Weekly Taxol group
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Susie - I take B6, and 12 also multi. At the same time I take L-Glutamine 3 days a week. I have 9 more taxol to go also. I might possible to start Biotin soon, should we?
I still find hair lost on my night cap, not sure my hair is coming back or not
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what does the glutamine do?
Why do you only take it on certain days?
Does anyone take an antihistamine before taxol
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wonderwoman386 The nurse gives me Benadryl via IV before Taxol.
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My MO told me to take the glutamine 3 times per day. I've seen others post that they are taking it 3 X per day. Paulette, why 3 X per week?
Have fun at lunch!
Wonderwoman, the L glutamine is for neuropathy. so is the B6
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I’m halfway through my Taxol journey now, 6 down, 6 to go. I’m glad to be on track again, moving forward, but now I’m remembering how it is not to have any break! One week isn’t very long to recover before going back for more. I especially miss tasting food. Pretty much everything tastes like cardboard to me now, even on my steroid days. Still not having any issues with nausea, but perhaps it’s just because I had so much with AC. However, I’m still losing weight, but much slower now. With 35 lbs gone, I’ve had to do some clothes shopping. That part is fun, but pricey! Trust me, most of that weight loss happened during the Red Devil of AC.
My blood counts were sufficient for treatment, but borderline. If it wasn’t for my scheduled Granix injections, the nurse would likely have postponed me once again. One nurse said my blood count battles say that the chemo is doing its job, and I hope she’s right. The injections continue to make my back and knees ache like mad.
Like I’ve said before, I already take Gabapentin for back pain, and so far it seems to be offering me some protection from neuropathy. I’ve noticed occasional numbness in my left foot, but it’s not too bad. Keep in mind, my left knee has had a total knee replacement, so perhaps it’s simply related to that. My MO doesn’t recommend any icing, because it prevents the chemo meds from reaching into every point of your body. I’ve kept dark polish on my nails all through Taxol, but see no darkness of the nails yet. My thumbs and big toes occasionally feel mildly tender, that’s all. Every time I change polish, I keep expecting to see darkness, but haven’t.
I’m resigned myself to only sleeping two to three hours on treatment day, the nurse said it happens to everyone. I decided not to ask about any sleeping pills. I’m just going to accept it as is because regardless, I have boundless steroid energy the next day and can’t even tell I’m lacking sleep. And the next night I always sleep like a baby.
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Travel and wonderwoman - my MO put the three days on glutamine starts on day after infusion. If I aches start or neuropathy starts I will take more days. I'm on #3 taxol, I usually don't sleep much on the first night because of the steroid, afterward I sleep well. Taxol actually makes me more tiring, Ms Robin is right weight lose is mostly on AC, I can eat more on taxol, this time my HGB didn't drop but I think I might drop half a lb this week. I still take Ativan from time to time, I think good night sleep is importantly recovery energy,
I hope this help, everyone have a good weekend
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Susie, I'm seeing a tiny bit of regrowth too!. I have to stop myself from checking it constantly. Definitely a lot more grey than I thought was under my salon color :-)
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Had my first Taxol today (and my first chemo - my facility does Taxol first, then AC). Had the famous allergic reaction. It was a little scary, but I knew what to expect, so I didn't freak out too much. Didn't think I would be the one to get it, but here I am.
I got it during the first 10 minutes and my nurse was wonderful: he intentionally hung out with me chatting me up, clearly waiting for the fist 10 minutes to pass. He acted very quickly when I started having a reaction, and as soon as he stopped the Taxol and gave me additional steroid dose, I started feeling a little better, and gradually all of it passed (took about 20-25 minutes to be back to normal). He restarted at half speed, then increased to 2/3 speed, and I finished infusion without any more excitement.
In fact, I fell asleep, and here's my question. In addition to steroids before treatment, they gave me benadril and some other antihistamine. When I had a reaction, they gave me additional benadril (and steriod). Benadril may be working well for me in preventing/stopping the reaction, but I just hate that drug for how it makes me feel! I don't just get drowsy, my head starts spinning and I can't focus my eyes. With 2 doses today it lasted well into the evening. (Had some awful experience with taking 2 benadril pills 6 years ago - I was dizzy, spinning head, thought I'd sleep it off and went to bed, but was sleepy and out of sorts all next day. Swore to never take that drug again. So, I know this distinct way benadril makes me feel, it's NOT Taxol or any other drugs they gave me).
Well, does this mean I can't drive myself to and, most importantly, FROM chemo? With 12 weeks of Taxol it will be taxing (pan intended) on my husband. Anybody else who reacts to benadril this way? What is the solution?
