Weekly Taxol group
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Taxol is a antieoplatic chemotherapy made from the pacific yew tree. There are serveral drugs in the same class... taxol, taxotere, and abraxane. It has a fairly long record of success with breast cancer. As to why some women get it and some don't I would ask you mo that. It is delivered in several different forms all iv.... weekly over 12 weeks, 4 doses of 8 weeks, and 4 doses over 12 weeks. You will feel better once you talk to your mo and have a plan in place.
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peggy - I worried about the allergic reaction and it didn't happen - that was a relief - it is supposed to happen very rarely. You will be observed very closely - the nurse never left me until I was past the danger period. Then I could relax into the sleepiness that the Benadryl causes. I also take L-glutamate, B-complex, and L-carnitine to help prevent the neuropathy which is common with Taxol. It truly is a journey we are on and so many unknowns - keep strong - you will be fine. If I can do it - you can also!
I am happy to say that today I am feeling much better - no aches or pains in the joints - going to enjoy it while it lasts. The finger nails still throb and I don't have much feeling in them. Lots to talk about with the MO next visit.
Thinking of you tomorrow with the taxol.
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So far Taxol is still much better than AC. Saturday I felt bad all day and a little achy (treatment was Thursday) . I had some nausea. Today I had headache and dizzy but BP was low so might be why.
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I just had my 3rd taxol treatment and the following day n day after I felt so emotionally awful. I felt ugly, hopeless, and just cried! This is the 2nd time it happened. I feel fine 4 days after. Is this normal? I know doctors will say yes but I wanted to hear real life experiences. I hate my wig n my eyebrows r thinning terribly. The effort to look human to walk outside is overwhelming.
I just joined this forum today. I haven't had any bad side effects except for hair loss. Everything else was manageable. This depression episode is scary n I have another 8 possible episodes to come. Any suggestions?0 -
anybody else on taxol for stage 4 and mostly palliative. I am on 3 weeks on, one week off, till my cancer figures a way around it. I am hoping I can stay on it a long time. the longest I have been on treatment since recurrence is 5 months. cancer cells are pretty smart this time. Hope the taxol is smarter than they are.
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Got your reply on the other thread Pms. I continued to google the same topic and found a lot of really helpful post on here from 2009.
I'm very sorry to hear how awful it is for you, and I haven't much in the way of wisdom to share, but I know others will.
In the meantime, after my cleaning fit, I couldn't take it anymore, poured myself a small glass of Chardonnary and a bowl of Sun Chips and turned on the Young and the Restless. The wine and chips are like razor blades on my poor, beleagured tongue, and the acting on the Y&R isn't any better than it ever was
but it's a small, temporary upper.0 -
Hi I found Taxol pretty tolerable the first month I guess. Then it got harder. I had neuropathy from the get go on it. Still do and I am about 5 weeks pfc. I also had the nose bleeds, sore throat, tiredness, I guess grumpiness at times. Felt like I was dragging dead weights in my hips and legs. Food started tasting bad. And I was growing head hair. I asked for tramadol for pain it helped.
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Ty snax for the idea to post on this thread.
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PMS, I got that reaction on the AC regimen and found out it was the level of steroids they infused,. They took it Dow n a notch and I felt much better emotion-wise.
Peggy0 -
My first taxol treatment was yesterday. No allergic reaction but I am one of the 20 percent who have the opposite reaction to Benadryl. I got all hyped and couldn't stop talking to people. You'd have thought I was Martha Stewart on speed.
A liittle nausea after and this am but not as bad as with the AC. Some trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep despite the Ativan. Think it's the oral steroids because I have that sterol flush on my face people have talked about on this thread. Rosy face and feel a little sunburned there.
Took Vit B6 2x at 100 mg which MO suggested and L Glutamine which others suggested on this thread to possibly lessen the neuropathy that seems like a pretty likely side effect as the taxol treatments continue.
Peggy0 -
Curious if anybody is or was being treated with just Taxol with no other chemo or treatment prior to?
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Hi Macho-Mouse. Yes, me! I responded to you on the Triple Positive thread.
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Peggy - glad you have taxol#1 out of the way - fingers crossed for minimal side effects for you. I go for #2 this coming Friday - dreading it!!
