Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Rose, so sorry to hear your mom passed. So much to handle all at one time! You certainly deserve to sleep as much as you need to to help your body and mind heal. Prayers and sympathy for you.
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Mouth Sores. I started to have them after my first chemo. My oncologist had me suck on ice chips all through taxotere. Never got another sore. Also my taste changes weren't so bad either. You must keep the ice in your mouth all through taxotere infusion and about 10 minutes after. Must stay really cold. Doesn't work for everyone but did for me.
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By my last few cycles I was very weak, could barely go out back and clip a milkweed! Puffed walking out to the car and up a few steps. Also had leg weakness from neuropathy, which didn't help. And anemia from not being able to eat.
I worried that my ekgs would postpone my LX... they made me go in early the morning of surgery to get another. But I guess it was good enough, since the surgery happened. I haven't had an echo since i was hospitalized for dehydration in my 2nd cycle... Echo was OK then, though.
So... as far as I know, I haven't had heart problems.
I started feeling better post-chemo, but things were pretty slow to get better. I still had D for months after! Took a while to get rid of the anemia. But, over 3 month later, my weight is up, anemia gone, D mostly gone... still have some stomach rumblings, but it's much more settled than it was. Still some numbness in my foot, but I think the nerves are slowly healing...
I haven't been back to exercising much yet, but am starting to feel up to it now!
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Also on this treatment pre surgery, w/ Perjeta. 3 completed, 3 to go. Side effects have been rough but manageable for the most part. Think it's the Neulasta booster making me feel so weak, fatigued as much as anything. Lots of GI issues, dealing as best I can. Like many other folks, it's a tough balance to find things you can eat, tolerate, keep down (and in).. lemon drops have been my friend.
These boards have been helpful, wanted to say thanks.0 -
imisswine - follow the BRAT diet if you can handle it, good that you are at the half way point. Even though SEs can intensify in the last half, at least it is the last half! Good luck! I have seen others who say Neulasta makes them sleepy, is it causing you any bone pain? Are your anti-emetics working?
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just a quick note here, if you know how to yoga breathe, that saved my life.... Tummy breathing, or the heart rate goes up with shallow breathing.
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Hello Everyone: This is my first post and I'm actually posting for my wife because she doesn't spend as much time on the computer as I do, but I'm always sharing any useful information I found here with her (and there are so much!!). Her first round of TCH was 3 weeks ago. One week after this initial treatment, she began to come down with fever, and we went to the ER as instructed when her temp hit the magic number of 100.4. She was diagnosed as having drug induced neutropenia (low WBC), and was immediately given antibiotics. A day later, the doctor also prescribed 5 days of neupogen to help her body make more WBC. Her fever was gone after the first neupogen shot and she immediately felt better. Two days ago, she had her 2nd dose of TCH. To be on the safe side, she is already receiving her first neupogen shot today. The effect of this 2nd around of TCH seems to show up much quicker - by yesterday morning she was already feeling very tired, her joint (ankle) was hurting, her already dull sense of taste is even worse (before only her taste of savory things has gone away. Now it seems like even her sweet taste is diminishing). Should we expect things to progressively get worse and worse for rounds 3 thru 6? I'm doing my best to help her, but sometimes I wish I could do more :-(
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bchubby - Welcome. Is your wife having neo-adjuvent chemo (before surgery)? Everyone is different, but yes, you should expect continuing or worsening side effects. Many of us had Neulasta shots 24 hours after every infusion. I'm not sure Neupogen has the same SEs, but if she has joint aches & pains, tell her to try Claritin the day of the infusion and for several days after. I had no taste or nasty taste for rounds 2-6. I also had continuous diarrhea & went in for extra fluid infusions every week. Still lost 60 lbs but would have been in the hospital w/o the extra fluids. You don't mention hair, that should be going shortly. Is she icing her fingers & toes to help possibly ward off neuropathy and nail loss from the Taxotere? You can expect continuing fatigue that will last for some time after treatment is through. Let her sleep when she can sleep. Encourage her to keep somewhat active if she can - like just walking.
You might check out some of the threads for people going through treatment now - like Summer chemo or chemo August 2015. Or check the one just before - like spring or June chemo. It often helps to be talking to people who are experiencing just what you are and posting daily.
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Here's the August chemo thread.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/833823?page=4#idx_108
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Thank you so much, MinusTwo, for all your suggestions! No the chemo she's having now is post-mastectomy. The main SE of Neupogen is supposedly bone pain, but after the first round she didn't feel much of it. I read that Neulasta is a more recent alternative to Neupogen and has the advantage of just a single dose/injection per cycle. She had to get neupogen injection daily for 5 days.
Yes her hair loss started about 2 weeks after 1st infusion, and I've shaved her head already. This turns out to be the easiest SE to deal with! (sorry, at least to a guy). She does feel a little bit of tingling in her fingers after each infusion, but it goes away after a day or two. She has started taking vitamin B6 for that as recommended by the MO. The nail loss is new to me - I need to read more about that.
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What a great husband! Mine would not even read the small amount of literature given to me by the cancer center. With you by her side, she will do just fine. You mention nail loss. Mine loosened but never came off. I am about 8 months from my last TCH infusion and still hoping for normal nails. She needs to keep a journal of her s/e's to take with her when she sees her onco. I learned so much from the ladies here and couldn't have made the journey without their helpful suggestions.
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Neulasta shot is just one given one or two days after an infusion. Neupogen are a series of shots, around 5, given on successive days. They do similar things, but Neulasta is a bit more expensive. I did the Neupogen shots my first cycle and had to inject them myself... which wasn't terrible, but no fun, either. I changed MOs and insurance plans and was given Neulasta the rest of the time. But at least they gave them to me before I had any problems. So my WB counts were never an issue, thank goodness. I didn't have any problem with bone pain, either.
