Weekly Taxol group
Comments
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My wife is getting ready to do Taxol #8 right now. Icing the toes and fingers with good results so far.
Bless you all.0 -
I didn't gain any weight on Taxol but I was extremely vigilant because I was absolutely determined not to. I didn't want any new hits to my morale. I put health first and ate a very healthy mostly plant-based diet with nuts and beans and fish and drank lots of water and stayed off alcohol and gluten and kept the treats small. I came out the same weight I started. It was hard but I also did light exercise riding my spinning bike and doing dumbbells for the first 6 weeks. After that, I was just too tired and didn't get started again for about 3 months until I started radiation. Then I exercised about halfway through radiation until again I just got too tired. I'm happy to say that I have gotten in a good workout twice this week. Back on the road to health and fitness! It's slowly, but it is surely. I didn't use chemo as an excuse to gain weight and over-indulge in bad foods. But, I do know people take all the right steps and gain weight anyway. I just didn't want to contribute to it since I know it is a factor in recurrence.
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Anyone still active in this group?
Just finished last AC treatment last week, and will be starting weekly Taxol for 12 weeks onApril 1.
Any input?
Thanks,
Colleen0 -
Emilysmom~~I get my 5th Taxol today (Friday). For me, it's been so much easier than AC. I have just a few mild SEs. I lose my tastebuds for about 2 days, have minor joint pain for a day or so, and am still a little tired, but nothing like AC.
My hair is slowly coming in. So far, no nail issues. I take Vitamin B6 and L-Glutamine to prevent neuropathy.
I hope it goes well for you too.
Blessings
Paula0 -
Welcome to the Taxol club. There are a lot of relieved women here ~ those of us who had to ride the AC rollercoaster on our way over here by and large find this to be a much nicer ride!
My experience with Taxol has been a little harder than Paula's, but she is doing weekly and I am doing dose dense (every two weeks). This is still waaaaaaaaay better than AC was for me.
I usually have my worse SE's on day 3 & 4 (intermittent bone/muscle aches in my legs, slightly yucky taste in my mouth, and fatigue). It clears up noticeably and days 5-14 are pretty easy for me. I have started experiencing neuropathy in my fingertips this week. I was taking B6/B12/magnesium and glutamine but had to drop the glutamine because my liver didn't tolerate it very well. I'm really hoping this numbness goes away within a short time of my final Taxol (next Thursday).
For me, taxol is the same 4 cycles every 2 weeks that AC was, but it feels like it is flying by!!! With chemotherapy, that is a very good feeling indeed!
Good luck!
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I'm debating skipping my last taxol treatment - I know that sounds awful - I've been very good through out treatment, but the bottoms of my feet are almost completely numb now and I have had chronic diarrhea for four days straight - I don't feel like any of what I say is being heard by my oncologist - in fact she wasn't there for last follow up appointment. I don't know what to do. I'm so confused. The numbness is causing me to trip or miss pedal on car.... I'm so frustrated.
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Nilane, I know what you mean. I wanted to skip my last 2 of the 12. But I did them. I am here 3 months later with neuropathy in my hands and feet.
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Njlane, your neuropathy sounds awful, and your MO should definitely be paying attention to you! Have you taken anything for neuropathy? A lot of us have taken vitamin B6 (100 mg once or twice per day) and L-glutamine powder (15 grams twice per day). There is also a prescription drug called, I think, Neurontin for neuropathy. Call your MO's office and talk to them about the numbness you are having! As for diarrhea, Imodium always helped me, but my MO's office wanted me to let them know if I had diarrhea more than 2 days - it can mess with other body functions.
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EmilysMom- I also start Taxol on the 1st for 12 weeks. I added B6/B12 to my vitamin regime. I also bought glutamine powder (get the powder not the capsules) but I am not taking them till I feel some tingling in my hands/feet. I drink a protien shake that has 3g of glutamine so that helps too. I've been reading the posts on here for about a month to get an idea of what to expect. Most have said it is easier than AC and the added vitamins help alot with SEs. My WBC had been low. They had to postpone my last AC a few days to let it come back up on its own, I was every 3 weeks so they never gave me the neulesta shot. So, April 1st will be 3 weeks from my last AC and I have my fingers/toes crossed that my counts are good enough for tx. I am ready to start this final lap of this very long marathon...
I stopped shaving my head in the hopes I will get some growth. There is stubble (yay) and I am hoping the b vitamins will encourage some hair growth! I'll take what I can get I guess...
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Nicole: I continue to love reading your posts about Taxol and the ease it brings you. I am right behind you! Start first of 4 Taxol on Wed.
