Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Hi Otter,
Welcome. I don't post often but read here all the time. I too, had a conflict with my first onco because of my concerns about the toxicity of certain chemo drugs - specifically adriamiacin which he kept insisting I should do. Finally I found an onco who understood and prescribed first Xeloda & Taxotere but when my insurance wouldn't approve the Xeloda in an adjuvant setting - we agreed on CT. I just finished my 4th and last treatment two weeks ago tomorrow. Still have a few small se's just as upper respiratory sniffling, dry skin and bone aches but other than that - I feel like I'm on the upswing. I did not do neulesta so I have no advice on that.
Good luck to you. TC they say and I now believe is one of the most tolerable and effective tx's.
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Glad you made your way over otter
Last round day2 feeling good decadron full swing, I'm going shopping while I still have the energy and feel good!
Personally I agree with otter,after having 4 rounds now, I feel TC has more immediate SE than AC from what I have read. I have had most of the SE to be had, again everyone is different, but totally agree the benefit is less long term effects, like heart and leukemia.
Aurora, fullBsmallC sounds good to me
I think it would balance my 5'6"3/4" height ha I was a normal B to start- good luck to youthe red spots on the head do not bother me ---I did not even know I had them until you all mentioned it, most are on the back of my head only about 6 in all and I don't examine the back of my head much, I use my facial scrub/wash all over it seems to me doing good for me
ENJOY WHAT'S LEFT OF THE DAY EVERYONE!
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Hi Goldilocks ....
I recently underwent four CT treatments followed by Neulasta. The Neulasta was very difficult for me ..... lots of bone pain .... but a woman on these boards suggested to me to take Claritin (not Claritin D) with the injection and for a few days after. I asked my oncologist about this -- she did a little digging and asked the Neulasta representative about this -- and they tried this on me. I felt MUCH better with the Claritin combined with the Neulasta.
Good luck.
Laurie
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Hi Goldilocks ....
I recently underwent four CT treatments followed by Neulasta. The Neulasta was very difficult for me ..... lots of bone pain .... but a woman on these boards suggested to me to take Claritin (not Claritin D) with the injection and for a few days after. I asked my oncologist about this -- she did a little digging and asked the Neulasta representative about this -- and they tried this on me. I felt MUCH better with the Claritin combined with the Neulasta.
Good luck.
Laurie
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Gillkath: Thanks. Went to do bloodwk and spoke with the nurse. She suggested to discuss it with dh, weigh the pros and cons. I did have a very difficult time with the Neulasta, but I have been taking the Claritin before and after chemo, and every day I have the neupogen shot. I don't know if it helped cause I was scared not to have it in my system. If the shot kicks so bad for 2-3 days and I take a combination of pain meds with ibprophen, it could possibly be controlable. Not sure, have a couple of days to decide. This last time I had 7 days of neupogen shots. Just did just started feeling normal this past Sunday 3/30/08. That is why I am considering the Neulasta, maybe I would feel better quicker. Thanks.
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I had bad pain from head to toe last time with Luenasta. This time I took Celebrix and Aleve before I went to get it. I kept up withe pills for three days after and NEVER had pain from it. As long as you stay on top of it, it's nothing.
Artsee
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HI girls! Good to see we've been chatty as always. Nothing new to add. I'm 2 weeks after last chemo-- eye twitching and general swelling still remain. Drat! I start herceptin only next Tuesday. Just glad to be done with chemo though.
Aurora: It's sooo nice to do the exchange. I had mine done in Dec. before chemo and I love the new tatas! I went from barely an A to now a full B/C. The girls are lovely!
Catch you all tomorrow. Gotta go see who gets the boot on AI.
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Welcome otter. This is a great group. I have had Neulasta with my first 2 tx's. The first time I had some lower back pain for about 24 hours that started on day 6. Vicodin took care of the problem. I am on day 8 of tx #2 and haven't had that back pain yet. I have had shooting pains in my legs for 2 days, but tylenol takes care of it. That pain could be from the taxotere, anyway. I had it last time, too. So I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'm good on the N this time. It could happen with you too so don't worry about it until it happens. Mouth was sore yesterday and today but should be OK tomorrow. That's good since we are having a birthday dinner for my DH at P.F. Chang's on Friday and I want to eat freely!
