Weekly Taxol group
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So, tomorrow I will be getting round 5 of taxol.
The first 2 cycles I had horrible body aches and was deathly tired. The second 2 were not so bad at all. I still nap every day, but I could do without it and just go to bed early. If I nap an hour, I can stay up until 10 or 11. I still get the body aches 2 or 3 days ech cycle, but they are milder. I do have the big D most mornings, but even that is predictable for the most part and not too bad. No neuropathy at all yet, I am icing, but who knows if it helping. No other side effects that I can think of other than loss of eyebrows and lashes. Now, I can say that taxol is defintely easier than AC. I get herceptin ad perjeta eeery 3rd week and they don't seem to add any additional side effects at all.
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Regarding tea....I was told that an occasional cup or 2 a day was fine, but to avoid excess tea drinking and no tea supplements. And I limit myself to half of a grapefruit per day......Sounds like the recommendations can vary a bit between MO. Maybe it also depends on the type and amount of pre-meds were are getting????
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I reuse my tea leaves or tea bag all day long. Fresh tea in the morning in my coffee mug and re-add water to it. Toward the end of the day, it's pretty diluted.Regarding vitamin or supplement, I believe the less the better.
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My oncologist also advised meto stay away from green tea whilst on AC and taxol, apparently it can interfere with the drugs, so I've steered clear of it since the beginning. I just have ginger tea now.
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Taxol #5 done. Next week will be the halfway mark!
My port worked perfectly and the meds were up super fast, so I was in and out of the infusion room in an hour and a half.
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Parachuting into this thread (which supported me a few months ago) to wish everyone well. Chemo is at best a grind and at worst just plain horrible, but it does end. And slowly, slowly, everything comes back to normal.
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My lab values were up today and I was finally able to have Taxol & Herceptin #5 today!!!! Only 7 more to go! Woot! Woot!
Happy week-end to all!
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I have terrible shortness of breath as well, but I don't know if it is the Taxol. I was put on Taxotere in August and September and I got so weak, including shortness of breath, that we stopped it. I literally could not cross a room without sitting down to rest, walking a few more feet, and resting again.
At the beginning of November I started weekly Taxol. I'm much better than I was then - I can do things like household chores for sometimes up to half an hour without needing to sit for a few minutes, although once in a while it's worse. But overall, as the weeks go by, I think I'm trending toward stronger. What I've been wondering is, if I was not on Taxol, would I be much better now than I am? Or is the Taxol not causing any shortness of breath, but the Taxotere affected me so much that it is taking months to recover?
Wish I knew.
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Forestcalm I am having this SE too with weekly Taxol. Had infusion #6 today and was completely out of breath walking up the stairs to my apartment which has been happening before and doesn't seem to bother my MO in the least. Tonight though I am getting out of breath walking from room to room and I am not happy. I have 6 more Taxol infusions and then 4 rounds of AC to get through! There has got to be another option other than stopping chemo. A prescription for an inhaler or something? What did your team say? I am going to push for some more attention to this.
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I assume you ladies who are having shortness of breathe are telling your doctor about this? I haven't heard of this as a SE but that doesn't mean it isn't one.
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Hi Tryvler! Yep, I've been telling the nurses and my MO. I was told it is not unusual as long as there is no chest pain and it happens while you are exerting yourself like going upstairs. I am not so sure though. My blood counts are completely normal so I'm not anemic. May just go back to my PCP and get a pulmonary referral.
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I would consider it, Ang. They tried to brush me off the first time I complained about my heart skipping beats and I ended up having a blood clot in my heart. They tried to tell me it was dehydration but I knew it wasn't.
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Back when I was so weak I needed to rest to cross a room my doctor thought I might have been weakened by staying in bed for three weeks when I was hospitalized. I concluded from that that I should push myself more and did, and it did seem to help, so I did not ask more questions about the cause. I also thought then that the only other likely cause was the Taxotere, and I was not taking that anymore so I figured I'd get better. I didn't think then though that I'd still be short of breath 3 1/2 months after stopping Taxotere, even if less so.
I'm told that Taxol is an early version of Taxotere, so, assuming that's true, they might have similar side effects.
While I was in the hospital they gave me very extensive heart tests and they all checked out fine, so at least in my case, it probably is not heart related.
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Joining in here with the weeklies, getting treatment #2 tomorrow. So far SE have been uncomfortable but bearable. Off work right now and I'm glad, not wanting to deal with it right now. Not much energy after day 1 (cleaned that day) but improving after getting over slight headache, belly bloat and pain for 2 days, back and legs aching for 1 day. Seems like I'm not needing much sleep. Usually about 6 hours does me. Hope everyone is having a good day.
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Hi all!
So, I had #7 taxol/ Herceptin yesterday. Looking back, just wanted to tell you about weird reactions I had. With #2, I got restless legs, so my doc quit giving me benedryl and just had me take a Claritin prior. That was ok, no reactions for #3 and #4....then with #5 Taxol. about 3/4 of the way through, I got severe abdominal pains, (felt like cramps or bad gas?) I quickly popped 4 advil because it REALLY hurt. they stopped the Taxol early, and after the advil kicked in pain went away. With #6, the nurse asked if I wanted a lesser dose of Benedryl, to see if that keeps the abdominal pain away, and that worked. Yesterday with #7, the nurse didnt give me the benedryl (I guess the other nurse didnt put it in chart)l, and whoa, abdominal pain again! I took advil again, and they gave me the benedryl right then, and pain went away. Now its in my chart to ALWAYS give me the low dose of Benedryl. The nurse said this side effect would be more common during the Herceptin, but confused about it happening during Taxol....?