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Far away - I am not a good one to give suggestion because I didn't have reaction from taxol, someone had mentioned to take Zantac maybe you can discuss with your MO. With Benadryl that heavy you shouldn't be driving home. I can't drive because I can barley walk to my car without help. As soon as I got home I slept an hour long. Tonight I will not sleep well due to all these steroid.
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Good news, my thyroid report came back and I'm fine, I will be on monitor in a year to check on couple nodules. Thanks God and thank you for all the prayers! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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paulettek-- congrats on the great news regarding your US of your thyroid !!! That is great news.
Maybe that good news will let your body relax enough to get a couple of hours sleep tonight?? I sure don't miss those steroid nights from Taxol.
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FarAway- I just had chemo education last night, gearing up for my treatment. My facility suggests Claritin the day before, day of, and day after Taxol to help with the histamine response, they said they were also going to give me Ativan, decadron, and benadryl prior to starting but that A LOT of water the day before and during Taxol and Claritin really helps their patients who are in the throws of treatment
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FarAwayToo...I didn't have the same reaction you did, so I can't comment on that. As far as the driving to and from treatments I drive myself. My husband went with me the first time just in case i did have any reactions. Guess I'm one of the lucky ones, Benadryl has no effect on me. Neither does the steroids! I don't get all the energy the others do. I waited for it to kick in so I could get some stuff done but never happened. I know others say they can't sleep, I go to bed at 9p.m. and up at 4:30 -5:00 a.m. everyday. I also don't take any nausea meds after treatments. I had AC chemo first it kicked my ass! Taxol is so much easier so far! I'm hoping it stays this way!
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wonderwoman.... Drink lots of water and gatorade. Crystal lite helps too especially when you get tired of all the water! Anything with caffeine doesn't count as water intake! I drink a lot of sweet tea and soda, I'm trying to give that up but it's my addiction! Good luck!
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Paulette...Congrats on the great news on your thyroid!!! What a relief! I see you are taking glutamine, is that a powder or pill? I'm going to go look for it this afternoon. And I was taking B12 for years so I never stopped but it looks like I should be taking B6, will pick that up too. I haven't got a clear answer on the biotin. I googled it and from what i read we should not take that.
I asked my MO about the flu shot and he said you can get the flu shot if it's 2 weeks prior to any chemo treatment. But I'm weekly so I can't. The reason is the chemo is lowering our blood cells. The flu shot builds up your immunity and if it doesn't have the 2 weeks to get the effects, because chemo will remove whatever it built up, it's just not going to do what it is supposed to do. Made sense to me. The nurse said they have flu shots there and they try to give them to everyone who will benefit, they could've given me one to make a profit but they're not like that!
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faraway- I had a reaction as well to Benedryl so they give me a Zyrtec pill with my steroid pill while infusing pepcid 30 min prior to my taxol infusion. Have not had any issues whatsoever with Zyrtec. Benedryl made me dizzy, I was very jittery, and nauseous. They put it on my list of meds I'm allergic too.
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Susie - I wish I can be your shoes. I couldn't sleep last night at all, the steroid kept me up but I love steroid so I can eat. Glutamine is a powder I only take it on day 2-4 but I know people might take it everyday. So we shouldn't take Biotin yet, maybe we can wait till after chemo. It makes so much sense about flu shot, have our face masks ready!!!
Wonderwoman - I use nuun in my water especially on they first four days afterwards I get sick of them so I drink water and tea. I need to stock up some caffeine free tea for November.
Hi prachkava- gemmo?? I don't under
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Paulette, congratulations! !! Terrific news!
FarAway, Benedryl made me loopy enough that I didn't feel safe driving home. I recruited a neighbor to drive me to and from chemo. If you have folks who are offering their helo, see if they would be willing to support you this way. Not everyone wants to participate in a meal train :-)
Susie, I agree that there doesn't seem to be a clear answer on biotin. I didn't take supplements during chemo but a week PFC I started biotin. Who knows if it works, but it's worth a try.
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Regarding what should eat and not eat duringtaxol
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Great article, thanks
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It's so interesting the different protocols that doctors use. Susie, my MO wants me to get a flu shot. She does want me to time it though, either 3 days after or 2 days prior to chemo. Her rationale is that she doesn't want patients' flu symptoms delaying their treatments. My state already has had 20 confirmed cases of the flu. That's high for so early in the season.
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So last Friday was my chemo #8. Hopefully I'm going to make it through the next 4 weeks just fine and get this wrapped up by the end of October!