The taste/eating issues... THAT was a problem. I would drop 10lbs each cycle because everything tasted terrible... and the food texture just felt awful. I found that I could eat a few things (different for everyone, but the chocolate-flavored Instant Breakfast poweder in milk managed to be OK all through chemo. Other protein drinks like ensure were tougher to take as time went on. I also liked sherbet... they gave me cups of this while at the hospital and they were great). Luckily for me, I recovered a bit at the end of the cycles and could eat things, so I'd make the weight back before it started again. Although by the end, I was anemic and was down 20lbs., and could barely move around...!
BUT it was SO good to have chemo done with, I was still happy. Slowly recovered... still recovering, three months later!
Nails--- they will get little bars showing each cycle. Some people will get dark spots. Some people will have the nails start to peel up from the nail bed from the top and may lose their nails. Icing nails during taxotere can be done to mitigate this. And/or using dark nailpolish (something about the light affecting them during the infusion), or using nourishing clear polish on them. I used the latter to strengthen the nails a bit. I still got some nail separation, but they only went part-way down and stopped and are now back to normal, although I'm still keeping them cut short for the time being. Most of this happened AFTER chemo was finished.
Neuropathy -- the tingling in fingers and feet can be a sign of this. Yes the B Complex vitamins are recommended. But also watch for signs of tingling, pain, numbness, etc. in those areas and tell the MO. I got some mild neuropathy in my legs... I didn't even know I was getting it because there wasn't pain for me. They just got weak over time, and caused me to trip and wrench my ankle, which is how I found out about it (the nerve there went numb... I still have numbness in my foot, but it's getting better).
My MO reduced my taxotere after cycle 1 because I was getting some bad side effects. Chemo can be pretty harsh and sometimes that needs to be done. Some people don't finish all their cycles because of SEs...
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my last TCH was May and my nails with ridges and peeling are still recovering. Hubby have your wife drink tons of liquid, whatever she can tolerate, maybe no caffeine or sugar substitutes, but I drank an ensure daily, and allure aloe drink with pile, that helped the mouth sores, just be patient and know that after several months off the chemo is when she will start to feel better, but for now, rest fluids, and whatever she can get into her belly. And yes nausea and diarrhea come at the same time sometimes.
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Hi - To those who finished tx, anyone have dental issues afterwards- seems like I'm getting cavities and I take care of my teeth and don't eat much sugar.
Thank you!
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dventi - I haven't had problems with cavities. But my 7 top front teeth have what some dentists call "radiation decay". In my case it was most likely caused by the dry mouth from chemo treatment. Roots are compromised below the gum line. I had one tooth break off at the gum line when I took a bite of butter lettuce. What could be softer for heaven's sake. Anyway, I have one implant and the others are on watch. The best I can hope for is the corresponding tooth on the other side breaks next, then I'd have two implants to hold a bridge down the road. Wish I'd spent more time researching dry mouth before chemo.
I no longer eat corn on the cob. I'll probably have to give up peanut brittle & toffee too, my Christmas favorites.
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cut the corn off the Cobb, hubby can't bite with his partial, but he still loves corn, as for the brittle you will have to let it melt in your mouth, like m&m's....enjoy. Oh, no dental issues that I know of yet
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Yup Jerseygirl - I'm cutting the corn off the cob. It just pisses me off that there's one more thing in my life that I've had to change because of cancer & cancer treatments.
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I'm heading to the dentist today for a cleaning and am pretty sure x-rays will show my first cavity in 15+ years. I've been feeling sensitivity in one of my molars now that I'm pretty sure is a cavity. I'm 7 months PFC. The gift that keeps on giving!
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No dental problems but that's the only area that doesn't hurt.
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No cavity. Apparently I'm just traumatizing my teeth from tooth grinding.
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Blownaway - so sorry to hear you are still having pain. Hugs, Houston sister.
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Thanks Minustwo - I have a bone scan coming up, along with a brain MRI. Not sure what that's all about but I guess its the next ring to jump through. I think the pain is due to nerve damage from chemo because so many people on Tamxifen don't seem to have it and that's the only other thing I can attribute this deep flu/fever like pain to. I dont have fever or flu.
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I don't take Tamox, but I do have CIPN (chemo induced peripheral neuropathy). Luckily I mostly have just the numbness & not the extreme pain some talk about. If you haven't had a consult for that, you may want to push it. I went to see a great neurologist when I was trying to confirm neuropathy. Let me know if you want her contact info & I'll PM you.
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I am still getting Herceptin but my teeth appear to have made it through chemo okay. I missed my annual cleaning in July. I need to go, but now MX in October. My fingernails are pretty brittle though. I take Biotin too
PMR53.
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Minus Two - yes, I would like the name/number of a neurologist who is familiar with chemo induced neuropathy. I've been in a confused state as to whether I should contact a neurologist or rheumatologist. What's puzzling though is that the pain didn't start right away.
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going to dentist Monday, gonna get a cleaning and discussing the prolia shot and any SE. That could be a problem to watch for.
I wear a night guard now for about 8 years due to grinding, so for me it's a natural thing. Keeps my jaw from being sore.
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Blownaway - hope you get the PM about neurologist.
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Minustwo - I got the message but will have to check with my insurance company to see if they are providers. Thanks!
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I had two cavities last January, and my dentists said it's not unusual to see that after chemo and having a dry mouth for months.
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dentist explained what he knew about prolia, felt very satisfied with his answers, the necrosis that occurs, is from major dental extractions, root canals, implants. And in time, the necrosis can heal too. So with good cleaning, and no issues, proceeding with prolia shot.
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