Weekly Taxol group
Comments
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Hi Treler,
Thanks for your concern. You are right about possible blood clot and I did have one years ago. I have a venicava filter to make sure one doesn't make it to my lungs again. I seem to be fine this afternoon.
I must admit I am envious of these steroid high. I insist on no steroids because they have a different effect on me and it is far from pleasant.
Hugs to every one.
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sorry to hear that mama! I have chronic eczema since young, and I haven't itched one bit for the past few months thanks to the steroids infused in me!
What SEs do you get with steroids?
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IF you take a high dose of VItamin D3 it might clear up your eczema. IT keeps my son clear!
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Oh I never knew that! I'll try it out after chemo ends. It's really nice to not itch!
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My side effects from steroids include anxiety, inability to go to sleep, feeling like my head is spinning. The effect from a normal dose can last up to 24 hours.
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27Heart- It's interesting that most people with cancer are lacking in Vitamin D. It's something you can take while you are doing chemo. We just can't load up on antioxidants. I am taking Vit. B-1 and B-12 for the Neuropathy. I have been taking a B-Complex and Vitamin D-3 (5,000 I.U.s) since I began chemo and with the permission of my Oncologist. My son has bad eczema, and takes D-3 (5,000) once daily in the morning, and he is clear. If he runs out, and doesn't take the stuff his eczema flares up very soon.
I just learned about something called Benfotiamine (B-1) from a female doctor at the VA Center who was diagnosed with Stage 3 IDC, and has gone thru chemo and is finishing radiation. She got Neuropathy, and swears by this Benfotiamine, so I got some along with B-12 methyel. I'm sure the drug companies would rather we take more chemicals, but I am trying to repair the damage, and not just disguise it.
I know what you ladies mean by the steroid high. I got my Taxol on Wednesday along with the steroid, and I was awake for two nights. My face was beat read for two days. I couldn't sleep. Then, by day three- I crashed. Coming off the high, and after not sleeping for 48 hours- I would sleep Friday, and be very tired Saturday and Sunday. Since the Taxol is accumulative, I was taking longer and longer to get back to normal toward the end. Then, I began to develope Neuropathy with treatment #10, and I told the nurses it was even felt in my lip. The Onco decided to go ahead with treatment #11, and Friday I was calling the office. I was scared to death. My face was numb (eyes, nose, mouth, and it even went down to my throat). I read, and we all know you shouldn't do that!~ 'maybe my organs would shut down'! Wait! What? So, the Nurse Practitioner who knew my case via our phone conversations, advised me to refuse treatment #12. I did. I have Neuropathy pretty bad. Of course, I worry that not receiving 1/12 of my treatment may have been that magic bullet, but I am trying to think positive. I had my tumor cut out with clear margins and no node involvement, but mine was an aggressive cancer; hence, the chemo.
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Was SOOO miserable yesterday, husband had to drag me to 11th of 12 taxol sessions. It was horrible. I have no veins left.
Then today I got these flowers from people at work "for being inspirational". So I'm sharing them. We're all inspirational (we don't have a choice!):
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shanann I have had great success with Benfotiamine. also research K2, it works synergistically with D3 and supposedly helps to keep calcium levels from rising. Just my personal experience. and totally with you on the B-12 methylcobalamin, that's what I take, sublingually under my tongue. The D3 that has really helped me increase my vitamin D levels is the one above. Easy to take, some drops under the tongue.
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The flowers are beautiful, Ms Brompton! Thank you for sharing with us!
Thanks Italychick! I will get try that too! I can't have dairy products, because they give me such gas and stomach problems, so I am sure I am in need of a calcium supplement., so I'm not sure mine are on the rise, but I know I need the D3, and they work together, so I'm gonna try it..
I want to get off this Gabapentin as soon as I can. I am sick of pumping chemicals into my body. I WAS healthy before the tumor. It's maddening. Whacha gonna do?
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I had my first taxol on Thursday.... Friday was amazing (steroid high) Saturday was exhausting and I did nothing. I noticed today that my bones seem to be hurting. Is this normal? Also no nausea....is that normal? Kind of freaks me out.
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I think both are normal. I can't remember what they said to try for bone pain. Maybe someone else will chime in.
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They give you anti nausea medicine before the taxol- so I had no nausea with the Taxol. I also had that steroid high for 2 days, but as the Taxol accumulated in my body, the high began to turn into sleep for me. The first several treatments kept me awake all night for two days, then I got tired on the drive home. I received my treatments on Wednesday, and by Friday evening I was ready to crash from all that going and going. For me, Taxol was pretty much SE free until treatment #10 when I began to experience Neuropathy. I did; however, experience constipation throughout my AC &T. I remember complaining to the Oncologist about the constipation with the Taxol, and he just said, "Hmph! That's not a SE of Taxol! That's weird!" Well, after doing some reading, I found out that constipation is a symptom of neuropathy. I had it so bad I developed hemorrhoids, and had to get a prescription for them. My bf wants me to tell the Oncologist, so that he is better informed in the future (I had to giggle).
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Shanann,I too am having a problem with Taxol and constipation. I am skipping the steroids but am having no other SE yet.
Mama-Bear, Our names are pronounced the same. I live In Bexar (pronounced Bear)County Texas. I have thought about changing it to Impatient Patient. That probably describes me better.
