Weekly Taxol for Stage 4
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mashahinda, in some ways Taxol has been easier for me than some of the oral treatments I've taken over the past 7 years with mets. I've been on treatment constantly since 2010 and have come pretty close to dying a couple of times over the years, when various treatments failed causing scary progression episodes. However, I've now been stable on weekly Taxol for five months, which has allowed me to be here for our 30th wedding anniversary, my second grandchild's birth, and my youngest child's high school graduation. I do not like being bald, but would I do it again? DEFINITELY.
Chin up! You just never know. Life is always worth another shot.
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2 weeks after my 1 time every 3 week Taxol starting to loose my hair, its making a mess but not ready to shave...
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Lulubee~We were all wondering where you were and hoping everything was ok! I can see you are doing fine and i am so glad. I will report back and tell those who asked about you, that you are around and doing fine!! Hugs ~M~
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Hi Mashahinda,
I'm on my 15th round of Taxol as of today and have had an easy go of it (knock on wood). Like Lulubee I've just had some scary progressions on other meds and Taxol is keeping me stable. I'm doing cold caps now to prevent the hair loss, but I can't afford it much longer and I'm fine with losing my hair since I have had no other side effects so far, nor did I my first round of taxol in 2014.I am worried about what's next and what I'll do, but Taxol is easy right now.
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Aww, Micmel, it's sweet to be missed!
Having a summer of sheer chaos here (in case you didn't see my post further up the thread about the extreme water damage at my house, living in a hotel for five weeks, etc etc). Hope to be back on the forums a bit more sometime soon, unless I totally lose my mind first. (Which might be sweet relief, who knows?) LOL
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I also had an easy time with Taxol. I worked 4 day weeks . Just tired and of course hair loss.
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Hi guys, Just popping my head in quickly I don't seem to come on the boards so often anymore. I started weekly taxol way back in September 2013 and I'm still on it. About 18 months ago I started on a trial for the oral version Oraxol which seems easier to tolerate with fewer side effects so if any of you get the chance to trial this I can highly recommend it. Anyway just wanted to let any newbies know it is possible to stay stable on Taxol for a very long time and also to live well. I work pretty much full time, Paddle board when I get the chance and even have started running again. When I was diagnosed Stage 4 I had widespread mets to lungs, bones, nearly all my internal lymph nodes, kidneys and thyroid. Now there is only a tiny bit of bone stuff hanging around.
Good luck everyone with your treatment I hope you have the same luck with Taxol I have had
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Shazza,
I'm glad you popped in! I came back to this board when I started Taxol again looking for you as the person I remember being on Taxol the longest that I've heard of. I feel very lucky and hopeful today and you are a part of that :-) thank you!
Bethany
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Lulubee~ I am sorry about your house. Good grief haven't you been through enough? It's nice to see your spunky attitude and hope everything works out soon and you're out of the hotel. You're a strong woman! Hugs ~M~
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Taxol ladies: is nausea and vomiting an issue for you on Taxol? It's been a daily event for me the last 2 to 3 weeks. Hospital pharmacist gave Zyprexa and this med stopped both the nausea and vomiting. This med is an anti-psychotic drug but has been proved effective in controlling n/v in chemo patients. Thought I would put that info out there. Do you gals have n/v issues? Medical team seems to think it's very rare with Taxol.
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Hi Linda,
Sorry you are experiencing the nausea and vomiting that frequently on taxol. Sounds terrible! I am doing taxol every three weeks now, but started with it weekly in April. I don't have problems with nausea and vomiting, thank goodness. Glad the zyprexa seems to help with that. I know there is another medication that is an anti-psychotic but also effective for nausea (compazine, I think) so as long as it's effective for what you need, that's good! Best of luck to you!
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Thanks groovywilma for your response and your info on Compazine. Will keep that in my back pocket. I've been on Zyprexa since Tuesday night and pleased to report no nausea/vomiting since. So nice to feel human again. Hospital gave me only 4 samples though, I'll see over the next couple of days how it goes. But definitely will ask for a script next week.
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Linda: Yay! No nausea and vomiting is a huge improvement! How are you doing with taxol overall? I feel a lot of fatigue and have started getting more tingling in my fingers and toes. I have numbness/ tingling in my chin too. So weird. Since I am on the every three week schedule I'm getting Nuelasta which causes the bone pain. No fun! But I'm adjusting to it and hope it is doing it's job of kicking cancer butt! Hope yours is too!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
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Groovywilma - I have a lot of fatigue with Taxol as well but maybe just a tiny bit less over time. No tingling for me. You started just a bit before me, I started in May and am now in my third cycle. Liver enzymes are back in normal range, they kind of went wild for a while. TMs have been creeping up since last Dec and have just started to stabilize. I'll have a CT scan and abdominal ultrasound later this month. Did you already have scans?
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Linda!
I had scans when I got hospitalized in May, but it was too soon to tell how the taxol was working. I had only done one cycle by then. I've got an MRI coming up to see about the tingling/ numbness in my chin, and will probably do a PET scan sometime next month.
