Weekly Taxol group
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Ingerp, my eyelashes have fallen out four times now. They are coming in thick and strong this time so I hope they last.
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Welcome SadlyNew and EachDay!
You will find Taxol to be SOOOOO much better than ac! I felt pretty good on Taxol until about the 8th of 12 infusions. Then it started going downhill. But it was never bad enough to force missing chemo or even lowering my dose.
I'm now two weeks post final chemo and am feeling a bit more like myself. Taste is back, some muscle aches and neuropathy, but my energy is returning! It will be over before you know it!! Good luck!!
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EachDay, with the kids, you will be having the 12th dose before you know it! I just finished Taxol last week, you can find my post where I put my experience with Taxol. It was much, much easier than AC, but also quite tiresome.
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Phoenix--not what I wanted to hear! I'm still waiting for mine to grow out to where they were pre-chemo. I'll get pretty cranky if they all fall out again.
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PhoenixCruiser - 4 times...!! Did your eyebrows go with the eyelashes each time? I’m 3 weeks PFC now and both have about 1/3 left.
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thank you, Misha! And congrats on finishing chemo! Your post gives so much Hope. I hope I have the same experience and can get back to normal soon. I did hear that the treatments accumulate so I’m going to be prepared (As much as I can be!).
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HI everyone I'm 1/2 way through my 2nd weekly Taxol and Herceptin infusion. I have some questions for you all. So glad I found this topic 8)
-did anyone notice that their bm's not only changed but felt 'greasier'? Can't really describe it other than that.
-Side effects normally hit around day 3-4, will they get better, worse or stay the same?
-my right palm was so incredibly itchy yesterday and into last night. Is that the Taxol?? No rash it just was really itchy.
-at which week should I expect my hair to start departing?? I've noticed no changes yet and still have enough on my head for 3 other people lol
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Old wives take days if your right palm is itchy you have money coming to you! Am hoping for you that's the case! Much better than these darn se's!!!
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Hi Nanette, my hair lasted until after taxol #4. Then it started falling out like crazy and felt worse than I would have expected (I didn't expect it to be matted and crazy, but it was) so I shaved it off before #5. That was last week for me. My side effects have been pretty consistent, although I think I now have folliculitis. Does anyone have any advice for that? The nurse wasn't much help when I spoke with her by phone yesterday and I'm finding a bunch of conflicting advice online.
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Nanette—I didn’t notice much in the way of bowel changes but keep in mind you’re probably also getting the four premeds most of us did. My tx days were Fridays and SEs were worst Sun-Mon but then improved. I know some women have skin issues with Taxol. I did a short haircut about four weeks in and a full-on buzz about a week later. (I was happy to get my first post-chemo haircut recently at 18 weeks PFC!)
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Nanette-I’ll take the bm question. Yes! Changed colors, seemed greasy and floated at times. I’m sure it was malabsorption from the loose stools and the inefficient digestion. It will go back to normal when chemo is done!
Also, yes days 3-4 were the bad days, then it usually got better until the next tx.
Good luck and hang in there!
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thank you all... at least now I feel normal lol
I'm headed to bed due to the "runs" unexpectedly showing up today in major bouts and that made nauseated.... so exhausted now
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Misha - what a nice picture! 👍
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Thank you, JaBoo! Now that the chemo is done, I can feel a little bit pretty with some eye makeup and a nice headscarf!
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One to go!!! My fast was super long as I was supposed to have chemo on Monday but that didn’t work out. Counting down the days. No neuropathy at all. I fact I think I’ve frostbit my finger pads and knuckles. My new onc said that in her last conference they spoke of the icing to decrease peripheral neuropathy. She was impressed that I do it and that I knew about it. The drs think it cutting edge information and the ladies in the trenches have been doing it for years. Go figure.
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Thanks everyone for the welcome! I finished my last AC last week and am just coming back to life, but I am so glad it's done. Thankfully, I get a little break and wont have to start the Taxol until January, so I get to spend the holidays not drugged down by chemo.