I was wondering if anyone else has had abdominal pain during Taxol?? Really curious about this..
Thx for any input!!
Jodi
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No abdominal pain, but the Benadryl made me simultaneously sleepy and high, which wasn't a good combination. They switched me off Benadryl to hydroxyzine, which was easier to tolerate.
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Jodes001: seems like we will head to the finish line together. I just finished #8 taxol today and I'm on every Tuesday. If it all goes well, should be done on the week of Valentine's Day
As for abdominal symptoms, I had abd pain with diarrhea on taxol #2 and it lasted about 12 hours. So far so good. And my pre med cocktails are still the same except adjusted my Decadron to 8mg from 12mg. Other than that, I'm doing ok. Been busy with my lab puppy and can't wait to finish taxol #12!!
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Jodes that abdominal pain doesn't sound like fun at all. I haven't had that and in fact Benadryl was taken away from my regimen after the 1st Taxol because it was causing me to be light-headed. But it sounds like it is helping your tummyaches. Different strokes for different folks and all. Have you had any other ill effects from Taxol?
At this point, I feel like I gotta handle on Taxol (hope I'm not being too overconfident in that assessment); and now have started worrying ahead about my 4 doses of AC.
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Jodes,I had the abdominal pain and diarrhea after Taxol number 3, but I also woke up with a fever on day four and my doc put me on an antibiotic. Fever was gone the next day; cramps gone the next day. We figured I had picked up a bug at work. Hope it doesn't happen this time.
I'm also still getting these stupid mouth sores.. wasn't supposed to happen on Taxol. And my white count and hemoglobin are still dropping low. Not too low, just not great.
Had number 4 of 12 Taxol today. And I am still awake which I guess is the steroids. Ugh. Gotta get up early for work. Time to try to sleep.
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I had shortage of breathe as soon as I switched from AC to taxol. I had it for 2 weeks and I got really worried, as sometimes it can be related to blood clots caused by taxol. I told my nurse and she told me to get straight to ER. There I had a blood test, lung X ray and heart test, all came back negative. Doc says it's my body reacting to taxol and I'm just more sensitive to it. If it continues though, I would get it checked out just in case? Unless you know it happens every time after taxol, then it's likely a reaction.
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Hi Ladies,
I have to give many, many cheers to all you ladies who are continuing to work through chemo. I made the decision before even starting my treatment to go on STD. I work at a private school for children with disabilities who also have severe behavior problems. It involves a lot of physical interventions which I didn't want to have to deal with while feeling crappy. It is nice being home, but sometimes depressing because I'm not used to it...
Wondering how it is going with working and what type of jobs do you ladies have that you are still able to work?
Superwomen I say!!!
HUgs. Jodi
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Jodi Sounds like you made a good choice. I've been on std since Dec surgery and considering staying on it through chemo and radiation. I thought I would try to work but it doesn't make sense to me now for several reasons.
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oops double post
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Jodi - my boss/employer has been very supportive (thank goodness)and have allowed me to adjust my schedule as my health has needed me to. I am a sales manager for a company that manufactures wire and cable and under normal circumstances am on the road customer facing 4 days a week. I have been working more from home reaching out by phone and email. The first few times I had to visit a customer in my wig I was extremely self conscious - it was crazy windy here and I had visions of chasing my wig in the parking lot. I had my MO fill out FMLA paperwork should I need to take time off towards the end. My biggest fear is having issues with diarrhea while out traveling LOL. I've only had a few days of that (on weekends fortunately).
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Hey Jodes--I am working from home about 20 hours a week to conserve FMLA since these damn BC treatment plans take FOREVER to complete. I also thought of you all who are going into their jobs on a regular basis. I've gone into the office 3 times since starting chemo on 12/7 and found it so exhausting! Hats (&wigs) off to you:)
Lottemarine--I am lying in a hospital bed now getting blood thinners. My shortness of breath became extreme and my oncologist admitted me today to expedite all the tests. Signs are pointing to a blood clot but waiting on a CT scan to confirm. Good lord.
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I can't believe I missed this thread. I'm at Taxol #9 and wish I'd found y'all earlier! I'm doing pretty well on it compared to so many, so I'm thankful for that. Two hospitalizations and a DVT in my jugular vein before getting through AC was enough for me.
What a relief to see I'm not the only one having issues with acne/rashes! I didn't realize that was a Taxol thing, but it was so abrupt and unexpected. I look horrific at this point, given that I only have remnants of the inner quarter of my eyebrows, and I'm covered in red spots. LOL0 -
Cute Furbaby, how fun!! Love my baby and he's been by my side constantly. The BEST companions!!!
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So cute Jodes001! !
I had my 6th taxol today. It is going by so fast! My port worked perfectly again. I usually feel great on infusion day, but for some reason I've been super exhausted.
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Jodes - Cute picture! As to your question, I am a physical therapist and mostly see patients in the hospital and in the extended care. My bosses have been great and let me work as few or many hours a week as I feel is doable. I wear a mask and gloves everywhere as I'm fearful of catching anything with my lowered immune system and they've been great about letting me do so. And my co-workers trade me patients if any of them have active upper respiratory infections, etc. My personal goal is to work 16 hours a week, but most weeks are a little less. It feels good to be able to work some, but I have to admit it pretty much uses up all of the energy on those days. Who needs a clean house, right?!!! Hats and wigs off to those who are working full time!!!!!
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I'm a few days post-Taxol #9, and the bottoms of my feet were going numb last night. Now I'm feeling some strange numbness/sensitivity on my big toes. How bizarre.
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