Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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I'm now one day post round 2 of TC. Had my Neulasta shot today. So far so good, feeling much better than the first round (which wasn't all that bad). My mouth is a little dry but nowhere near last time. Hope this continues. :-)
Take care all.
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CatsRus- Yay for getting Round #2 done!!!! Keep taking care of yourself.... eat well... rest..... exercise and keep drinking the fluids/water. Wishing you minimal side effects with this latest round.
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Had my last TC treatment Feb. 5th. Just now I am starting to lose my fingernails... every few days another one? Has this happened to anyone, is it normal? Also my legs are very itchy. Not sure if this is normal or could it be from hormonal treatment drug - fermara....or something else I need to worry about.
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hello everyone, this is my first post on this board, I will be starting TC on 6/11/15. I'm anxious to get it over with, but I am terrified that I will lose my fertility, I just turned 30, and have not had kids yet. And unfortunately me ns my hubby didn't have time to freeze embryos because I have naturally long cyes. But I guess ll I can do is trudge on and hope for the best
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Anyone else have bad hot flashes/sweats with TC? They are really interfering with my sleep. Do they end after chemo?
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yes I have bad hot flashes and sweats because of chemo forced menopause what reduced them is black cohosh 2 times daily instead of antidepressant. My oncologist prescribed it for hot flashes never took it
Good luck
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YES! I had HORRIBLE night sweats with TC. I have to say they did improve as the treatments went along. When I finished TC, I don't remember having a lot of them, and I didn't during radiation. Now I am on Femara and I have light night sweats, but those also improved after about a month. I have been on Femara for two months and I only have them once in awhile. I do get a warm flush during the day once a week or so.This is doable! Hang in there! I am almost 60.
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I haven't started treatment yet, but that sure hasn't stopped me from shopping for it. I had a bit of a brain blast while searching around for head coverings. Etsy! Loads and loads of gorgeous scarves, beanies, wraps, and more. Plus you can select handmade and support small businesses (usually - ready carefully as some are just resellers, but most are awesome).
Woohoo! Love online shopping.
Hope everyone is doing well, the SEs are behaving themselves, and your weeks are fabulous!
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Just found this topic page, although I have had 3 treatments of T/C. I csn tolerate these safe effects....bone pain, fatigue, weakness, but the coughing is awful. Anyone else cough constantly
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How time flies. After completing my chemo in September, I continued having Herceptin injections for my HER2 status. Now my LAST injection is on Friday the 3rd July and I am looking forward to not driving 46 miles round trip for these jabs. :-) .... It' amazing how one just carries on in life after Breast cancer and it doesn't become the first thing you think of when you wake up and the last thing before you go to sleep.
Now waiting for reconstruction! So I suppose the journey continues for another year or more. What a life !!
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Welcome to all who are new to this topic! I've been busy with follow up medical appts and haven't been checking in as often as I like to.
Mysunshine, Call your MO immediately. Cough or hoarseness are on the list of SE from Cytoxan that my MO gave me that she wants to know about immediately. Also mention the bone pain. Are you getting an injection the day after chemo infusion.
Here are the others: You should check with your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur when taking cyclophosphamide:More common
- Cough or hoarseness
- fever or chills
- lower back or side pain
- missing menstrual periods
- painful or difficult urination
Remember, your docs work for you! If you ever have concerns, call them. My MO got a little annoyed with me because I didn't call her sooner with some of my SE.
Inkster, I wore scarves almost all of the time when I went out. I didn't have any hair to change things up with, so the scarves were a nice option. I wore a few hats and beanies, too. With CT, the hair falls out day 10-11 like clockwork!
Sugar, Woohoo! Congrats, you are almost done with chemo! I hope your reconstruction journey goes well, ending with the results you desire!
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PoppyK, I have told my MO several times about the coughing. She just sort of ignored it until last week when I said it was unbearable. So, she ordered a lung CT scsn, which I had today. Will meet with her tomorrow for results. What can be done for the coughing if it is a SE from Cytoxin? I hsve one more trestment to go......I hope.