Question - I've seen a lot of you say around day 3/4 from taxol is the worst. What is that like? Pain? Nausea? I just finished the AC and had HORRIBLE nausea, vomiting, and mostly bedridden. I'm hoping the taxol won't make me feel that way! I get nauseous just thinking about going to the clinic. I know I'll regret saying this, but at this point, I'll take diarrhea, pain, anything instead of the nausea and vomiting!
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Each_day--I had no nausea (although Zofran is one of the premeds before Taxol and I took a day or two of one of my anti-nausea drugs each time just because I had them). I also had no pain. For me, it was mostly just like I was really heavy--like getting up from a chair took way more energy than it should. My husband took over pretty much all of the shopping/cooking through chemo, although I could have done it if I'd had to. Everything I've read is that compared to AC this will not be that big a deal. Try not to worry too much--chances are you'll tolerate it pretty well.
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Each_Day hello dear
I'm starting week #3 tomorrow. the first 2 weeks for me have been a learning curve kind of thing. Week 1 the 1st day of chemo i was so tired but next morning i felt fine. Day3 started with light nausea and the runs were trying to make me take the Imodium but I never really needed it. I literallly slept that day away. The same with Day 4 as far as the light nausea and run thing. Then I was great!! Week 2 again after treatment I was so tired. I've had very light side effects up until yesterday and today (days 6-7). I had to make sure I had a clear path to either bathroom because the runs had me running lol
I don't what to expect this coming week but I'm trying to NOT let it get me down and also trying to keep my sense of humor up....finding humor in the littlest things lately
Try not to over worry and by the sounds of what you've already experienced taxol might not be so bad side effect wise for you.
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Each day - I had ZERO nausea, simply no issues with eating or digestion. On the contrary, I gained weight on Taxol. AC was much harder on me.
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I had 15 taxol infusions. My only side effect was neuropathy.
Hope
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Oh yeah the weight gain! Between having some steroids in my system for a day or two after treatment, eating a lot of red meat to push my protein, and the ice cream craving I had that I totally indulged in, I'm sure I gained weight too (but am afraid to get on the scale these days. . . ).
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Treatment week 3 has begun. I talked to my nurse about my aching legs and pains from the waist down. She said it's the Taxol.... 8( well its got a name lol
Can't seem to find these blasted chemo recliners comfortable at all
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Each_day, I also had terrible, terrible nausea on AC and I seem to be one of the outliers who has it on Taxol, too. That said it is MUCH milder and only lasts about a day and a half after the infusion along with some fatigue.
If that was it, it would be pretty smooth sailingbut I am just passed T#2 and already have burning/tingling in the palms of my hands, soles of feet and around my mouth which does not bode well for neuropathy. I know this is wishful thinking, but has anyone had neuropathy start early but then not get worse?
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Beeline, you could try supplementation with l-glutamine. Take 30 grams per day, either 15 grams twice a day or 10 grams 3 times a day. 15 grams is about a heaping tablespoon, as I recall. It’s a powder; mix it in the liquid of your choice. It doesn’t dissolve. If you google l-glutamine for taxol neuropathy, or something similar, you can find information about it. I took it, and never developed serious neuropathy. My chemo nurses knew all about it and gave me some samples to try. I ended up buying a tub of it at GNC; not sure where you would get it in New Zealand. My instructions were to take it the first four days of each weekly taxol treatment
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Brink - yes 4 times and losing the lashes was harder for me than my hair. My brows are weird they grew back fast but individual hairs turn gray and then fall out, so strange. But they are thick and dark (until they go gray) so that is good!
I had horrible nausea and headaches through Taxol but I know others had much worse side effects.
Weight gain that I'm having a hard time getting rid of.
Had my last Herception today :-)
Hang in there to those who are still going through treatment, it does get better.
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Here is an article which warns against glutamine. https://www.connersclinic.com/cancer-stop-feeding-... I spoke with the dietitian during my infusion-- I was having trouble talking and thinking due to the drugs they started me on, and we discussed vegetable protein and fiber. I am going to start experimenting with smoothies, since I was planning major dental work just before this happened, and have trouble chewing food. Major changes in my diet.
