Weekly Taxol group
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wear a face mask. Your immune system is down. My friend told me her coughing was just allergies, but when I got sick and almost had to put off a treatment, and confronted her!!! She apologized, because after going to the doctors, she found found out it was bronchitis. I wear face masks to work, and wear them around those special people. If we don't look out for ourselves no one else will.
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Re constipation: I take fresh figs. They work, and they're almost the only fruit I can taste!
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Just thought this might help some people. My face was a mess especially once I started Taxol. Peeling and looking like mild sunburn. I was using sorboline on it and that didn't help. I remebered I had bought a moisterizer last year and gave it a try and my skin is now so much better. It has maderine, cedar and rosemary in it and smells yummy.
Karen
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I also had messed up skin during my first few rounds of Taxol. MO sent me to a dermatologist, who prescribed something that cleared it up. After a few weeks, my metabolism seemed to stabilize, and that particular SE went away.
Regarding the coughing co-worker: if it has been a couple of weeks, he's probably not contagious, but even so, he should be taught basic workplace manners! Maybe say something to his supervisor? Or have your supervisor do so? I caught a cold during my 2nd month of Taxol, and it was severe and very difficult to shake: this is something I'd take seriously.
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I'm venting RE: constipation! Yesterday morning I took two stool softeners, and I put two spoons of coconut oil in my coffee. Nothing. (I've eaten bags of organic figs from the Health store, and not gotten relief from them). So, last night I took two cap fulls of MiraLAX. I had severe stomach cramping from 8 am thru 10 am, but nothing. I am going to the health store, and buy some magnesium now. My last taxol was October 7th, and my daughter noticed that I have stubby little eyelashes coming in. YEA! I have my first radiation treatment today, and I'm hoping they explain the dosage, and how they figure that out, since I"m supposed to be considered cancer free. Or, it is a one size fits all kinda thing (guessing game)?
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Shanann, good luck with getting things moving! And I'm jealous about your eyelashes. My last taxol was 9/25 and I just lost a few more eyelashes. I now have TWO eyelashes on my left eye and FOUR on my right. Yes, I counted.
They can start growing any day now please! Other than Latisse, does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to help my lashes and eyebrows grow? Any products I can get at Sephora, etc??
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I stopped drawing eyebrows last week and stopped wearing fake eyelashes this week! 7 weeks PFC today! My eyebrows came in first then I saw tiny eyelashes.... i still have to load them up with mascara but they are there and I am glad to be rid of fake ones!
Jenn no suggestions here... its a horrible waiting game.... but once they start coming back, it's pretty fast!
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Steph: Be patient. Once those lashes drop out, they will come back fast. Don't do Latisse. It is expensive and it can permanently change the color of your iris.
Shanann: Let us know if the magnesium works for you.
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Hi! I had 4 courses Epirubicin and now I started 12 courses of weekly Taxol. After the 3rd course of Epirubicin my blood counts were down and I had to take Granocyte 34. The same happened after the 4th course of Epirubicin.
This week was my first course of Taxol. My next one in in several days. When is weekly Taxol nadir? I haven't checked my blood counts again and I am afraid that they might be down again. Does weekly Taxol make blood counts low as Epirubicin does, for example? I do not want to postpone my treatment.
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LRR-Not 100% sure when the nadir (think I saw 18 days somewhere??) but I have had 4 of my 12 weekly rounds of Taxol and my white counts have been good and consistent, I have been slightly anemic throughout all my treatments, I did not Epirubucin but I have not had any significant white count drops like I did on AC.
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LRR: Nadir for Taxol is 15-21 days. http://www.chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/Taxol.aspx
I'm not familiar with Epirubicin, but just finished 12 weeks of Taxol. My counts stayed either in the normal range or just below. I didn't take Nuelasta or Neupogen (which I'm assuming is the US equivalent of Granocyte 34??) while on Taxol
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Leigh & Allison, thank you! Def not doing Latisse just wondering if there's anything else that might work. And I lost all eyelashes as of today. Let the complete regrowth start!!
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Hi All, I just finished my final #12 taxol. I haven't posted much because I haven't had very many side effects. I wanted to let those of you starting weekly taxol/herceptin regimen that--you can do it! Week 10 I was very tired, I had a burnt taste in my mouth throughout, and usually day 4 I rested in bed. I think the emotional part of dealing with cancer has been harder for me than the chemo.
I used chemo cold caps and still have my hair. I tried to walk 30-60minutes everyday during the 12 weeks. I have 9 months of herceptin left, but I am happy to leave the chemo behind.
Good luck to everyone. You got this!!
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Shanann, if the magnesium doesn't work, you can also try Pantethine. It stimulates peristaltic action, makes you poop. But fingers crossed the magnesium works. Be warned, first time may be a blowout if you are backed up. So stay close to the bathroom
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Thank you so much, Italychick and Trvler!! The magnesium worked and I can't tell you how much better I feel!! WOW! I got it all out, before my radiation appointment. I did have a little meltdown on the Radiation Therapy bed. I thought I'd have council, and find out my dosage, and talk to the doctor before the first treatment, but they didn't do that. They just began to mark my body, and take Xrays, and then the shot me with the dosage, and I cried. It was cold and mechanical, and uninformative. I was able to get some answers afterwards. I'm getting 25 treatments to my entire breast, and the last 5 will target the area where the tumor was found, so 30 treatments in all. Still...