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hi i am om weekly taxol for 12 weeks, i am on week 8. getting bad pain in legs. knees very bad, and lower back, also feet swollen and skin underfeet peeling, slight nose bleed, as anyone eles expericensed this, i have been great up to this,
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Hi lorraine,
Yes on the leg pain, nose bleeds, feet swelling, sore knee. You should ask for lasix for fluid retention. I used saline gel called ayer for in the nose. Got it at walgreens. I still have the leg pain 5 weeks out from chemo. Had a rough night in bed trying to get legs comfy. Hope it gets better for you. Taxol is cummilative. Each one got a bit harder. But you are almost done. Hang in there.
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Macho mouse-me! I'm only doing the taxol and herceptin for 12 weeks, then herceptin every 3. I'm scheduled for my 2nd treatment tomorrow.
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gr8flmama21 - How was your first treatment and the days to follow? Any major side effects? I'm not sure if I should expect the SE to start immediately of if they creep up on you... I suppose it's different for everybody. Good luck tomorrow!
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Macho I had the sterioid rush/flush until Friday night, came home from work and pretty much slept til Saturday morning. I have had off and on some heartburn and some lower stomach cramping/the runs and a killer headache today. The only one I'm not sure about is that I was very weepy/emotional all weekend and then Monday morning I got my period-so not sure if it was treatment related or pms related. Guess I will find out with the second round and see what's in store for me. I am curious to see what some other people on our cocktail have to say...seems like more people here have had more cocktails prior.
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My first two weekly taxols se have gone like this...
Thursday: infusion, stoned on benadryl
Friday: Really good
Saturday: Fatigued
Sunday: Fatigued, bone pain, muscles aches.
Monday and Tuesday: okay, still fatigued, but not as bad. Tummy pains and diarrehea
Wednesday: back to normal.
I get treated at Ohio State. If you have no reaction during the first two Taxols they cut the premeds (iv steriods, pepcid, and benadryl) Needless to say I am curious as to how Thursday will go, and how the side effects will be after. The bone pain and aches on Sunday were pretty bad. Advil didn't cut it. I had some percocet left over from the mastectomy that I took at bed time that finally gave me some relief. I HATE pain meds.
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ok dont want to burst anyones bubble but...
im doing #7 of 12 tomorow ... and to be honest i find it more taxing then A/c..
i guess its the culmitive effect ..
i am nauseous, i have body pains,horrible headaches, nose bleeds, mouth and nose sores, teeth pain, heartburn, swelling in feet and hands.. but no nail issues yet ..
i dont want to be a complainer... but im so damn fed up...
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I have a theory, with no evidence other than the experiences of others on this board vs my own experience. I really think that the side effects of weekly taxol are far worse for those of you who have had A/C first. I think the A/C has done a number on your body and all its vital systems, and the taxol just adds to the existing problems. I've been told by the chemo nurses that it takes months, if not more, to recover from chemo, and I know you start taxol within a few weeks of finishing A/C. For those of us who did or are doing taxol alone, we're starting from scratch, and our bodies have a better ability to deal with the insults to the system.
Or maybe I was just lucky... Ladies doing taxol with no prior chemo - what do you think?0 -
Patin - your theory comes very timely for me. I just finished AC every two weeks and am due to start taxol this Friday. I tolerated AC fairly well - though it has taken a toll on my poor body - I came down with shingles this weekend. My doctor has left it up to me as to wether I will do taxol weekly for 12 weeks or every other week for 8. She has given me the pros and cons... I am absolutely agonizing over this decision and have to decide by Friday!!! I keep changing my mind. I just want her to tell me what to do! I realize that all of you here did weekly - did your doctors just flat out tell you that was better?? Now that I hear your theory - I am leaning back to every two weeks. I keep flip flopping! And I have read such different accounts here of the weekly taxol - I think you could be on to something. I have been told by doc that the big problem with the weekly is the neuropathy. But I am reading of much more than that here! So - I look forward to seeing if others here agree with your theory...
I am happy to be done with the AC - but now I realize if I do weekly taxol I am not even halfway done!