It was another uneventful session - I'm thinking even the steroids is starting to wear off on me. I'm still hungry while I'm on IV but not so much when I get home, etc. I'm trying to watch what I eat now and hopefully get this hunger under control. Hair is still same - I'd say I've now lost maybe 30% of hair - mostly the ones on top of my head. Still no neuropathy and nails are still in tact. But I do notice drier skin in general - maybe its just the weather, who knows. Oh and I get nosebleed every now and then but its superficial and well contained in my snot
I talked to my MO for a bit before treatment - basically doing the rundown on what happens next, etc. When I started treatment, I never got any scans (other than the CT that was done as preops prior to my BMX and DIEP) and I don't have a tumor marker (I just started reading on this). So I was curious -- like, how would they know if, you know, anything spread or if treatment worked, etc.? Apparently, because I'm a Stage 1A, they don't do scans or tumor markers. My MO monitor my bloodwork like a hawk - but, really, the only indication of recurrence is if I complain about something and then she'd send me for tests. Is this what you ladies hear as well?
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Sala - congrats that you are almost done with little SE. I find my skins are getting dry especially my fingertips and I got nosebleed often also.
I have done PET scans before surgery and I wonder are we going to have another MRI once we finished our treatments ??
Also I like some suggestion on the first night after infusion, my body has so much steroid I couldn't sleep on the first night. Any good suggestion?
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salasila- scary isn’t it? I’m already terrified of reoccurrence and I start chemo this week.
I didn’t get a Petscan until after surgery, my MO said they don’t usually scan stage 1 or 2, and Petscans sometimes aren’t covered by insurance for 1 and 2, but because I’m 3 now I got the full monty work up.
One day at a time. Some of the veterans on here write wonderful things, I creep the boards and they say the fear slowly subsides the farther you get out and to only allow a certain amount of time a day for worrying.
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PauletteK: Per my MO, I don't get anything (i.e. no scans, MRI, etc.) after treatment. But since you had one prior to treatment, that might be your baseline and they'll give you another at the end of treatment? The steroids keeping you up at night too huh? Well I learnt that my body needed to burn that steroid off way before bedtime so I made sure to walk or do things that make me sweat and burn off some energy (I was cleaning closets a few nights, then scrubbing bathroom walls, then making freezer dinners, etc.). And I had to eat. If I do not listen to that hunger, mannnnnnnn it'll keep me up all night. So I keep little chocolate bars near my bed and that kept the steroid happy and make me fat
Wonderwoman386: It is very scary. I told my MO that while it sucks to be undergoing treatment, the flip side is that I'm being watched over like a hawk. But once I'm done with the full year Herceptin, she'll only see me twice a year for follow-ups and ...... then what ..... maybe I'm overthinking this ... I dunno.
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Salasila. That is what happened to me. I was 1A, though I had 3 tumors of different kinds. Looks like you have 2 different tumors as well. My MO was not going to order any scans, and then I told her about a new back pain, which led to a bone MRI, which showed something and led to a bone scan and organ CT, which showed something else, and led to my surgery being canceled the night before, and a bone biopsy. Worst week of my life! Ultimately everything was fine, and it is good to know in retrospect. I think we do get something 3 months PFC. I think my nurse just told me that, tho she was vague about it.
I talked to my MO about the fear I have developed since visiting these boards. She said to keep in mind that folks that do not have a recurrence may not be posting, so we can be seeing a skewed picture. I am triple neg and I've recently learned that it can come back quickly, within the first 3 years. She said in her career she has seen it happen perhaps twice. That was reassuring, but now that I know what I know I will not be approaching repeat scans with an easy mind.
My eyelashes and eyebrows have been falling out. Somehow this seems more offensive to me than loosing my hair. I am so glad I wear glasses to hide it a little. Hair you can replace by throwing on a wig. Eyelashes, not so much.
Glutamine. What dose is everyone taking? My MO said 20 grams 3 X daily. Seems like a lot. Anyone else taking that much? I got some numbness on a thumb after the 3rd AC which is slowly resolving. Nothing on my hands after 3rd Taxol, but slight increased numbless on my toes.
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Sala - problem is they gave me Benadryl so I usually need to sleep that off for an hour once I got home, then I feel kind of out of body for couple hours then I'm fully awake. I guess I need to walk around once my body wake up so I can walk off all the steroid in my body.
Anyone has any more suggestions for the first night of taxol?
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travelhound, I take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day ... I thought mine was 10 grams per serving, which weighed out to 1 tablespoon. (I don’t weigh it anymore. Just use the tablespoon.)
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I take 15mg in twice a day, it's just less remembering.
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On here because I start Taxol this week and see people talking about scans. I got a bone scan before surgery only because of something on MRI - turned out to be nothing. TN status found out during surgery, but still no CT or PET scans and MO says will get none after treatment. It seems some MOs really rely on scans and other stuff will only do if symptoms appear. Not sure how I feeling about this
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