Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Some I had - hairloss, mouth sores, stomach pain, urinary tract pain
My worst SE was from the nuelasta shot - do you need this?
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Hi all,
I start TC next week Thursday. I just read how many of you are getting rashes. Now Im scared. I have very bad exema, and am on sterodial cream for it. I asked my onchologist if TC causes skin problems, and she said no. I'm beginning to think these Dr's are witch Dr. and have no idea what they are doing to us.
Karen
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Cathy, stage 1 grade 1 is good. Triple negatives respond very well to chemo. Side effects differ with each person. The most common is hair loss, of course. You may have stomach issues like diarrhea or constipation. Neuropathy and eye-twitching are common as well. I had very bad diarrhea until I was prescribed Lomotil. My eye-twitching and neuropathy are gone, and my hair is 1 and a half inches long. My nails are back to their natural color (not brown and black). I am 6 months PFC.
Take care.
Brenda
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Cathy, stage 1 grade 1 is good. Triple negatives respond very well to chemo. Side effects differ with each person. The most common is hair loss, of course. You may have stomach issues like diarrhea or constipation. Neuropathy and eye-twitching are common as well. I had very bad diarrhea until I was prescribed Lomotil. My eye-twitching and neuropathy are gone, and my hair is 1 and a half inches long. My nails are back to their natural color (not brown and black). I am 6 months PFC.
Take care.
Brenda
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Well, the rash turned out to be shingles! I saw the doctor today, and she prescribed an anti-viral drug and a steroid. The rash kept getting bigger and developed little blisters on it. Then 2 more patches appeared yesterday - one near my underarm and one between my breasts. She also said I may not be able to have my next chemo, scheduled for next Tuesday. I'm still supposed to go in so she can check the shingles - hopefully they will have healed enough to get this 3rd treatment over with. I'm so miserable and now I'm REALLY uncomfortable!
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Well great news today. All my 17 nodes came back negative . All margins are clear. Should start chemo in 4-5 weeks. Surgery last week on Thursday and came home sunday. Moving around pretty good but these drains suck. I know most all my discomport is from the drains right now. Will be real glad when I get these out monday.
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Karen - I was told that the rash i got after first chemo was due to the steroids not the chemo if that helps at all.
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bump
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Good morning all.
I will be heading to my first T/C infusion this morning. I'm hoping and praying all will go smoothly.
I will touch base when I can.
I hope everyone's Friday is filled with rest and relaxation!
Peace, love and prayers,
Tori
DE COLORES!
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Hello everyone I would like to join your group. I got a 31 on my oncotype so starting TCx4 on october 5th. I have to come in the day before to do blood and the day after for the neulasta shot. My doctor gives the shot routinely. I had a BMX on August 9th with no complications. No reconstruction yet. I started out reading everyone's posts got to page 2 before i saw there are over 200 pages lol.
I am very scared about the side effects.I do appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. It is amazing how different everyone responds to it. I do think TC is easier than some of the other treatments I read about. So if it's ok I am going to stick to reading about you guys. As scary as some of your experiences sound.
It's very weird I am almost looking forward to being bald. I hate my hair anyway lol. It's over hi lighted so this is kind of a do over for me. I did get a wig from cancer society totally different from my hair, it was the only decent one they had. My natural hair is dark brown but looks blonde with hi lites. I got a short dark brown wig, kind of a joan jet look lol.
I am getting ready to make my list of stuff to get from that thread. I just want to get this over with already. I know I need a thermometer. Lots of water and stuff to drink. I wont stock up too much until I see what tastes good at the time. I am thinking of bringing a cooler with ice for nails and mouth.
There is a possibility I can start reconstruction during chemo but I will discuss with my doctor. My plastics doc is going to call to discuss with my onco.
My onco is a woman very sympathetic and optimistic. The infusion center is only private rooms, very cushy, with wifi and portable dvd players to watch movies. My husband will go with me. Hope he doesn't go too crazy sitting for so long. He will probably complain but will be glad he could be there for me. I do have a neighbor who volunteered to go, she and I talked on the phone a few times, she is very chatty which might be entertaining. Don't know her too well but might take her up on it to give husband a break. Or husband could drop me off and if I am sleeping leave and then come back to get me.
