & support
Amy
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Faithhope - Herceptin caused heart damage for me. I am now on 2 heart meds - one slows my heart rate and the other dialates the vessels. I was told that this was to give my heart a rest so that it would recover. My LVEF went from 56 to 35 which sent up red flags and my onco sent me to a cardiologist who specializes in heart issues caused by herceptin/chemo. Last echo I had, my LVEF was up to 45. Still hoping for full recovery.
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Faithhope - I normally run 110/70 or lower, but while in the midst of chemo it started running much higher - like 160/90. I can't remember how long this lasted but it was for several weeks during chemo and a while afterwards - but now I am back down, my average is even better, prob around 100/60 now. So, I wouldn't worry about it for now. Just make sure that your other lab values like liver/kidney are ok - I think if I recall correctly, it is possible that the load on the kidney from carbo/tax can cause BP to rise. You want to make sure those values are ok - mine were starting to go up when my BP started going up, but they never went into the abnormal range. We would have adjusted my chemo further if I had signs of serious kidney damage.
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Thanks everyone. AmyIsStrong so glad to hear you are 6 years & going strong. Sure gives me hope.
Sorry Blownaway about the cardio problems and I do know that is a risk factor.
dancetrance thanks for the infomation.
I took it this morning 139/70 & at noon 148/70, I will see what it is at bedtime and tomorrow morning. I think if I can keep it below 150 I might wait it out since I'll have my last chemo treatment 3/13. I feel so good after getting 2 liters of blood maybe that helped?
So glad these boards are here for us.
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My blood pressure spiked while on chemo too. My MO started me on a low dose of Lisinopril. She thought I'd have to increase it, but the low dose did the trick! She was concerned that my rising blood pressure and heart-related Herceptin risks would not be a good combination. I haven't had any noticeable side effects and will continue to take Lisinopril until my Herceptin treatments end in September.
I understand the frustration. I was very, very healthy until this cancer thing. This week I am having baseline thyroid and pulmonary function tests to prepare for 6 weeks of radiation. {sigh}
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I already had HPB before this, so taking meds for it wouldn't upset me... The diarrhea and dehydration makes my BP go LOW, however, so they have taken me off BP meds! My heart-rate goes higher with the dehydration. These are the signs I need to watch for that signify dehydration.
I was glad that they ran tests on me when I was hospitalized-- as they did an echo-cardiogram, and it showed now signs of heart damage. I was worried about that being a SE.
I think it's better to get everything checked out. There are just so many things that might be affected by the chemo... better to be safe, I think!
I had my kidneys and liver checked out, too. So far, nothing terrible... just dehydration problems.
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I did worry that everything would be worse as the cycles continued. But things seemed pretty much the same for the first 3... I'm now into the 4th... I think the diarrhea might be worse but I'm already watching it and will get IV drips. Still a pain, though.
My MO has prescribed L-glutamine for me to take. He says it keeps the mouth sores away... and I have to say that my mouth felt tender the first round, but has been fine after that. The funny taste of food is better, too. I'm still a bit nauseous at times, but no vomiting. Food seems more appetizing.
My main SE still seems to be the diarrhea/dehydration. So far there has been nothing that will stop it (tried lomotil, immodium, questran powder, biotics... I think morphine was suggested, but that hasn't been tried yet!
I can't really tell if the later cycles will be cumulative and worse, since I'm only just going into #4 of 6... We'll see, I guess!
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Good luck to everyone!
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