Weekly Taxol group
Comments
-
Hi dera104, welcome to Breastcancer.org. We're sorry you have to be here for this reason, but we're glad you found this wonderful community.
Until other members come along to post (it can be slow during the weekend) you can read reliable information about Taxol in the main Breastcancer.org site, as well as some tips on Managing nosebleeds.
We hope this helps,
The Mods
0 -
Hi birdlady- I've also seen amazing deals on wigs on eBay (½ what I paid for mine). You can go to wigs.com and find what you like, then see if it's on eBay.
0 -
Dancingdiva, I am almost three weeks PFC (on Wednesday) and I have to say I am still very fatigued and sore. I also feel like an old lady. I started to increase my exercise last week and may feel a tad bit better but not where I thought I would be. I guess patients is the key. At least my tastebuds are starting to recover. I haven't been able to taste since the early AC treatments. Also, hair is really sprouting -- big smile. Not where I can go without a wig to work but seeing promise. No eyebrows yet but I am getting pretty good at the penciled in eyebrows.
0 -
Thank you all for your descriptions of se s and wig suggestions. My scalp is VERY tender, feeling like it is sunburned. Can I put aloe on it? There is not much hair left...
0 -
birdlady- A tender scalp when the hair is falling out is pretty common. If you have red bumps there's a cream your onc can give you to clear them right up. If you're having no skin issues on your scalp, my opinion is you can use anything you'd normally use for your skin. Also, don't think I'm crazy, but try a little Vicks Vapor Rub. I swear by it for pain AND a little under your noise can help with nausea too.
0 -
As an update on SE's, I'll be 9 weeks PFC tomorrow - muscles are still sore. I've been exercising all through chemo and now through rads, and the soreness still has not subsided. I also feel like a little old lady. If I crouch down, I have to hold onto something to stand up. My eyes are still messed up too. They were always red and weepy throughout chemo and now one is still blurry most of the time - I see Onc. next week so I will ask her about it, maybe I need to see an eye doctor. The nosebleeds stopped after 2 weeks at least, and my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are all coming in nicely and I am finally feeling less fatigued. I guess it's a slow road to complete recovery.
0 -
kpmacmill- I feel your pain! Every day farther away from chemo is a good day, but wow the side effects are slow to improve. I mentioned this to a nurse recently, and she told me not to expect so much from myself, because patients recover for months from chemo. She reminded me the chemo beats us up along with the cancer, so we need time to heal in ways we don't even realize.
0 -
Texas, thank you for your suggestions. My scalp is very tender, but there are no red spots. I would never have thought of Vicks, but I will give it a try. Sometimes I have sore muscles and sometimes no pain. I am fighting fatigue. When I read all of your posts I realize that I need to be more patient.0 -
birdlady- I'm addicted to Vicks after going through chemo. I would put it under my nose to make me feel less nauseous and more calm. I have it in my purse, bedside table and bathroom! I'm like the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" who sprays windex on everything.
Vicks also helps with itching as well as pain, though you might want something stronger for sore muscles. I use Tiger Balm (they make a non-staining version now in a white stand up tube). Also, Advil worked most of the time for me, but if it didn't, I took Tramadol. Hang in there! If you ever have any questions about Taxol, feel free to PM me. I am one of the few that was horribly miserable on it, so I have lots of experience with all sorts of side effects. 0 -
Texas...LOL on the Vicks and Greek wedding!!
0 -
0 -
Hi ladies ... hope you don't mind if I jump in ... I'm on weekly a Taxol for 12 weeks plus Herceptin and Perjeta evert three weeks. I've had 3 rounds of a Taxol and one cocktail so far ... I know that Taxol is supposed to be lighter than other chemo drugs but I feel like I am really struggling with the side effects ... aside from the awful mouth, I've had continuous diarrhea and feel like I have a permanent head cold ... I am also expediency neuropathy in my feet already. My MO says the head cold feeling is not related to the chemo and she say I may just be super-sensitive to the Taxol which is why the neuropathy has started already. Has anyone else experienced neuropathy so early?
Di xx
0 -
dimccleland- Try holding ice in your mouth while the Taxol is dripping. I did this and never had an issues with my taste buds or mouth sores except the one week I forgot to do it. You can also try icing your fingers and toes. I didn't develop neuropathy until the 11th dose (I would fill snack sized ziplocs with ⅓ rubbing alcohol and ⅔ water, put them on a small cookie sheet to freeze them flat, carry them to chemo in a small cooler, then strap them to my toes and fingers over thin cotton socks with an ace bandage ONLY when the Taxol was dripping. It wasn't pretty, but it worked!). I'm not going to lie; it SUCKS leaving the ice on for 45 minutes, but it was worth it. Also, use a good base coat and paint your finger and toenails black (or some other really dark opaque color). Taxol causes nails to be super sensitive to light, so keeping light off of them helps keep them healthy. I made the mistake of leaving the dark polish off for only 1 day, and my nails hurt for a week! So many of my friends had nail issues, but I came through Taxol with perfectly healthy nails (my drs were shocked). FYI Taxol is a "gift that keeps on giving," so keep your nails painted for a few weeks after you finish too.