Husband is going away for a few days right before my chemo. It's a special guy trip he does every year. I figure I should let him go have fu before he has to deal with me and stay home for 3 months.
Thanks for letting me air it all out.0 -
I had 4 chemos too. The first my DH stayed the whole time. The second time he was in and out. The third he dropped me off and picked me up and the fourth I drove myself. It gets easier
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Hi Carrol2 - I read your post, checked out your bio and felt compelled to reply to you. The day you were diagnosed, I was under having my bi-lateral mastectomy. Our diagnosis is very similar, only mine was IIb - due to the tumor size. To top it off, I'm also in marketing and it seems like you're younger than most - in your 40's, correct? I'm also younger than most - I'm 29.
Anyhow - I'm half way through my 4 treatments of T/C. (I do not receive the neulasta.) I agree with you that most of the experiences on here do sound scary. I'm hoping my experience will give you some hope. My experience, thus far, is not that bad. And I mean that with all sincerity. It really isn't.
My first infusion was 9/2/10. I had to load up on an oral dose of dexomethasone (sp?) - a steroid - to ensure that if I did have an allergic reaction to the taxotere, it could be managed. And truly - it's not the taxotere that one would be allergic to - it's the oil used to mix the taxotere that you can potentially be allergic to (it's from a pine tree). So I took the steroid 2x the day before, the morning of chemo #1 and then through the IV pre-chemo infusion. Let me tell you - the steroids will make you want to get up the day after chemo and work out or be really active!! DON'T!!! lol. Try to take it as easy as possible the day after and let the steroids run their course! I got up and worked out the day after because of the "roids" and I had substantial back muscle and spinal pain days 3 to 7 after my chemo. Just take it easy, to be on the safe side.
For my 2nd infusion, which I had on 9/23 - since I didn't have an allergic reaction, I was only given the steroids through the IV just before the chemo meds. I was still hyped up, just not as much. Learned my lesson, and just took it easy the day after. No back pain or any muscle aches really at all for the 2nd round. Had really minor nausea spells 2nd time around, but nothing that the kytril didn't manage. I had lots of fatigue days 3 and 4 after the infusion. Pre-meds: each time they've given me the following pre-meds, prior to the chemo - a dose of the steroid, benadryl, pepcid, and kytril. The first 2 were for the allergic reaction part and the last 2 for GI side effects and nausea. I have a IV Port and the benadryl and pepcid were pushed through it via syringe and the steroid and kytril drip via IV (I believe that's how it all went in.) Anyhow, the pre-med drip took about 30 minutes. As the pre-meds go in - my head felt spacey ... woozy ... and I am a little fuzzy about conversations that happen during that first 30 - 45 minutes because of the pre-meds. So, don't talk about anything important
Next, the taxotere was on board first and that takes about an hour to drip for me (dose is dependant on height and weight so I'm assuming that affects how long it takes to drip as a result as well). Finally the cytoxan was last and it took about 30 to 40 minutes to drip. When you're done, you're unplugged and you go about your day. It's very anti-climactic. I didn't start feeling different until about day 3 after my infusion.
By day 12 after my infusions, I feel like myself again. I won't go into too much more detail here since this post is already long
but if you want to - I am keeping a blog about everything and you're welcome to visit: www.melissabingham.blogspot.com. I just wanted to post here to tell you that it's really not that scary, and don't be afraid. Ask as many questions as you want during the process - it's your health and your body. I feel being informed keeps me from being scared.Best of luck to you as you embark on chemo - I hope for you, it's as it was for me - not so bad.
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Thank you Mrbigham my husband keeps telling me that it probably wont be that bad. I have been buying hats and scarves and he keeps saying maybe my hair wont fall out but it seems like that is a given.
I am scared but thanks for the encouraging words it does help
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OK I know I'm not supposed to be here because I'm getting Herceptin with T & Carboplatin but I'm Carrol's virtual support. We are both getting our first chemo on Tuesday.
Carrol for some reason I'm not scared of the chemo. I'm scared of the Neulasta. I'm not upset about loosing the hair. I think I can deal with that but I hope I don't loose my eyebrows. I already cut my nails short and painted them with clear nail polish last night. I have lost a toe nail before. It was weird to walk without it.