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Oh, yes, I get the Neulasta shot and take Clariton and still get the bone pain.
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I totally lost my voice for rounds 2 and 3 and had a cough. They did not think anything of it, never mentioned cytoxan. I think this board has more knowledge about specific side effects then my MO. Guess I am glad he specializes in eliminating the cancer but I am also thankful for you ladies who specialize in dealing with chemo. (Unless I should have stopped anything because of those symptoms!)0 -
Mysunshine and Marksgirl, Cytoxin can cause lung damage. It is one of the less common, but more dangerous SE. Less than 1% of people experience this SE. It is more common in smokers and those with other lung problems or damage. The MO can decrease your dose of Cytoxin to minimize the damage. They can also prescribe corticosteroids or oxygen. MO are all different. Mine wanted to know every little SE I experienced. I would write the on a calendar so I wouldn't have to try to remember them.
Mysunshine, sorry you are having problem with the neulasta. Others here have tried all sorts of things to help with the bone pain, including having the injection in the stomach. My MO didn't automatically give me neulasta. She wanted to see how I would recover without it. I was fortunate and recovered well after each infusion without it. Maybe talk to your MO and see what your options are?
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Thanks PoppyK, I have never smoked and cannot stand the smell. I did have a CT lung scan today and will get results tomorrow. I also get the Neulasta shot in my stomach. Just trying to get through this and preying for no lung problems. I cannot take anything for bone pain because I got a blood clot after my first treatment and am now on Coumiden. Please, NO more problems
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Thank you so much PoppyK. There is a lot of talk about Taxotere but I did not hear much about Cytoxan. I am thankfully done with chemo. Ironically, they had to lower my taxotere dose for liver toxicity but never talked about the Cytoxan. I also never smoked, no lung conditions that I know of. I was very hoarse but my cough was minimal, thankfully!!!!!!! Hang in there all who are still in chemo. Guess we want the nasty stuff to beat the cancer but jeeze.
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Mysunshine: I just finished 4 rounds 2 weeks ago, about a month after Marksgirl. I took 2 extra strength tylenol (immediately after my Neulasta shot) along with the Claritin every night for bone pain.
Prilosec helped with my coughing. I thought Benedryl was helping the coughing, but when I tried to stop taking Prilosec, I was still taking benedryl for mild hives and had to get up in the middle of the night (last night) because of coughing and the Prilosec helped.
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How are you feeling after 2 weeks of finishing? My 3rd trestment left me much more tired and weak. I hear it is cumulative. So, how was 4th treatment for you? I wish I were done! My CT scan showed nothing, but coughing a lot.
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Glad the scan was clear MySunshine. Hope you are feeling better soon.
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Thanks Cats, I was relieved. Now, to get through this next two weeks and we both go for our last one. So far, this one has kicked my butt. My cell count was not as good today as the previous 2. Just have to keep pushin
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Yes, the SE are cumulative, with fatigue and weakness being the most common. After each round, it is also harder for your cell counts to rebound.
Mysunshine, So glad the CT was clear.
Do not take any meds without checking with you MO, even over the counter meds or supplements. Tylenol/Acetaminophen are hard on your liver. Your liver is working very hard to deal with the chemo drugs, and acetaminophen is not good for a taxed liver. My MO told me not to take acetaminophen during chemo or even now that chemo has ended.
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Thank you, Poppy. I was very relieved about the scsn. And, wow, I see after trestment 3, I am soooo much weaker and my blood counts were not up today like they were after a week in trestment 1 and 2. Just hsve to keep pushing through and get ready for number 4. I don't know what I would fo without the support of everyone on these boards. Tired and am going to bed.
Cats, hope you are getting through. I feel like you are my chemo sister since we started on the same day
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Thanks, Sis, MySunshine :-)
I'm just going to bed now, but I will be reading a chapter or two of my new book before I sleep. I feel I'm on the way up today, still tired but improving. Trying to get my motivation in gear....I will do something productive this weekend... I will.... but my new book is calling, I've been waiting and looking forward to it....hahaha.