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I will keep posting this because maybe one person will read it and benefit. All of you keep saying you are constipated. Take magnesium for it.
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The non-harmful chemical lice treatment works on those guys luckily!
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MamaBear, I had no nausea with Taxol. That was such a relief after AC!
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For me nausea was the biggest problem during Taxol treatments, and it continued for weeks afterwards. I still get it, at least once a week but it is getting less intense. The anti-nausea meds I was receiving (Zofran) were not helping me and my insurance would not authorize any other meds (jerks - I'm still angry about it).
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Trvler- I have never taken drugs- not even tylenol, nor vitamins for that matter. I can't pronounce half the things I'm taking now. So, when you say 'take magnesium', is there a name or a brand you recommned? I will try anything.Where can I get it? l I take stool softeners every night, and they don't work. Laxatives make me feel vomitous.
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I second Allisons comment about magnesium. Never constipated all through chemo, took magnesium, no drugs. Glycinate, threonate, citrate are all good forms that have worked for me. My motto was "pop till you poop."
Also, a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil works, better if you put it in coffee if you are drinking coffee
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I have been constipated throughout AC and first 4 rounds of Taxol. It was worse on AC but I still take Miralax every morning in my coffee and then 100mg sodium docusate (Dulcolax). I take the Dulcolax at least twice a day and up to 4 if things are really stopped up.
On a side note/vent--Does anyone else get tired of being told "you are so strong!" I know my friends and family are just trying to be supportive but the thing is, I have no choice not to be strong! I am 34, I have a 4 year old, a loving husband, and my job carries the bigger paycheck and insurance!
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Don't take Duculax!! It will tear up your colon.
Theresa is not seconding my magnesium recommendation. I got it from her! But it is awesome. I was taking 250 and then upped it to 500 mg which was too much for me. It causes painful cramping (although it does clean me out). The pain is WAY less than any laxative I ever took. I tried them all. I tried miralax and Duculax and fiber and citracil. You name it. Finally I was put on a prescription med called Linzess but it only worked if I took a daily dose of miralax, which was a pain. Then, BC and Theresa! I tried magnesium and never looked back. But if I forget it, I am constipated again.But no worries. Just take one the next night and I am good. An entire industry of laxative products could be eliminated. I don't take any special kind. I bought Nature Made. CVS had them on sale the day and they have gel caps which are easier than the tablets to swallow.
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I asked my MO today about magnesium, because some ladies say that it helps them with hot flashes too. He told me to go ahead and take it, but he wants me to take magnesium oxide and stay away from magnesium citrate.
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Did he explain why?
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He did, but my chemo/tamoxifen-brain barely remembers. Something about how it is absorbed, and how citrate creates dependency - once you train your BMs to get them used to citrate, you're stuck with it. Oxide helps you go also, but it doesn't create dependency.
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I checked. Mine is oxide. But I can't go without it. So I guess I am dependent.
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There goes that theory, Allison.
I'll be a good patient and take oxide too.0 -
in my humble opinion, oxide is poorly absorbed and causes diarrhea if you try to increase the dose. It is also not as readily bio available so it puts an additional load on your kidneys because you will excrete a lot.
Just my opinion....I've been taking glycinate and threonate for about five years, and my doctors are always amazed at my kidney function. I am outside the bell curve so my kidney function shows up as out of whack, but it is because it is so good. Primary care physician said he has never seen anybody with kidney function as good as mine is.
As for "dependency", if I quit taking it I may have a day or two with some constipation, but it evens out and I still poop.
I've never talked about poop anywhere as much as I do on this site lol
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Well, this is a 's#i11Y subjust (joking). I read all the posts, and want to thank you all! My son is on a grass fed (Bullet Proof) plan. He swears by it. Once, before chemo began, he made me a cup of coffee. It tasted okay, and I drank it, but within the hour I was using the bathroom (pooping), so yesterday I asked him how he made the coffee. He said, "a spoon of coffee, grass fed butter, and coconut oil." I said, "AH! It's the coconut oil that made my bowels move." So, Italychick= I think I'll try the coconut oil in MY coffee. I got really bad constipation during second AC treatment, and I tried Duculax, and it made me throw up! It was coming out both ends at the same time. Duculax made me cramp, and my stomach was already messed up from the chemo, so trying something natural might be easier on the system.
Anyway! I got my port out yesterday! YEA:!
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My PCP has had me on Metformin to control my sugar for a while and with that I've had no constipation issues at all.
I need to vent a bit.
Tomorrow, I have #7 of 12 Taxol and I am truly counting down the days at this point. We have even planned a celebration trip to our favorite resort in the Riviera Maya for 2 weeks after my final chemo. I'm nervous about anything messing with these last few treatments.
A co-worker (somewhat newer employee) has been coughing and hacking all over the place for nearly two weeks!! I did say something to him the other day about staying away from me and he said it was just "allergies". All I know is that it doesn't sound like allergies and I don't see him covering his mouth when he coughs. I'm considering spraying Lysol everywhere and putting a note on my office door that says GERM FREE ZONE - NO COUGHING ALLOWED!! I'm sorta joking but not really.
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Just: I understand your concern but my daughter does this and it took me a long time to realize it was allergies so it IS possible. I understand how you feel though.
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