Skigirl: I hope your counts are good so you can get going!0 -
Skigirl, I am starting weekly taxol on 4/8. Are you taking any pre medication before your first taxol? My MO says he will prescribe something for me to take before first taxol but I haven't got anything yet.
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Just popping in to encourage those getting ready to start taxol. My se's included fatigue. Mild neuropathy. Bad taste. Nail issues. All of it tolerable. And my hair started growing hslfwAy through. I'm now 8 wks pfc and have sideburns.
. I'm still taking the vitamins. With it bring weekly it does go by quickly! Best of luck to all of u!0 -
bcfree2013- No pre meds. I was told they are going to give me benadryl when I am there. No steroids or anti nausea meds... nothing. So I am just drinking my usual 3 liters of water to stay hydrated, adding a colace on Sunday and a few days after, the B6/B12 and that is it. I still have some compazine and other nausea meds left from my AC battle so I am keeping those handy.
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Wondering if someone would share out about nail issues... Haven't been informed about them yet by anyone on my team.
Thanks,
C0 -
bcfree~~I got Taxol #5 today. At my first 2 treatments I got IV Benadryl & steroids, but since I didn't have a reaction, I don't get any pre-meds at all now.
Skigirl~~Why are you waiting for symptoms before starting your vitamins? They had me start B6 the week before I started Taxol, and told me to take L-Glutamine the day of treatment and 2 days after.
I've had no nail issues at all. I hope it continues this way. I'm glad I'm not on dose dense. I may need more treatments, but weekly is so much easier!
Blessings
Paula0 -
EmilysMom ~ My nail issues started with AC but with Taxol I notice them getting a bit more pronounced. My thumbs, a few fingernails and one toenail are starting to look badly bruised ~ like they've been hit with a hammer even though they have not. Early in Taxol I had a few days where they were super tender (too tender to file comfortably) but that has largely passed and now there is no discomfort. I do not have any signs that the nails are lifting up off the nailbeds but I've seen that reported on here. I use tea tree oil nightly and take a Q-tip to spread it on my cuticles of fingers and toes. A little stinky but it is supposed to offer protection. I also use gloves while washing dishes and have not done any gardening.
Njlane ~ I am wondering what my MO will recommend re: my last Taxol treatment and what I really want??? She said she might decrease the amount if my liver enzymes weren't better. I quit the glutamine so they should be better. Now I'm wondering if we should consider reducing because of the neuropathy?? I definitely have it in my fingertips and notice the beginnings of numbness in my feet at the end of my workday. These symptoms started a few days after my 3rd dose dense treatment. Mareluna's experience of continuing neruopathy 3 months after treatment is giving me some pause..... I want to throw the best that chemotherapy has to offer at the possible breast cancer insurgents that may have survived after BMX but lasting neuropathy might be too high a price to pay.... Pondering.......
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I had 11/12 Taxol yesterday. One more to go. I have always had premeds before the Taxol. A Steroid and Benadryl. It helps so I never have questioned it. I'm almost done so I'm happy I kept it up.
The neuropathy is not wonderful. That is my major SE. I started taking Neurontin this week and hope it works. Dr said to give it a week to kick in.
EmilysMom - I have lines on my fingernails and have read they can start lifting. They haven't so far. I also read to paint them with a nail growth polish. I do have a toe nail that I may lose, it has a lot of white marks on it.
Good luck to you.
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Ridergirl, I am 5 weeks post my final weekly taxol (12) and my neuropathy has resolved everywhere except in my left pinky. (I keep hitting the caps lock on my computer, and I was taught not to look at the screen when you type, but at the document--so I look up and I have typed 2 pages in all caps!!)
Keep the faith, it can go away. My MO dose reduced me by 25% on the 10th treatment and 50% ON THE FINAL TWO.
Ooops, see what I mean???
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Oh, and in support of what Patin said, the neurontin has some side effects that are a little rough, but physicians are using Cymbalta for neuropathy now. Ask about that NJ. My neuropathy was so bad, my foot skidded off of my clutch pedal a couple of times and I stalled! Now, no big problem.
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Soteria205- I've already started the B vitamins. They suggested I wait for the Glutamine till the first sign of problems. They sited that taxol is hard on the liver and lets do a wait and see approach. After Nicole having issues with her liver also, I think I will wait. It seems to right itself pretty quickly with the glutamine once you start it. I have everything ready so when/if it happens I am ready. I definitely started the B vitamins. Its a very good promoter of hair growth. I will do a double check with the nurses and my MO on Monday. The nurses seem to be the ones that give the straight answers. I think the MOs don't like to do that too much. They are very textbook where as the nurses are hands on...
