Weekly Taxol group
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I got my first Taxol yesterday. I think the benedryl and steroids hit me harder than the Taxol and Herceptin did. I managed to go to work today even though I didn't sleep well last night. Hot flashes that were really bad.
My sister and I are going to try one more wig store before I call it quits and buy online. I don't have a stylist just go to the nearest Great Clips and get a couple of inches off when it gets too long. My current hair is one length and I wear it with a headband or in a ponytail really no style to it. When I make the decision about the wig, I will go and have my hair cut in that style - short and curly. Not looking forward to it.
Notdefined - I think you rock the hair.
DawnS - I like the tattoo idea. It will be beautiful
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nondefined, My taste started getting nasty after the 6th Taxol. I lost taste for most things on AC but I could taste sweets. Now most things including sweets taste bad. I tried Chinese food Sunday night and it tasted awful. I had 2 eggs for dinner and they tasted normal. I guess I'll be eating eggs till Taxol is over (34 days ,15 hrs, 2 minutes)
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DawnS1962-Lol! I am loving eggs right now. I had pizza last week, and it tasted bleh. It's hard to explain, but I knew it was my taste buds. I was able to have a macadamia nut cookie after and that tasted normal. I wonder if it is the chemistry behind the food? With AC the taste in my mouth was very salty, and that ruined food in the end. It is so depressing not being able to enjoy food. I love to eat.
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DogMomRunner-Glad you didn't have a reaction on the first one. Do they only give you Benadryl on the first 2, to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction? I find it weird that we get different regimens. I have never been given Benadryl, but I had to take Zyrtec and Pepsid before each round. Are you also taking steroids? I would imagine those would keep you up too. Hot flashes are the worst! I wake up 2-4 times every night because of them, and I get immediately cold.
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Notdefined - I think they are giving me the steroids and benedryl for all of them. I would love it if they could cut the dose though. They are given through the port right before the other drugs. I had to use the bathroom every 30-45 minutes with the steroids and fluids. I was a bit wobbly going to the bathroom on the benedryl. I had hot flashes through menopause but they have calmed down quite a bit over the past couple of years. Last night it was as bad as it was in the beginning. I reallyhope that won't become a thing.
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Just to provide some insight, I forgot to take my Zyrtec and Pepcid for Taxol number 3, and they wanted to give me Benedryl. I was supposed to go to my kids school event right after, so I pleaded that they not give me it. They slowed the drip a little, and gave me the Taxol with no issues. gratefully. Some people are highly allergic, but if you don't have a reaction during the first 2, you should be okay if they lower the dose. I only got the steroid for the first 2, and once I didn't have a reaction they stopped it. I felt that the steroids made the hot flashes worse.
I have not gone through menopause, so this is an all new experience for me. It's interesting to be sweaty hot one minute and then shivering cold the next.
***Edited to add that I didn't realize you are doing more than just taxol. Perhaps you are on Benadryl and the steroid for the combination. Hope they can still lower it for you.
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Kkmay how much protein is she getting? During chemo I had red meat 5-6 times a week, plus eggs every day, plus a protein shake every day. My blood levels stayed really good throughout.
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Kkmay,
I have had the same issue. I have not had a blood transfusion, but was warned it was a possibility. I’m trying to eat and rest, but it is hard
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Hi Ladies,
I've heard so many talk about low hemoglobin, and I have to say that through both my cancer battles, my blood counts improved from my baseline. I think it's because I geared up before with multivitamins and iron supplements from a company called New Chapter. I've also been taking their Hair, Skin and Nails supplements as it contains fermented biotin, but a more potent form.
My onc was cool with me taking these supplements, but I'd suggest printing off the labels and ringing them to your appointment before diving in. From my personal experience, I'd say the supplements were very effective
My taste was so bad during AC that I legit did not eat for 5 days. Forced myself to drink water....it was terrible and part of the reason I only made it 2 out of the 4.
On Tacol, it was much better, but I found that these supplements called Miracle Berry or mBerry from Amazon helped. You take them 15 minutes before a meal and you can actually taste food again.