My DH shaved my head on Monday (electric razor) and what fuzz was left is just about gone now. I was surprised that my head looked decent. It is a bit chilly, though, so I usually wear a scarf around the house. The wig feels better on the bare head.
Have a good evening.
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Morning,
Spoke w/onc dr & nurse along with dh yesterday about the nuelasta vs. the neupogen for me. It was decided that the nuelasta is not an option for me. The se out weighs the good it could do. I would run a very strong possibility of ending up in the hospital. After covering all the options of the "good, bad and the ugly", we will stay with the neupogen shots even if I need to take them for a longer time. The combination of that tx and arthritis/hip, joint pain with the Neulasta is pretty much a lethal combination for me. We are not going there!
So, today is tx#3. It kinda sucks that it has only been 4 days that I started feeling more like myself, but I know that there is an end to this. Everyone that has completed it, I am close behind. Thanks for all the encouragement.
Believer: No matter how I am feeling on Tuesday, I plan to meet you and enjoy out LGFG session. Bring your camera so we can take a pic-to show our sisters!
I'm working this morning, and chemo this afternoon so I better get caught up on my desk.
Happy Thursday!
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Goldilocks - I wish you an uneventful tx today!! (Same for anyone else getting the cocktail today). How many treatments are you getting? I forget... I'm 8 days out from tx #4 and feeling pretty decent.
After hearing you guys talk about LGFG I finally called and there is a class here on April 21, so I signed up!! It's right after my next-to-last tx, but what the heck, I'll still be hairless through June at least. I actually did the class the first time I had BC in 1995, and remembered it being fun. But I think I'm more adventurous at this point of my life, so I think I'll have even more fun with it this time.
JT - enjoy PF Changs!! Yummy, that sounds good.
Kathy - yes, I have the eye twitching a LOT this time. So annoying!! (But if that's the worst thing I have to complain about, then life is good...)
Have a great day everybody!!
CHJ
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Just got back from the eye doctor's. I needed new contacts. Anyway, he says drinking about a half cup of tonic water daily can help witht he eye twitching. Anyone else heard of this (I posted on another thread about it,too)? I figure I'll try it out, it can't hurt.
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KathyL, did you just do the implants or you had reconstruction? Did you also get your nips tattooed?Or waiting until chemo is done? I'm excited!!! I have to start shopping for new bras. Yey!
Goldie, how was your TC today? You just hang in there, my dear neighbor, it will be over before you even know it. If there's anything I can do to help, please pm me. Yes, we'll definitely meet at the LGFG class on Tuesday (April 15), no matter what. I forgot that my final TC is on the 10th -- but I'm usually ok :-> By the way, ask your doc about Hydrocodone for the pains. I take half every 4-6 hours right after Neulasta for about 3 days, and so far no pains.
Take care everyone!
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oh Aurora, I'm glad to read your post on the Hydrocodone, that's what my onc gave me instead of the vidadin because of the high liver counts, I hope to get through this last round now
without any bone pain now! Hugs Patty 0 -
KathyL - I am 10 days out from first round of TC - minimal SEs - except for the very annoying eye twitching. I will try the tonic water!
Deb
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oh, drats, I hate to post wrong info on the internet---I was wrong my onc gave me oxycodone for my bone pain this last and final round, it takes the tylenol out of it so the liver does not work as hard. OK I thought after all of this maybe I could go into Oncology some day/not! I'm in the chemo fog now time for bed
Deb, hopefully your minimal SE's are sign for the rest of your tx's wish you luck!! you are the first one I've read to mention the eye twitching after round 1 most of us did not experience it until 2 or 3, huh
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Hi, everybody!
This will be short, because, believe it or not, I'm kind of tired and I think I might be able to sleep despite the decadron. Yes, I got my first of 4 TC treatments today.
The scary thing is that it was so uneventful. This can only get worse, I figure; because it couldn't have gone much better (except for a strange encounter with the receptionist, which I'll explain tomorrow). I got a bunch of pre-meds in my i.v. (Zofran, Decadron, Zyrtec), and then the Taxotere, followed by the Cytoxan. I had to ask the onco nurse if she was sure she was infusing the Taxotere, because it felt just like the normal saline she gave me in the beginning.