I have no idea what or why these things worked for me, but all I know is I had zero issues with my mouth and nails, and neuropathy started very late. Considering I had just about every other awful side effect including a lot of the rare ones, I feel like there's something to the suggestions above!
p.s. I learned about these tricks from other survivors who said they worked for them...
0 -
Dimccleland- I had bad neuropathy from the first dose of Taxol. It peaked a few days after my infusion, then got better. My oncologist told me to take vitamin B and see how the second dose went. The neuropathy was much more severe the second time; it was painful to walk and the pain kept me up all night. We stopped the Taxol after that. The neuropathy only gets worse with each dose of Taxol. I wish my doctor had me try icing my feet and hands during infusion. Another poster said her doctor reduced the dosage and they waited until the neuropathy subsided before giving the next dose.
Good luck. Neuropathy can be scary. I have been off Taxol for five weeks and still have numbness in my feet. I worry it is permanent.
0 -
Hey all. Been off awhile. Had my daughter here for two months. Been done with chemo since they stopped the taxol week before Thanksgiving due to my neuropathy. Feet and fingertips are still numb. Very irritating, but my body feels better, which makes the neuropathy easier to deal with. I am about halfway through 5 weeks of radiation. So far my skin is taking it well. My hair is trying to grow back, but does it HAVE to fill in from the bottom and leave the top of my head bare? I hate it. Nice to run my hand over the soft hair in the back though. Cant get enough of that.
Happy belated New Year all!
MM
0 -
dimccleland, I started neuropathy with AC for some reason and so was really worried about Taxol. First taxol affected my eyesight and I was feeling woozy and lightheaded and couldn't turn fast. Got better after 2-3 taxols and then went away. The numbness would starts 2-3 days after each infusion, but then go away for next one. It never got to worse for me. I iced my fingers a little, hard to last. And wore darkish polish. Hope it helps
0 -
hi, new to this whole thing but from what I have seen already everyone is very supportive. Just wondering is anyone on weekly Taxol for secondary breast in the liver ? Thanks
0 -
Sleeplessnites, today is supposed to be treatment #6 out of 12. We had snow last nite, and the roads are a bit slick. I am being treated with weekly Taxol for secondary breast cancer in the lung and liver. I already notice an improvement in my breathing and energy. I will have some tests run soon to evaluate how well the treatment is working, and if we need to make any changes. I pray that it is working and I won't need any more chemo after this. I had chemo last year, but got a recurrence in less than a year. I have a young grandbaby that I want to see grow up.
0 -
Quick question, which I may have asked before but can't find it on this thread. How long did it took for some of you to get over the muscle and joint aches from Taxol? I am still fatigued -- doing better this week but not where I want to be -- big smile. I am one of those individuals that had a very hard time on Taxol and developed SEs that most don't get. The neuropathy is improving slowly but I still have headaches. I understand we are all different but would like to get some encouragement from my Sisters. My MO told me it could be 3 to 6 months...Urgh.
Dancingdiva and Kpmacmill, thanks for your recent post. At tiimes I am more sore now than I was on chemo. I am taking Advil as needed. Any suggestions or feedback on what you are doing would be appreciated. I think I need more patience - which I have just about exhausted at this point. I am trying to take a deep breath but don't want to go into RADS next week with so many chemo SEs still lingering. MY RO gave me a 4 week break between last Taxol and 1st RAD to allow some time to recover because my SEs were so bad. Again just not where I thought I would be :-(.
Dimccleland, I initially thought neuropathy set in for me after #10 but that boii when it set in did it set it. Knowing what I now I had subtle and gradual signs that I now know was neuropathy based on feedback from my MO such as tingle and twitching in my face, electric shock like chills running through my body, bumping into things (not stumbling) even though my feet weren't feeling numb, sensitivity to warm/hot water (not cold), constant shooting or stabbing pains, trouble swallowing etc. Each appt I was asked about neuropathy and only asked if I was feeling numbness in my fingers and toes and I didn't. I called after #10 to ask about the chills and as they were getting worse and both feet were entirely numb. I had a long conversation with my MO during #11 and learned that the other "symptoms" were signs of neuropathy. Go figure not sure why I missed it but maybe because the other SEs were so much worse. Hoping that your neuropathy is mild.
0 -
Dimccleland, I initially thought neuropathy set in for me on #10 but when it set in boii did it. Now looking back I had signs that I now know was neuropathy based on feedback from my MO such as tingle in my face, electric shock like chills, around #6.