I was on a low does of a pretisone once. Yes it made me hyper and I loved it. I'll be taking decadron the night before and twice the day of but I know the Zyrtec (daily for 3 months starting the day before) is going to make me drousy. I assume I'm getting that instead of benadryl.
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Lago thanks for checking in. I start the roids tomorrow in the morning and at 3:00. And doc gave me anti axiety pills, and anti nausea and that is it.
I am afraid of the neulasta too. I know the nausea we have drugs for. I too have accepted the hair loss to come, I don't love my hair that much, my boobs were my bet feature oh well. I got some hats and scarfs and a wig. I am going to ask doctor is their is any pain meds I can use for bone pain from that.
I have a list of like 12 questions to ask. Tomorrow I get the port flushed and blood work done.
I'll try to sty in touch on how it goes as much as i can.
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I still don't have a wig. Need to get some hats too. Might just order online. Tomorrow is port day so I might not be around much either.
I get the blood work done on the same day as chemo. They say the first treatment is long. After that I should still plan on my treatments lasting around 4-5 hours. They do blood first, then I see the doctor. If she clears me then I go to the pharmacy for some drug. It takes 1 hour for them to mix the cocktail. So I have to wait for that. I think the Hereceptin adds some time too.
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I think thats why they do my blood work the day before so its not so much to sit through in one day.
Tomorrow I have blood at 10:00 then dentist right up the road at 2:00. If therre is time inbetween I will be wig shopping.
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Hi Kira1234 - I had the rash at about 5 days after TC 1 & 3. My oncologist thought that it was an allergic reaction to the taxotere (they do mention it on their web site). After infusion #1, she recommended that I phase out the steroids over 3 days instead of just stopping them the day after the treatment. That helped with #2, and it was only a very slight rash on #3. No rash on my last treatment about 2 weeks ago. I have tolerated the TC therapy pretty well, usually starting to feel myself again after about 8 days. One toe nail has turned black but the rest of them are ok so far. My blood counts have recovered each time so I have not needed any supplemental Neulasta treatment.
This last treatment is taking me the longest time to recover. It's been over 2 weeks and I still feel fatigued and achy, my eyes are watering constantly, just don't feel like myself yet. I'm usually very active and upbeat. I expected to feel wonderful as this was the last chemo but instead feel a bit depressed.
But otherwise, I found the regimen tolerable. Take full advantage of the tips you will find thoughout this website. I have been careful about what I eat (no spicy foods, not too hot in temp) and haven't had any mouth sores, the Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash help a lot. Go easy on yourself for the first 8 days or so. I worked throughout my treatments but was able to work from home during the first week.
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my tongue is kind of white anyone else get this?
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I did my first of four TC 12 days ago. I was completely terrified of doing this because of the posts on this board and, in particular, this thread. I am happy to report that it has been a breeze so far.
I insisted on the max anti-nausea: Emend, zofran and compazine. My onco gave me only zofran at first. I complained and threatened to change oncos, which landed me an emend px. I took the emend and zofran for three and four days after treatment, respectively. Not one bit of nausea. . . not even a hint of it. I never needed the compazine.
I had the steriod (decadron) and was worried about it because prednisone makes me crazy. I was slightly jittery with it and had a really red face for one day, but other than that I was fine. I did not have a reaction to the chemo drugs. I did get a slow infusion of the taxotere (at my request).
I was warned by my nurse that zofran causes constipation, so I took colace while on the zofran. I did not have constipation, but believe I would have w/o the colace. I did not have diarreah at all.
The first 3 days after the treatment my only side effects were from the drugs that prevent chemo side effects: the red face and jitters with the decadron, headache from the zofran (although it also could have been from the sinus infection I got the day before tx), and hiccups from the emend (no joke).
On the 4th day I had muscle aches and was very tired. I slept almost constantly for 24 hours. This was the only day that my level of functioning was substantially impaired. The three days after that were gradually better, with some mild muscle fatigue and tiredness. By one week post treatment, I was back to normal.
I drank about a gallon of water a day for the first 3 days. I am not sure if that was the difference or not, but I plan to do it every time. I normally drink 10-12 glasses of water a day, so this was not too much of a stretch for me.