So far, my only SE's have been double vision from the Zofran pre-med and already some mild swelling of various body parts. The nurse and my onco said Taxotere will cause edema, and Decadron (another pre-med) should help control it. I thought dexamethasone could cause swelling--but maybe not so soon after administration? I've been drinking water like a fish to flush the drugs out, so maybe I just haven't caught up with the increased volume. Oh, and I feel sort of "weird" tonight--not nauseous, not uncomfortable, but not sharp either.
Anyway, everything went very well, despite all my worries. It was longer than expected, though. For some reason, my onco said it would take about 2 hours; but instead, it took nearly 4 hours, plus a 2 hour wait in the lobby because they were behind schedule. I think my onco forgot to factor in the detailed explanations the onco nurse gave at each step, plus the slower infusion rate because it was my first tx. Oddly enough, the long wait to get called sort of helped, because I stopped worrying so much. Also, there was a guy sitting next to me in the lobby who there to get bisphosphonate for bone involvement (different cancer)...but he's currently in remission. He and his family saw how worried I was at first, and they helped to explain how things would work in the infusion room, and they definitely cheered me up.
Goodnight, all. I'm going to bed to get some rest, even if I can't sleep.
otter
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Hi,
A few of you might remember me. I just finished my 6th Taxotere/Cytoxan treatment. I made it and I am very happy that its over. I have a couple tough days ahead and plan to try to be a little more active this recovery so that i don't crash from the steroids quite so badly. Steroid withdrawl is so difficult for me. Quick onset depression, high anxiety, foreboding thoughts of recurrence, Guilt for putting my husband, son, family through this. thanks for taking this journey with me. I'll keep checking in. How areyou doing PA Lady? Have you started Tamoxifen? I start Femara soon.
gotta get another bone scan and chest scan tomrrow. I am confident they won't find anything bad.
Well gotta go do be. Bless all of you wonderful ladies.
Laurie from Missoula
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Hi,
A few of you might remember me. I just finished my 6th Taxotere/Cytoxan treatment. I made it and I am very happy that its over. I have a couple tough days ahead and plan to try to be a little more active this recovery so that i don't crash from the steroids quite so badly. Steroid withdrawl is so difficult for me. Quick onset depression, high anxiety, foreboding thoughts of recurrence, Guilt for putting my husband, son, family through this. thanks for taking this journey with me. I'll keep checking in. How areyou doing PA Lady? Have you started Tamoxifen? I start Femara soon.
gotta get another bone scan and chest scan tomrrow. I am confident they won't find anything bad.
Well gotta go do bed. Bless all of you wonderful ladies.
Laurie from Missoula
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Good Morning Friends!
Sorry I've been MIA for a while but worklife and tax season have gotten in the way of my REAL life!
Welcome to all new friends! Sorry you have to be here with us but under our circumstances it the BEST place to be!!
Had Tx #2 on Thursday. Keeping my fingers crossed for minimal se's like first tx.
Otter - I was thinking of you on Thurdsay. We were probably in the chair at the same time!!! Must say, my first tx went very well. First day after I felt like I a lump in my tummy. Dropped a capfull of Miralax in my morning coffee and was good to go. No more problems in that area. Fatigue started to set in on Sunday -- all I wanted to do was sleep. Stayed home from work on Monday but by the afternoon I started making a comeback.
Also, I do steroids by pill starting the night before tx (and every 12 hours for a total of 5 doses) and also get some infused on treatment day. The day after treatment I always have flushed cheeks and my onc. tells me the steroids cause this. Make-up covers it well and it's usually gone in about 2 days.
Had a little indigestion at times which seemed to go away on its own. Appetite was down as well for about a week -- but I didn't mind that part!!
I do get the Neulasta shot on the Friday after each tx. Last time, on Wednesday following the shot I experienced lower back pain -- almost like when you have bent down and something pulled in the lower back area. I medicated myself throughout the day with Tylenol and by Thursday morning the pain was mostly gone.