Anyone have some feedback about how to manage the tingling/ neuropathy in the fingers and toes? What should I be looking out for? They're annoying right now, but not too bad/ painful.
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When you say weekly, do you mean 3 weeks on, one week off? That's my current regimen. I also started in May and I am in my 3rd cycle. I do not have any nausea but my appetite is sort of weird, like I need to eat every couple of hours or I'll feel weird. Some food works much better than others, can't always tell what's going to sit well or not. I do get winded easily around the 3-5 day. I do get annoying palpitations on those days too.Days 5-6 are good, as are the first two days after chemo. Nurse said its probably because the steroids are wearing off by the 3rd day.
My onco just told me I'd be on carbo/taxol continually since the hormonal therapy is no longer working. I'll have 4 cycles on, then a 3 months break before resumming. I'm trying to adjust to this mindset of maintenance chemo since I was thinking of it as temporary up until recently. I'm trying to switch my thinking of it from a necessary evil, to something that is going to make me better and stronger as it gets rid of the cancer. This seems to help tolerate it better, so far anyway.
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Groovywilma - Nurses often ask me if I have neuropathy. I asked them why at some point and their reply was you want to treat it before it gets to a chronic stage. There are meds, don't know which ones, but it should be brought to their attention. Good luck with MRI - I'm curious about that chin of yours.
Neephee - I'm on the same schedule as you. I certainly relate to the taste of food. I'll enjoy something today and not be able to swallow it tomorrow! Do I understand correctly that after 4 cycles you would have no tx whatsoever for 3 months? I never heard of this protocol and would be interested to hear more about it.
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I am currently on Taxol, 3 weeks on and one week off, as Ibrance and Letrozole failed after 18 months. I didn't realize that you could stop Taxol for 3 months and then go back on. I will be on it until it stops working.
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Linda,
My doctor said I MUST have a break from carbo/taxol after the first set of treatments. She said it would be 3-4 months with no treatment. I mentioned that the neuropathy is what requires the necessary break. I have not had issues with the numbness in my fingers much but I am starting to feel it slightly, but no pain involved. Apparently the treatment can cause permanent damage to the nerves if it is not handled properly. Personally, I'd just like a break where I am not fatigued or low energy so I can pretend to be a normal person for a short time.
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Thank you neephee.
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Had my abdominal US this morning and imaging shows I'm having a good response to Taxol with some little improvement in liver mets. Told radiologist about new sharp pains I'm having in right abdomen and back but imaging does not explain why I'm having this pain. I will just assume that it's a tumor flare and Taxol is killing those buggers!
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Linda,
Yay! So glad you are having a good response to taxol! Woo hoo! And no more nausea and vomiting? Awesome! I had my appointment today. I was given gabapentin for the neuropathy, so I'll see how that goes. Good luck to everyone and may we all have great results with Taxol!
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Thank you Groovywilma! Your rx should be bring you relief, glad you got it. I echo what you say, good luck to all on Taxol with great results! Any news on your chin MRI?
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Linda- I just had the MRI this weekend, so hopefully I will get results some time this week. Hope you had a great weekend! I will keep you posted!
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Keeping fingers crossed!
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Just wanted to update that my brain MRI came out negative! So that further convinces me that the numbness and tingling in my chin/ lower lip are part of the neuropathy. I've also been having low hemoglobin counts lately, even with weekly Procrit injections, so my doctor decided I should get a blood transfusion, which I had today. I hope that helps! I've got new blood coursing through my veins! Kind of a weird idea when you really think about it! I am on the every three week schedule, so I think that has something to do with the lower blood counts.
I hope you are all enjoying the start of August!
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Groovey. Glad the MRI was clear!!!! And hooray for new and fresh blood!
Bab
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Groovywilma - Excellent news! Do you prefer the every 3 week schedule or the weekly one?
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hi everyone! Looks like Halaven is not working for me but waiting for a scan to confirm. Weekly Taxol is the next plan of attack. Dread not ever getting a week off and going bald but hey ho! Just wondering, do the steroids with taxol bloat you up - I was certainly heavier with a fat face on Docetaxel! Also wondering how many days after infusion do you generally feel the worst. Just want to plan which chemo day I want so I can live my life so it doesn't affect my singing schedule! Looking forward to hearing from you all
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Lovetosing,
I get carbo/taxol every week for 3 weeks, then 1 week off. I am on my 4th month now, infusion number 10. They do give steroids, zofran, benadryl and pepcid with the infusion. I have not had issues with bloating but I do feel full after eating about half the usual amount. For me, day 3-5 are the most challenging days. My energy level plummets and I get winded very easily from the slightest exertion, including heart racing. By day 6 I'm feeling better and day 7 is the best.Even the 1st day or two are okay before the chemo effects start to drag me down.
Some weeks are better than others but generally I am not getting used to the regimen or tolerating it better. I do enjoy my good days very much and I am trying to accept the bad days as they come. My doctor recently told me I may be on chemo indefinitely, with breaks inbetween. That is hard news to take since I felt I'd be able to endure the chemo for a limited time but now without end, eek! Its definitely messing with my mind!
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