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Afterthought...My taste was so bad during AC that I legit did not eat for 5 days. Forced myself to drink water....it was terrible and part of the reason I only made it 2 out of the 4.
On Tacol, it was much better, but I found that these supplements called Miracle Berry or mBerry from Amazon helped. You take them 15 minutes before a meal and you can actually taste food again.
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My center also does iv Pepcid and Benadryl/steroids through the IV just before the Taxol. I have to use the bathroom more often too as someone mentioned. Zyrtec is interchangeable with the Benadryl but it seems at my center they prefer. Benadryl. A nurse told me that some people sleep through the treatment from the Benadryl. I do ok except I don't trust myself to drive, LOL. From reading here, it seems to be common to take some of the premeds by mouth/at home instead. I have also found that some nurses give Benadryl then steroids, others switch the two around....
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I hear you all... move so slow sometimes I wonder if I’m moving. Had a major event this weekend and stressed about so much. Couldn’t eat food at Banquet but I went ahead and rocked the just growing in peach fuzz look! I am just 1 month out from end of Taxol and waiting impatiently for everything to return to normal. I want food to taste good again! I want to make it through things without either taking a nap or going to bed at 7! I know it will get better and that light at the end of the tunnel keeps me smiling and going! Sending love and hugs to all!
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Mncteach- I'm a little over a month out from Taxol and thankfully my taste has returned pretty close to normal! I still have residual neuropathy which thankfully is improving though my hot flashes have returned with a vengeance this week!! I'm also dealing with eye sight issues.
Like you i have the peach fuzz look, and noticed in the last few days my lashes are coming back!! Yay!! I'm so pale that without makeup on my eyes I look so washed out, good thing for eyeliner lol.
I hope all you ladies are doing good!!
~Katie💗
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hello to all. I am advised that the skin is extremely sensitive to the sun during chimo. I use sunscreen when I go for walk but even after 20-25 min walk m cheeks are reddish. When I wait sun comes down 🕷 are up and they bite me me even with repellent . I Use sunscreen with 59-60 uv protection but perhaps you know a brand that is better than others. I hope that this supersensitivity of skin will go away after chimo
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Mncteach-great to hear from you. When did you notice your taste buds were off?
ipenelope-How is your energy level? When did you start to feel normal energy?
Were you both able to work during that recovery period?
I was hoping that by a month's time energy would be back to normal, but sounds like I'm being too ambitious. Love the check in. I'm counting the days. Just a little over a month to go.
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notdefined- my energy level hasn't been too bad. Like many I moved slower but think that was more due to what my legs would allow. I did usually hit a wall towards the end of chemo abs first couple of weeks around the day 3-5 pratt treatment but I think that ended about 10-15 days pfc. My legs also had neuropathy issues after chemo ended but they are slowly resolving and my legs are feeling better.
I was lucky and was able to work through all of chemo. My run days were difficult due to the iv benadryl so I worked an hr before and a couple hrs those evenings from home. Im happy I was able to work as it kept my mind off of what was going on, kept my mind busy and kept me active. Im a home care nurse so im on the go all the time.
I hope everyone is doing good!!
~Katie💗
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What a weekend. One Taxol treatment (w/ Herceptin) down. Thursday was treatment day. Friday, I went into work and felt pretty normal although some GI upset. Saturday, I had a headache but was still able to do some things. Sunday was bad. Headache off the chart and felt like I had the flu. Went on two dog walks but otherwise, no activity. This morning, the headache is less severe and I am probably going into work. I hope that days like Sunday are going to be just a one day thing. I can handle one to maybe two days like that but I don't know if I could deal with a whole week of it
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DogMomRunner--I'm curious what kind of pre-meds you're getting? I got IV Benadryl, steroid, Pepcid, and Zofran. I know some treatment centers remove some of those if you don't have a bad reaction, but mine kept them up for all 12. Because of the steroid (I think), I felt really good the day of treatment and the day after. In fact, those were the days I could make it to the gym. It was Day 3 that I'd start out pretty good and then start to go a little downhill. I do remember some headaches early on, but not too bad, and they went away after the first few cycles. My body also seemed to adjust to the steroid--many women were jittery/couldn't sleep/ate a lot for the first few days after treatment but even that went away after several cycles.