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Sugar8: Hope you're celebrating!!!!
Mysunshine: I am really feeling good after two weeks. I too was very worried about my 4th round. Marksgirl's posts regarding her 3&4 rounds were so helpful for me as I basically followed her exact results of hives about a week after my 3rd and 4th round. Have Benedryl on hand in case you experience that too.
That's also when my doc gave me Prilosec, so I started taking that every morning about a week after my 3rd round, which helped with my chest discomfort and possibly my coughing...also I forgot to mention that I usually sleep almost upright with my wedge pillow.
Definitely check with your doc when adding OTC meds and any supplements. Mine told me to avoid aspirin, but just the manufacturer's limit on the Tylenol. I only took 2 immediately after my Neulasta shot, about 3 pm, and then two again at bedtime, about 9 pm, with my Clariton. About a half an hour before bedtime, for about a week, I could feel it was time for my meds as my bones would start to ache just a little. I also drank a lot of water.
I'm glad your scan came back clear, but it can be frustrating when this Pandora's box keeps throwing us abnormality after abnormality. My 3rd one was more exhausting than the others, which really frustrated me. I had to work so hard to do nothing! (Even just to focus my eyes to read!) Both the last two rounds I found myself crying on the fourth day, which I really hadn't done since being diagnosed. I figured I deserved to cry and the next day I felt better.
Actually, my 4th one has been better than my 3rd because I knew how to deal with the hives and I had Marksgirl sending me such positive thoughts
and leading the way with great energy.You sound like a very strong person and so does catsrus...it's great you have each other and this site
Hugs and Happy Independence Day!
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thanks samaileko. Number 4 sounded so far off at the beginning, and now I'm counting down...yeah!!!
Happy Independence Day!0 -
Samileko, .whst was the Prilosec for? I had to go to my general practioner today because, oh yes, something else, a sty on my eye. Anyway, now have eye drops that I hope helps that! Never ends! But, he did tell me that it is possible to hsve acid reflux and not feel it. He mentioned something, but I am on Flonase for now to see if that helps. Just so thankful the lung scan was clear! I need to recover from treatment 3 and get ready for number 4. This one has had me down more than the others for sure. Exhausted walking from the bedroom to the kitchen. Geezz
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Happy Fourth of July everyone! Going to spurge and have ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans and potato salad. Yum!
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yum, MYSunshine,,,, can I come?
Acid Reflux is one of the leading causes of coughs
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I was given Prilosec because along with the hives, I was having bad chest pains, which were radiating through my back. It felt like I was having a heart attack! I had experienced this once before at the ER after my first round without Neulasta. I was at the ER for low blood counts. I was kind of freaking out and sitting on my knees in the gurney... The doc asked me a bunch of questions and gave me Prilosec through my IV and almost instantly I felt better. (My husband and I had ordered pepperoni pizza from Dominos and I think that may have been the culprit in the ER.)
Since I have tissue expanders in. I think the gas/acid in my stomach causes my chest to feel really tight. I thought the chemo was affecting my chest, but my physical therapist said it's the constipation and gas moving things around. I initially started taking gas-x along with my miralax at night.
I started feeling that same feeling, along with my "3rd round hives." I told my doc about my ER experience and she prescribed the Prilosec.
I thought my coughing was tied to my hives, because I knew it was time to take benedryl when my breathing became a little labored. (I never took so many meds in my life, so am always trying to ween myself from them.)
I now think it was the reflux because I had the coughing again when I tried to stop taking Prilosec. I had taken benedryl already for mild hives.
I read about something called "silent reflux" and I think I was experiencing that. From a week after my 3rd round, I took Prilosec every morning and Alka-Seltzer chewable gas/acid reducer whenever I felt the chest pressure, usually after meals.
I never had heartburn, but more like deep burning in my chest.
Hope the ribs were delicious!!!
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