I told my chemo nurse about it yesterday and she said that oftentimes, the Neulasta se's minimize each time. Keeping my
fingers crossed!
One other side effect was that about on days 10 and 11 I experienced some nosebleeding -- nothing major -- just rather annoying. After that -- no other ploblems!
Well, since I started this message on Thursday and have just been able to finish it this morning -- I guess I 'd better get ready for the run for the Neulasta shot and then off to work.
Have a great day all!
Vickie (from Maryland)
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Believer: During my mastectomy surgery my PS put in an expander. On the opposite side (no BC side) I had breast augmentation with an implant (during the same surgery). My expander was in for about 2 months, and then she did an exchange surgery and put in the other implant. I have the new silicone gel implants-they are fabulous! Now that I'm done with chemo, I see my PS later this month to find out when I'll have the nipple constructed, and then I'll get tattooed after the nipple heals. I've been able to wear bras ever since about 2 weeks after my exchange surgery. But the nice thing about implants is, you don't have to wear a bra at all if you don't want to. There are many days I just wear a light camisole instead.
Gramadeb: I am 15 days out from my last TC. The eye twitching and swelling are the two things that I notice most that remain. And of course, my energy level is down-but even that is improving slowly. My hair is growing (albeit slowly). When I go grocery shopping this weekend, I plan on getting some tonic water to try. I guess I could always mix it with gin to get it down easier! I do have to pass on that my eye twitching definitely got worse with each treatment (remember this is me, and we're all different). I would let your onc know that you've noticed it with the first round. I did notice it with my first round, but it went away after a few days. It wasn't until the second or third round that it seemed to be present all the time.
Otter: I found that infusion day was often a good day (except for the 2 reactions I had). I generally felt good and the day was easy. My SEs started about 2-3 days after infusion day. With Taxotere, very rarely is there a reaction the first time. It usually occurs (if it will occur at all) on subsequent infusions. With any allergy, the body has to first recognize the "offender" (first infusion), then it reacts when it "meets the offender" on a different occasion. I am sure your nurses will still watch you closely for your #2-4 infusions. I would ask them to still run the infusion slowly for at least #2.
Laurie: Congrats on completing your TC rounds! Each day will get better now. Good luck with your scans.
For those of you with nosebleeds... I had them too off and on. I found that running a humidifier in my bedroom and putting Vaseline on the inside of my nose to keep it moist helped. If you have to blow your nose, blow very gently.
Hope everyone has a good weekend with minimal SEs.
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Good morning all....The first treatment was 5 hour long and the secound one was 4 hours. I told the nurse on #2..."Nice and slow" ok?So maybe she was abliging me. Just drank a can of insteant breakfast an I feel the hear burn starting to lurk.....:>(
Enjoy your day everyone, Evie
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Yeah, what is this with the heartburn??? After bragging last night that TC #1 went so well, I've been put back in my place.
I was feeling almost normal on the drive home from the clinic last night, so we stopped for supper at a Chick-fil-A and I had half a chicken sandwich. Bad mistake. All night long, I had indigestion, as if that stupid ball of fried chicken was stuck just inside my stomach. I took some Pepcid and a couple of Tums, but finally ended up in my Lazy boy recliner in a semi-upright position. Slept for about 4 hours I think.
Today, I have low-grade nausea. So this is what morning sickness feels like? I took my decadron, and it didn't help; so I took a phenergan an hour later. My only other "anti-nausea" med is Ativan, which is really just for anxiety and so I can sleep at night. I was sure hoping day 2 (day 1 being infusion day) would be a good day, but it's not. Already I feel like crawling under a blanket. How do you keep your fluid intake up, when everything seems to get stuck in your stomach and threaten to escape? No eruptions yet, but it sure feels uncomfortable....
otter
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Good Morning,
I wanted to update the information for the Prevention Oncology Rinse www.preventionlabs.com it is available nation-wide at Walgreens, and on the website. If you are taking a chemotherapy drug that will cause mucositis, you can use the Oncology Rinse before you develop the sores as a preventative measure. If you have any questions, you may email info@preventionlabs.com.