0 -
ladyb- It was at least 4-6 weeks before I stopped one day and thought I could finally feel my side effects truly improving. Since then, they've continued to improve and are just about gone. The improvement is really slow, BUT the good news is once you finally notice you're improving, mentally things get a lot easier. Funny, I also had very late onset of neuropathy after #11 but it was so extreme and hit me all in one day I honestly thought I might need to go to the hospital. It was bizarre and terribly scary. It was as if I'd suddenly been thrown into late stages of Parkinson's disease- I couldn't control my muscles! Thankfully, it happened and then reversed all in about 12 hours, though my onc ok'd me not to have dose #12 after that (especially when I told him there was no way I'd show up for it). I too realized I'd had more subtle forms of neuropathy along the way- hearing issues fading in and out, feeling like I couldn't completely empty my bladder, facial twitches, and running into things more than usual.
A nurse recently reminded me chemo not only beats up cancer; it beats us up too, and it could be months before I truly can say I feel good, esp with rads coming up. I know what you mean and understand your frustration. I still have mornings I wake up and feel like I'm 90 years old! My survivor friends tell me to hang in there and say they remember very well thinking they'd never be the same again.
0 -
I just finished treatment #6 out of 12. On Tuesday I am having scans to see if the Taxol is working. I am hoping for great results so I can get the full results of the Taxol with as few SE as possible. I am concerned about the last few treatments after reading about the bad things you have gone through. My skin is very dry no matter what I do, but so far my nails look pretty good. I lost most of my hair after treatment #3 and I am still wig shopping. I purchased one, but it looked terrible and cheap, so I returned it. This is a challenge.
0 -
Dimccleland Taxol really beat me up too. Could only do 5 out of the 12 treatments. Last treatment mid October, my hair is growing back and was I pissed when the chin and lip hair came back first lol. Neuropathy is still with me but I've gotten used to it the ladies on the boards say it can take along time for it to clear up. I take aleave to help with the night time discomfort and I have been wearing thin silk gloves and it seems to help.I took store brand anti diarrhea liquid for the diarrhea and that helped , but everyone acts differently to Taxol. The head fuzziness is probably from the taxol part of the chemo brain I became forgetful and had lack of concentration and my eye sight got fuzzy, but that all cleared up when taxol was stopped. Drink plenty of fluids it seems to help Gatorade was good since I got tired of drinking water . Wish you lots of luck.
0 -
birdlady- Adding a little glycerine to each handful of lotion was a game changer for me during Taxol. It even greatly improved my dry, uncomfortable feet. This is the one I bought NOW Glycerine on Amazon. Finding the right wig is tough without trying them on first. It may take you a few tries. Remember, you can also take any wig to your regular hairstylist and have them shape it a bit better. Unfortunately, I don't think you're going to be able to get a wig for $20 that looks ok to you.
Don't forget, those of us that had a really hard time on Taxol are still not the norm! It may sound like it from this thread (which is probably why many of us went in search of it), but I have many friends that thought Taxol wasn't much more than a little inconvenient. 0 -
Texas, I will order some glycerine. It makes sense. My heels really are tender. I know that I am going to have to spend more than $20 for a wig. It took almost a year for my hair to grow back last time I had chemo. For some reason, it is really bothering me this time. I even sleep in an old wig because I can't look at myself in the morning. I think I found one I like....just need to pick a color. Thanks for your suggestions and support. I noticed my feet starting to tingle a bit this morning. I hope that neuropathy isn't in my future. I know that the tough SE are not experienced by everyone, but it does seem like more than not suffer with some.
0 -
birdlady- Ugh. I didn't realize you'd had chemo before. I'm so sorry. You're well acquainted with wigs then.
My heels were the most tender too, and the glycerine really made a difference. I also highly recommend painting all nails a dark color from now until a few weeks after Taxol, and icing them while the Taxol is dripping (mine was 45min). The nail polish is easy- just keep in mind when you take it off, put it right back on. I left my nails with only a clear polish for about a day before repainting them, and they were tender for a week! The ice isn't them most fun thing, but I do think there's something to it as well. I did both of these things and all I know is I was miserable on Taxol, BUT out of all my many side effects, I never had nail issues or pain, and neuropathy was minimal until after dose 11. 0 -
Needing to cry a little tonight. I woke up so sick today. No idea how I caught this. I only leave the house for chemo and nobody in my house is sick. Tomorrow is chemo...and my bday. Having a huge pity party for myself.
0 -
(((((HUGS))))) Ilovecoasters, maybe you just ate something that didn't agree with you. It sucks to have chemo on your birthday! I hope you feel better tomorrow, and someone makes your birthday special. Have a good cry and get it out of your system. Sometimes we just have to have our pity parties....it's not good to hold it in and try to be cheerful all of the time.Sleep well, and Happy Birthday tomorrow!
Blessings to you,
Birdlady
0 -
I'm so sorry ilovecoasters. This sucks and it's okay to be sad. Thinking of you and wishing you a good birthday tomorrow. Hope you've just gotten a little bug, and don't have a fever. Hugs to you.
0 -
Ilovecoasters, I'm so sorry you are ill and it's okay to be sad. wishing you a Happy birthday thinking of you. Asyou probably know watch for a fever but hoping you don't get one. (((((Higs)))))!
0