I have had no mouth or taste problems, other than some slight tingling for a day or two on my tongue. I did chew ice chips during and for about an hour after tx and have been using biotene paste and mouthwash.
No nail problems. I did put frozen peas on my nails during tx.
So far I still have all my hair, but I realize it is to early to tell on that one.
I have not done the nuelasta shot. My onco only gives it if needed, which is fine by me. It sounds worse than the chemo. I am relatively young (40), and my onco indicated that patients my age often get thru the treatment without the shot.
I do not have a port and have had no problems with the IV site. In fact, within a couple of hours of the treatment, I could not even find where the IV was located.
Long story short - it has been MUCH easier than I thought. If the next three go as well as this one, then I will be thrilled. My advice - be proactive with management of the SEs, not reactive.
I also must caution new people to be careful about what they read here. I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone and I fully believe that everything posted here is done so with the utmost sincerity, but not everyone has a horrible experience with this process and some of the posts can be unnecessarily terrifying. I know I am very lucky in my reaction to the chemo and everything else (biopsy was pain free; lumpectomy was pain free; node removal was sore for about 2 days and then was pain free), but I wanted to post a more positive counterpoint so that others who come along and read this thread will know that for every horror story, there likely is someone who is getting through this relatively easy. All that said, the advice given here (ice chips, frozen peas, drinking lots of water, etc) was very helpful and I am convinced has helped me control the SEs.
I wish you all the best and good luck with your continued treatments, recovery, and prevention going forward!
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My first chemo was pretty easy and I also thought I would get away easy. SEs for me started after the third. I actually didn't have nail problems until 2 months after my chemo was over. My main problems were mouth sores and numbness in my arms and hands. Aches in my joints continue to be an issue 5 months out. Hopefully your next 3 will continue to be a breeze.
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Carrol2 - sounds like you have thrush - Have you called your onc?
Oh yah - I had that side effect also.
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ok ive been getting headaches even with aleve i am wondering if there are any foods that cold cause this anyone know?0
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Hi Carrol2,
I had the white tongue. It is thrush. Talk to your onc. She will probably prescribe Nystatin. Works like a dream.
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KIMBY yes got that last night finally seems to work right away. I had this about 8 years ago form too many antibiotics wonder why i never got this mouthwash then.
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Heading to my 2nd treatment of TC tomorrow at 10:30 am CST. Freaking myself out that something may pop up this time in regards to an allergic reaction. I'm really more nervous this time because I keep thinking about it. First treatment all went smoothly, so I should just expect the same...just making myself crazy, I guess.
Anyways, hope you are all doing well tonight.
Take care,
Peace and Prayers,
Tori
DE COLORES!
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Good luck tomorrow Tori i am sure you will be fine let us know how you are.0
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Hello Ladies. Hope you don't mind my dropping in. I was wondering how you decided about whether to take 4 or 6 treatments of TC. My oncologist won't give me six because tc x 6 is not on the Practice Guideline of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, But I know a lot of women do get six tx's, and my cancer is agressive enough, I believe, to warrant it -- and my onc said the same at one point also, but she seems to have dug in her heels on TC x 4. Would you mind letting me know what your oncs said about TC x 6 vs. TC x 4, and also, if you've had any problems getting insurance to cover it. My oncologist said my insurance might not cover it since it's not on NNCN Guidelines, but I can't see how this can be true since so many women get it. She has a bit of an ego, and doesn't really like to be questioned. Two of her nurses told me that they do do TC x 6 in their practice, so I'm not sure if my onc is being straight with me.
I would appreciate any feedback you could give me. Thank you.
Whitney
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Whitney,
Just answered this post on the other T/C thread. I am scheduled for 6 treatments of T/C. I just had my 2nd treatment on Friday. This was the plan that my oncologist had set for me. I was not aware that this treatment was not in the Practice Guideline of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. I didn't know that 6 treatments could be denied through your insurance either. It's something that I need to ask about that is for sure.
If the 6 treatments are not in the guidelines, how are doctors allowed to be doing it? I'm confused now too.
Tori
DE COLORES!
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I think all treatments prescribed by the onc have to do with your individual case. I'd get a second opinion if you doubt your onc.
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