Steflove! I bought a new wig tonight to treat myself. My daughter helped me to put on false eyelashes, and an eyeliner. I felt good with her help. I have been feeling so ... not feminine. So, you finished your taxol without a problem? I'm very happy for you, since I didn't take my 12th treatment-- I'm a little worried, but I think I'm fine. Every time the neuropathy flares up really bad I thank God I didn't take number 12, but when it subsides, I worry I should have finished all them.
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Shannan glad the magnesium worked. It never failed me all through chemo
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during my taxol, I had just the opposite reaction. For anyone out there with the opposite problem I suggest probiotics . I have always taken them but I found the only thing that helped during taxol was tripling my usual dose.
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Found out yesterday I don't need radiation, I could have hugged the Dr when he told me that.
I also got an echo done on my heart and blood clot is not much smaller.
Other than that I am doing aright. I start rehab next week, got assessed to day so they can set up a program for me. By Christmas I will be done and hopfully fighting fit again. Karen
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Shanann, love the wig! Glad you made it through your first radiation treatment. Mine's next week...
Last taxol was Sept. 4. Still waiting for neuropathy in toes to subside but suspect it's here to stay.
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Great news, Karen!
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Hello Everyone,
I did #3 yesterday. Still very little SE. I am a little anemic and still a little more short of breath than usual. Mo said they may be related. When they started the pre meds,I almost fell asleep sitting up. So I reclined and slept through treatment. Then came home and took a 2 hr nap. Wonder if they should cut back on the Benadryl? Any one else get this sleepy. Side note: I have been refusing steroids.
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Mamabexar, I hated the Benadryl. It made me sleepy and also slightly high: bad combo. I mentioned this to the chemo nurse at one point, and she substituted hydroxyzine with my MO's permission. Made a huge difference!
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Mmm. I hated the Benedryl for the first 3 cycles, until I stopped getting the high and drowsiness enough to keep me asleep through the infusions. Now I miss that feeling Haha! I might have cancer but I'm not gonna pass up on a chance on getting high (- -,) it's all about having as much fun as we can in whatever circumstances we're in right?
The nurses started diluting the Benedryl with saline after I complaint of "faintness" from the first infusion, which was really just the full-on Benedryl-high. It's been much more subdued after the dilution, so mama Bexar, if you haven't tried dilution, perhaps you could ask about it.
hope it helps!Maximom & I just cleared #7 of 12 of our taxol cycle! Woohoo! 5 more weeks to go. Let's all press on together!
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Bexar: Keep an eye on the shortness of breath. That can a be a sign of a blood clot. Don't let them dismiss that symptom. I think thats the SOP. They first dismiss any symptom the first time it is mentioned. Mine made me see a heart doctor and I had a blood clot. My heart was also skipping beats.
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Yes 27heart, we certainly did!! I am really counting down right now and that may or may not have something to do with the celebration trip to Mexico that we have planned! 5 more of these suckers and we're done!! I still have radiation but I'll deal with that in January
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I think shortness of breath could be related to Herceptin too, that's why we're supposed to get an echocardiogram or a MUGA scan every 3 months while on this drug.
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Awesome maximom! I, too have a family trip planned in Dec! Going to Taiwan with my parents! Then I'm going to Melbourne for Xmas and new years. I have my mx in Jan, radiation in Feb. So I'll just celebrate my little milestones as we go!
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Shanann, the wig looks great! I bought a few pairs of fake lashes but haven't mastered them yet so I refuse to go out of the house with them on.
I definitely need someone to teach me! I also went to a fancy salon that has a lot of cancer patient clients. They use all organic dye when needed and stuff. Had the owner work on my hair and I love it. Because I did cold caps for most of my chemo (which then failed towards the end), I still had a bunch of long straggly hairs that I didn't get to trim completely. Plus it's been growing in almost all grey. I went to him and told him to just clean it up and try dyeing it with the organic dye. I'll have to post a picture later but it's so much better than it was! Definitely still too short to do anything with but the greys are pretty much gone. Bc it's organic and there was no ammonia, it was hard to get my natural almost black color. Next time I'm going darker and will probably use the ammonia based dye b/c I NEED my original hair color back! He also said in about 5-6 weeks we can definitely do a cute cut and all of these cowlicks will be gone!
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I am now at 18 days from my first chemo. Hair is beginning to shed. MO said I could take Lasix for a couple of days( I have impaired renal function so I have to be very careful) and that has helped with the shortness of breath. I also have rheumatoid arthritis so I am not sure if my joint pain is from chemo or not. Otherwise I am doing very good. I am so glad that several people on this site recommended weekly treatment over the more intense. Warm wishes for all of you.
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MamaBexar, I don't have arthritis but had joint pain while on weekly taxol, days 4-6 of each cycle. Some weeks were milder than others. I also had stiffness and random muscle aches. The last few weeks of treatment it was very mild.
Glad you're doing well!
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