Melissa Odle RN
Medical Director
Prevention Laboratories LLC
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Hello All - Congrats to everyone finishing up...I will have #3 on Wednesday. I have felt pretty normal this time. I think the Emend does the trick for nausea - the first time I took one pill right after chemo and then the next two mornings. #2 they put it in the bag and then had a 2 pack, which I have refilled for this time.
My side effects have been twitching...only this time and the bloody nose, runny nose thing...other systems all working fine.
The hair thing doesn't bother me....go hatless a lot at home and once I get to work...Even work out without bald...I think it spurs on the students to keep at it when they see my bald head sweating.
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Otter - I was given Ativan pre - chemo and then told to take Xanax for any breakthrough nausea. Xanax and Ativan are from same family of medications. When I did feel queezy I took the Xanax and it really helped - you may want to try the Ativan - may help the nausea - also may help you rest and get through some of the SEs.
Deb
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Otter: Try sipping ginger ale-- this worked great for me during pregnancy and again with chemo-induced nausea. I also have become a firm believer in Sea Bands for nausea. You can get them cheap at most pharmacies ($5). They are placed on an acupressure point on your wrists and are not at all uncomfortable. I wore them a lot during pregnancy and used them several times during my post-chemo days. They were great! Maybe it's all in my head (per my dh)-- but they worked!
My anti-nausea med. was Aloxi-- given IV the day of chemo. It works for 3 days. I had an RX for Zofran on hand at home, but never had to use it once.
As you learned, you might want to avoid greasy foods the day of chemo. I kept to a bland diet of small frequent "meals" for about 3 days after chemo. Sometimes a "meal" was merely a handful of crackers, or a piece of toast. The key is to keep it small and in your belly. Drinking sips of liquids all day keeps fluids in. I liked decaf. tea, too, and flavored water.
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Moving a bit slow, and at work. Have a bit of the "fog". #3 zapped my energy, but figured that. Slept pretty good, but we had a serious lightening,thunderstorm here. We lost power so then there were no fans keeping the house comfortable. Great thing though we got electricity about an hour later. I had gotten my cell phone to use as an alarm incase the power didn't come back on. I had the hardest time flashing at the same time trying to set them bedroom alarm. Could not for the life of me remember how the stupid thing worked. Gotta blame that on the chemo. Re-set the timer for the coffee pot, for 5:15 freak'in PM! Chemo cocktail mixed with additional drugs can really make a little thing into a giant event. Survived it, barely.
I wasn't expecting this, but my fuzz started falling out already this morning. I wear hats, some scarves, but with the flashes I can't handle the wig. I guess since this is not my first time around, I am not nearly as uncomfortable with peoples reactions or non-reactions.
Thanks for the information on the oxycodone, and other meds. I am allergic to anything that has "ine". NOT a pretty picture. That is part of the reason I have difficulties.
My friends, hoping for a minimal se weekend. It is suppose to be a pretty one.
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Otter
I use Zantac for heartburn. You can get them in 75 or 150. I buy the 75, and double up when I need to. On first days after chemo I take one in the morning and the rest as needed. For me, the heartburn is really bad for the first 5 - 7 days after chem. Zantac works great!
Joy H
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Otter....welcome...again to the club.I took 1 Tagamet and 4 tums and I finally got relief last night. No fried foods is the key. And day 2 I had fried salmon paddies and bland food and soups every day after and I still felt like I was going to loose my cookies. This round has been very wierd.
I here Emend is great stuff, unfortunately my onco refuses to except samples because it's too honkin high priced. So we'll see what next time brings. Talked to the nurse this aft and she said they can adjust the pre drugs at the next infusion. Good luck, unfortunately it gets a little worse before it's better.
I found the best way to drink water is with lots of ice cubes when you feel like wretching........Love and warm hugs, Evie
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Ditto here with the indigestion. I haven't had much luck with Pepcid (doesn't seem to help much) so I talked to the onco today and he gave me a prescription for Previcid. I just took it, so we'll see if it works.
Goldilocks - I'm like you; I don't care as much what people think as I did the first time. I don't know if it's so much "I've been here before" as it is I'm 13 years older and don't care as much what people think. I'm still not goin out bakd in public yet, but it has more to do with the weather. I sure don't like a cold head.
CHJ
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