I've posted this so often but I'll say again here--protein protein protein. During Taxol I ate red meat 5-6 times a week, had eggs every day, and had a protein shake every day. My bloodwork stayed really good throughout, and I never felt too bad. I also noticed that once I got to the Herceptin-only phase, it helped to eat red meat for the two days before an infusion. I'd recommend you all really push the protein.
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Thanks for replying Ingerp- I got benedryl, steroid and Pepsid for pre meds. No Zofran. My NP even said she didn’t think I would need the zofran because she didn’t think I would get nausea. I did though starting on Saturday. Need to fill that prescription. As far as protein goes, I am a vegan and get protein from plant sources. My NP knows this and thinks I should be ok. On Sunday no food appealed to me just water and ginger ale
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Hi there
I'm happy to have found this group as I get my last AC today and then switch to Taxol and was looking for good news stories - it seems that many of you have preferred Taxol over AC so I'm going to hope that I do better rather than worse on it :-)
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I'm not sure I ever actually needed any anti-nausea meds but I always took them the first day or two just because I had them, plus I think they helped me sleep at night.
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Thanks Ingerp. I will try the anti nausea this time and see if it helps
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It's just one of these things that you hear you should stay on top of--that they work better before you start to feel the nausea. Again--no problem with taking them prophylactically and I didn't ever feel nauseous. I'd take them the day of treatment and the next day.
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Not defined— I was able to work throughout chemo and people knew I would just take a little longer getting places. My tastebuds seemed be fried from AC and then they changed again with Taxol. I’m told it could take 3 months to get better.
Welcome curlyredcanuk— I had a rough first round of Taxol but after that we got premeds adjusted. I won’t say it was necessarily easier, but different and some of the side effects were just more tolerable. I also think I had my hopes up that I would just breeze through like it wasn’t even chemo, which it definitely is!
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I take ondansetron every day due to nausea from the Fentanyl patches but I try and keep it to a minimum now
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I'm really beginning to hate Taxol. I felt great Friday after my infusion and Saturday. Must have been the steroid. Yesterday I was tired and today I hit a brick wall. I fell asleep 3 times today starting around 2 this afternoon. This is crazy. I can barely keep my eyes open. I've had some numbness in my toes but no pain and it goes away. The tiredness is overwhelming though. My taste buds are way off. AC deleted most of my taste but Taxol makes the foods I could taste not taste right at all.
I can deal with the taste but don't know how I'm going to function with 5 more treatments to go. I can't keep falling asleep. I'm sleeping later in the morning than normal and wake in a fog. My naps are the same way. Whether 30 minutes or an hour, I wake up in a fog ready to go back to sleep. It's frustrating and nothing seems to help alleviate the tiredness.
A little more than a month to go. Please let me make it.
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I picked up up my Zofran prescription today. One of it's side effects is headaches. So that's great. I can have nausea or headaches. Of course the Herceptin can also cause headaches. Everything causes headaches! Sorry. At this point I am just ranting. :
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Dawn--sending good energy/vibes as you attack the month ahead.
DogMom--sounds like you're prone to headaches? FWIW, I love my ibuprofen--works well for most pain for me. If I'm gonna take it, I take three--which is the dose Motrin was before it went OTC.
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DawnS1962
I feel the same way! I feel great the day after the infusion, then it goes down hill. Sunday I sat on the couch all day. I do one thing, and it kills me. I walk around like a zombie. I don’t know how I can do 5 more. I’ll be crawling to the finish line. This stinks
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Ingerp, thanks for the good vibes. I'll take them😊
Lauren, I woke up at 6 this morning and was laying down by 830. I know we can both do this but it's going to suck. There is no way anyone needs this much sleep. It's unnatural.
I invited my husband's family over for Father's Day. I shouldn't be allowed to make any decisions while feeling energized. I'm already tired just thinking of it.
Just 30 more days.
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