Happy Good Friday everyone!
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I may ask about cymbalta. I was told during chemo not to take L glutamine. I was allowed the b complex though. Everyone is different. Each Onc has a different view too. I tried the neurontin it was awful. So I stopped. I may try after I'm done with my next surgery next week. Anyway I hope all goes well for you all.
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I was parnoid about getting neuropathy and so I was diligent with the supplements, and I iced my hands and feet during tha actual treatments!! My MO reduced my taxol to 80% to start with and then to 70% for the final 2 treatments - this was on dose dense, so I had 2 treatments at 80% and 2 at 70%. I occasionally have mild tingling in my feet and hands. My MO told me that the neuropathy can peak at 4-6 weeks post taxol. I am continuing on with the supplements for 6 weeks post taxol. I got a script for Neurontin, but didn't take it - I chose the lower doses of taxol and that seemed to work for me.
My nails have dents in them and are slightly discolored, but they are growing out fast.
I am 4 weeks post taxol and just lost my eyebrows - the lashes are still here - so I am holding my breath - it would be nice if they stayed.
I personally hated taxol - I didn't like the aches and pains that besieged my body and at such random moments and places - eg shoulder, jaw, neck, arms, knees, toenails, fingernails, ear lobes. Thank God all these aches have gone and I am starting to feel "normal" again.
To all those in the throes of Taxol and those about to start - hang in there. It will pass - be sure to let your MO know every little ache and pain - sometimes it needs to be repeated to them over and over. One final thing - I took 2 extra strength Tylenol and 1 extra strength Ibuprofen for pain and it worked well for me. Only needed it the first 5 days after Taxol.
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Hello everyone. Once again I have gotten a bit behind in my reading. I'm pretty much working 4 days a week now and am just exhausted by the time I get home at night, so don't do much of anything but lay on the couch.
I had Taxol # 10 on Thursday, so only 2 more to go! My main SE's are back pain, messed up taste buds from the day after until the day before treatments, sores on the sides of my tongue, nose bleeds, a general messed up feeling in my head, and very sore fingertips (pretty much constant at this point). Several of my nails have partially lifted from the nailbed, but have not come off. Both my big toes are sore also. I don't have the tingling like neurothopy. I have been taking 100mg of vitamin B the whole time. Maybe I should increase it some. But, I would still say Taxol is much easier than A/C. It was a nightmare I hope never to repeat. I still get premeds with my treatments -- pepsid, steriod, Benedryl, and nausea med. I sleep pretty good on treatment day (Thursday), but not able to sleep well on Friday night -- finally got up at 4 and started cathching up on posts.
My hair is really growing. In the back I can actually grab some between my fingertips and pull it. It's going to be mostly gray, but it's got some dark there too, so maybe salt and pepper. I started getting gray hairs when I was 18 (runs in my family) so I've colored it for a lot of years (I'm 55 now). I'm hoping I have the courage to leave it as it is. It seems to be straight right now -- not seeing any curls. Previously I had some wave to it. I still have to draw on eyebrows and lashes are not growing back in yet. Weird that my hair started growing back after about the 3rd Taxol treatment, but brows and lashes started falling out about the same time.
We had 12 people swapping out offices at work this week -- rearranging departments. I ended up being at work from 7AM to 6:30 pm with about 30 min. lunch break on Wednedsay getting my office packed up since I have treatment on Thursday and work from home on Friday. One of my employees sent me a some pictures of my new office. What a mess. Everything is just piled in there. I'm going to have to go in today (Saturday) to try to put some order into it. My DH and son are going to go help with rearranging furniture and moving boxes for me. Usually Saturday is the day I feel the worst, so hoping that will hold off until afternoon.
My 9 year old granddaughter has come down with flu and walking pneumonia this week (on spring break) so no coming to Nana's for Easter egg hunt. Dr. said she is highly contagious and can't go back to school until Wednesday of next week. I think we will just have the hunt next weekend. I bet the 3 little girls on my street she likes to play with won't mind having another egg hunt.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend.