I am scared of neuropathy, since I was apparently born with some form of neuropathy. My onco says most neuropathy happens after the end of Taxol and other chemo drugs. We don't know what will happen. My apartment is already set up for a person who uses a wheelchair-- an omen of ill luck.
Gabapentin has been a lifesaver for me, although it was difficult getting used to the SE. Some people develop tolerance, the dosage keeps going up to achieve the same effect. I am currently on I am on 2000 mg a day, and have been for quite a while. I would be in trouble if I were to quit taking it without something else; I have read reports that Lyrica can be habit-forming.
Yes, lying in bed the morning after an active day, the aching, waist on down, can be miserable. However, getting up and moving around helps it immensely.
I am on weekly Taxol in hopes that it won't cause as much neuropathy as a longer cycle.
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beeline thank you I thought I was going to get a ton of money LOL heck it can still happen. The idea of Taxol induced neuropathy has me a little anxious but could explain why I've started dropping things which didn't connect until I read what you said. I'm going to research the l-glutamine and see about it
MCBaker A lot of your post could have been written by me. Gabapentin is a good pain med I was on it for years when the government decided I really didn't need Oxycotin for spondylolithesis of S5-L1 and 3 crushed discs (L1-L3) and Sciatica that can be on either side (that doesn't happen the drs said. Well it does depending on how I sit or lay down)
PatinMN thanks for the advise like I said to beeline I will look it up.
So I went for my 3rd weekly infusion today and when my lovely nurse asked me 'How are you feeling?' I was pretty honest with her and told her that I've either got bone pain or muscle pain and i DON'T like it one little bit. She looked so sad and sorry and said it's probably the Taxol acting on me. Later on as we were finishing up I said 'Well I guess it's about time for my hair to start falling out and she said 'Honey you're on a low dose of taxol that's why you come weekly. Normally it's the 'girls' who come every 3 weeks who experience the going bald issue. Are you experiencing anything that would make you think you're going to lose your hair? I told her yes. I showered this morning and in the car on the way over I was picking at my hair trying to get it to 'stand' up some and I had about 3-6 hairs in my hand every time....then I showed her.Odd how that didn't start until the shower.
Do you all agree with my nurse's opinion? I told her about some of you who ARE getting weekly Taxol and she was surprised. I reminded her of how long my hair was before chemo and how I had it cut the weekend before I started. I used to have hairs all over the house and it was common then for me to have to unload my hair brush then....since the short cut I've NOT see ANY hairs coming out especially when doing my hair with the mousse and curling iron. So YES I have reason to be concerned 8(
Any how I need to go take my night meds and brush up my hair while I still can.
I have a thought...I'm going to the salon to the nice young lady who did my 'transformation' haircut. We had discussed 'that' time and I told her she'd know it was time to take it all off when I showed up with NAIR in my hand.... I remember her laughing and the shop owner, who I've known for over 15 years and she said the NAIR was the best way because of what it does to the ends of the hair shaft and could prevent issues later....Like I said just a thought
Also I believe the time for me to sit down and work on my pattern for washable surgical masks has come. My WBC has dropped 2.9 since week #1. I'm going to make some 'sensible' ones and some 'loud' ones and some silly ones. I have lots and lots of fabric lol I don't want to miss out on seeing family over the holidays or going to the supermarket or to lunch with DH on Fridays (his Saturday). Let alone the tons of other places we go and I don't want to 'catch' any thing from any one. So I'm going to be pro-active and keep my glass 1/2 full so NO ONE can say I'm NOT trying to take care of me.
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Nanette- I got the weekly Taxol like you so I don’t know for sure, but I do know when I lost my hair from the DD ac, when it came out in my hands, it was way more than 3-6 hairs, more like a dozen. That was my clue to shave it off. Perhaps your hair will get thin and not go completely bald?? I wouldn’t shave it (or Nair it) yet.
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I am starting weekly taxol January 3 - don't know what to expect! Has anyone used the cold caps
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hi Sissydi, I start weekly taxol January 3 any suggestions, input
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