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I am someone who did the AC first and then is doing weekly taxol. Trust me, it is a LONG ROAD! I did AC over other week. Started 9/20 but finishing up this week! I think the weekly taxol is more "tolerable" according to my MO. Also, if you research there is a very small percentage but the weekly taxol has better success. I am going for every percentage I can get. So, I went with taxol. The AC was much rougher for me. On taxol I have NO nausea, minor aches, no nosebleeds, no mouth sores, no swelling. What I do notice is yukky taste at times, mild acheiness, fatigue, now at end of treatment, nail pain and fingers too. I have been taking 200mg of B6 for the neuropathy. Otherwise, I have been eating as healthy as reasonable and my counts have been decent. MY WBC was 3.8 last week on taxol number 11. I have trying to incorporate kale into my diet and I think that helps. I have been doing a little bit of yoga and walk when I can. I only really rest one day of the week. The other days I am up and running most of the day-maybe that helps?? Who knows? I think it's all a crapshoot but it has been tolerable for me. I also have over 100 people praying for me each week and I believe that helps! Hang in there all and may God bless you. It's not easy at all. We are warriors!
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It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I did dose dense AC starting 11/15 finishing 12/27. Originally I was only going to have two weeks between AC and taxol but I got the stomach flu and got the extra week to rebound. I felt fabulous on the extra week off. AC wasn't terrible, but the week after number 4 was rough. I have never been so tired, hormonal, and depressed in my life.
With taxol I am still tired, but I teach full time from home (I may not leave the house, but trust me it is still full time work) and I run the kids unless I absolutely can't. My house is going to hell, but something has to give.
I think the support system and prayers helps too. It does me. I look at myself and my mom (she passed away six years ago from IV BC) compared to my mil, and treatment has been easier on us than for mil who is very much a seclusionist by choice.
The one thing I have learned is that this a journey, and for each of us it is a little different, but for being a sisterhood we never wanted to join we are an uplifting bunch.
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I've been juicing a bunch of greens, kale included, religiously since diagnosed. I had gained about 15-30 #'s in the last two years and could not lose it. It dropped off when I started drinking the greens. I am hoping to continue when treatment starts. I am hoping that helps. I hope! I hope! I hope! I am terrified thinking about what will happen to me while the Taxol drains into my body... Dramatic, I know... I just want to get thru the first treatment and I'm hoping once I've dealt with it once, it won't be so bad. The unknown... *BLEH*
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Mfml, what would your dosage be if you do every other week? If you would still be getting the weekly dose, then I would think your side effects would be less. But if you would get a higher dose every other week, then I think that would be harder on you than the weekly. As timbek2 said, my MO told me that weekly taxol does get a better result. I'm with you on wanting the doc to tell me what to do. When I first met with him, he told me he would recommend the weekly taxol plus Herceptin for 12 weeks. I accepted that, did my research and was ready to go. Then Right before treatment started I met with him again and he gave me another option - Taxotere and carboplatin (or cytoxan - can't remember) plus herceptin every 3 weeks for 4 treatments. NO!!! Don't spring that on me at the last minute when I don't have time to even think about it! I went with the taxol. Good luck with your decision!
Timbek2, CONGRATULATIONS on finishing up this week! The road has been long, but the results are victory over this stupid disease!0 -
My Onc said that life on taxol weekly would be much better. She said doing it every two weeks life would be miserable. AC landed me in the hospital after the first treatment for 4 days. So I opted for weekly taxols.
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Hello all, I am starting weekly taxol in April and I find your posts so informative and encouraging!!!
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PatinMn: we have almost the same dx. It's great to hear from others who traveled this road before me.
My MO recommended no chemo after my bmx but, the her2+ grade 3 scared me. So we agreed on 12 taxcil/herceptin.
To all who haven't started yet. The terror I felt before starting was much worse than the actual chemo has been. The SE I've had have been doable. My nose runs and bleeds, I'm tired, hips and back ache at night. I need Imodium occasionally, and week 4 my hair is pretty much done. I did get a uti, yeast infection and cold sore the first week but my MO prescribed everything I needed right away to clear that all up. Sounds like a lot but most the time I feel ok. I'm a single mom doing this all on my own. It's definitely doable.0 -
I am on dose dense chemo every 2 weeks because of my triple negative status.
Finished A/C and had my first taxol this past Monday.
Here are my experiences so far:
Sunday night--sleep disrupted because of oral steroid pre meds.
Monday--a little queasiness but very minor compared with AC. Steroid flush on face (nice glow, I was getting real pasty.
Tuesday--Best day I've had in my 2plus months of chemo.
Wednesday--awoke around 3 pm with bone pain below the waist. Think it will be tolerable with pain meds and moving around.
It's great to hear about others' experiences. This is a great forum.
Peggy0