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Five and a half weeks post 12 Taxol and brain energy is coming back as is physical energy, I even think my hairline has a tiny feel of fuzz about as long as the lead they sell for a mechanical pencil. 9 rads so far and no discernible skin effects yet. They are wonderful at the cancer center for radiology. In the door--give name, go to dressing room to remove shirt and bra and put on hospital gown thing and wrap my top in warm shawl. They keep these places so cold. Almost immediately tech sticks head in door and takes me to rad room picking up warm blanket on the way. I lie on table with plastic block raising knees, fit myself into the form made on the first visit, Techs scoot my body an inch one way or another lining up the laser beams with the tattoos, and I mentally play three songs while the machine goes from one side to the other--making funny noises as it starts and stops three times. They help me off the table and I put on my bra, shirt and sunglasses right there and I'm out the door-- once in 11 minutes from the time I walked in the front door. They are so sweet and compassionate--much more so than the chemo people who seemed much harder, This ties me down five days a week, but so far not a big deal. Much, Much easier than chemo. Hugs
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Cindi -- good to know how quick radiation treatments are. I hope it's that fast at my center. I think it will be. My neighbor said it didn't take long at all. It's just the 30 minute drive there and every day that will take the time.
Watching a beautiful sunrise this morning and thanking God for the opportunity to see it.
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Having first painful reaction to Taxol beginning yesterday, pain in left calf, making walking painful. Took tylenol last night and slept well. Thinking blood clot, but no swelling, redness, etc. Anyone else have leg pain? I have had one treatment which was last Wednesday. My main SE has been extreme fatigue, but nothing as severe as SE's of AC.
Thanks for all the sharing and support.
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hi you all.
Honey yes my legs would hurt on taxol. It used to feel like restless leg at times. I am 3 months out from chemo now. My legs don't hurt. I just have the neuropathy though. I think it might be a little bit better or I am just used to it. It started in October when I started Taxol.
I found a nasal gel that helped with the nose bleeds. It was in Walgreens. It was a saline gel. It works great for dry nose too. For mouth sores ask onc for the rince that they use in radiation. It numbs it. It might be miracle mouth wash. They may also have Nuguard samples. But that did not work as well.
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I start my first of 4 Taxol (dose dense) on Wednesday. I already started vitamins B6 and 12. Have the l-glutamine powder for day of and two days after. I have been doing tea tree oil for over a week on fingers and toes. It seems, overall, Taxol has been easier for most of you even those on weekly for a longer time. I am so glad to be done with AC. I suffered from a horrible cold, congestion since last Friday and my nose and head are still stuffy!!!! Hoping by Wednesday it will all be gone. Happy Easter everyone!
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adagio ~ Thanks for sharing your experience post Taxol. I am seriously thinking about asking for a reduction in my final dose because the neuropathy is freaking me out. In reality, it is not as bad as some of the SE's I had on A/C but I fear that they could be long lasting in a way that the A/C effects weren't and that's what scares me. I had no idea that neuropathy symptoms peak 4 - 6 weeks AFTER chemo. I'm glad to hear about your eyebrows too. Mine are thinned but hanging on and my 10 year old is really hoping they will fall out so she can draw on eyebrows. I can tell her there is still hope!
5thSib ~ So sorry you have to go in to work today! Sounds like an exhausting time for you at work. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone in hoping you will be able to accept your new hair color once it comes in. Exciting that it is growing in already! I have colored my hair since my 30's (I'm 45 now) and I think my hair will be SALT and a little pepper. I'm hoping to be able to embrace it because I don't want to put chemicals on my scalp anymore. I'm adopting the attitude that white hair will make me look like a wise and seasoned woman, which is certainly something we can all claim after breast cancer!
Cindi74~ So glad to hear that your brain feels less foggy and your physical energy is coming back 5 weeks after Taxol! I have high hopes for how I will be feeling by my birthday (June) and you make me think those hopes are reasonable!
honeybair ~ Most of my Taxol related pain is in my legs. Mine comes and goes but is mostly in my thighs. If you have pain in one spot that doesn't move and stays constant you might want to check with your MO.
Have a good weekend everyone! I really appreciate all your support on this Taxol part of the treatment journey. Perhaps it is because I have been doing chemo since December and am wearied by it, but I am troubled with worry about what Taxol is doing to my feet and hands and all of me really. Your companionship makes it a little less scary. Thank you.
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honeybair...I did develope a blood clot several days after final AC. It was pain in the calf & foot, that got progressively worse over 2 or 3 days. There was no redness, but there was swelling. I'm on 2 blood thinner injections daily until I finish chemo.
When I went to the ER, I knew within 15 minutes that it was a clot.
I just finished Taxol #5 yesterday. So far my SEs are minimal. I lose the tastebuds for about 2 days, the joint pain comes & goes for a day or 2, but usually resolves itself without meds. I'm tired, but nothing like with AC.
I have no nail issues yet, and neuropathy isn't a problem either. My onc only gives pre-meds the first 2 tx, so I'm not dealing with steroids either.
Oh, and my hair is slowing growing. Yea!!!
Blessings
Paula0
