Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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Hi all... My stomach was really upset because of the Decadron so I had to take pills to counteract that. For my third infusion my MO said I could reduce the Decadron which was better for my stomach but it definitely took me longer to recover.... though it could just have been the cumulative effect. Take care all and I wish for minimal SEs for those still going through it. I'm 9 weeks out now and feeling good, you'll get there too!!
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CinderellaNC, I also had TC for triple negative breast cancer. I had 4 treatments, 3 weeks apart and also had minimal side effects. I too avoided radiation by opting for a bilateral mastectomy before I had chemo. My mother and sister were both diagnosed prior to my diagnosis and I wanted to do everything I could to lower my risk of having to go thru this again.
Best wishes.
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Hi.
I'm glad i found this board. Really good info from all my fellow TC ladies.
I am having my 2nd infusion this Monday. My MO is reducing my decadron to 2 tablets (4mg each) the night before and 2 tablets the day of.
My first infusion I had to take 5 tablets the day before and 5 tablets the day off. I suffered acidity and heartburn which was relieved by Prilosec.
Hope the reduction in steroids works.
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Good luck on Monday AG3. My husband and I joked that when we finally felt that we had figured out all the tricks (i.e. Prilosec) chemo was finished.
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Thank you Rebecca:) Hope you are well:)
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So I am a week out of Chemo #3 - it definitely took me longer to feel back to normal again ( I am not quite there yet!). I went to bed at 8 PM three nights in a row and slept 10 hours. Quite the change from my 2 hour/night stint with steroids. Tummy was off. Felt exhausted. I think I prefer the sleepless, ramped up chemo round. I have been running throughout chemo and the thought of moving these feet the last two days has been overwhelming.
So to sum up - my life was much more "normal" on the full dose of steroids than the half dose. I just want my life back! ok.....enough complaining....we are all in the same boat. This too shall pass.....
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day 4 post TC was yesterday and I was pretty good besides some bone pain from neulasta. Today my stomach is in knots and I'm disolving a zofran in my mouth (after compazine) right now. Assuming the final anti-nausea pre-med that was to last for five days is going away and thus here I am but I really thought I was in the upswing. So frustrated!
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I have my first round tomorrow morning. Happy to have found this thread, thanks for all the sharing of information. Hate the unknown!
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Gook luck with your first round. Hope all goes okay.
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Suzanne, I have taken your experience into account in not cutting the steroids for round two. Thanks, very helpful!
Octogirl
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I just saw my oncologist and this is what we are doing for Round #4 (last one) - Day before chemo - 2 steroids, Day of chemo - 1 steroid (more given with chemo), Day after chemo - 2 steroids, then 1 and 1.
So maybe this will allow me to get some sleep AND feel good.
Octogirl - I definitely prefer feeling good and sleep deprived over feeling crummy
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Suzanne50: your new plan sounds like what my MO has been doing for my treatments except I do 2 on chemo day. (Dexamethasone 4mg). Not much in the way of sleep though. You are right awake and feeling okay is way better than feeling crummy.
Tomorrow is my last chemo. Nervous but excited. The 3rd gave me a "non-specific" fever. Not caused by infection but from my own immune system trying to battle the chemo. I actually had a fever the first two times but just for a couple of days. This last one has lasted 2 weeks. At least since they ruled out infection Tylenol kept it at bay. Not sure if today's steroid stopped the fever or if it is just over? Do steroids lower fevers?
Then on to reconstruction. Is that a light at the end of the tunnel I see? (I know old joke, it could be a train :-))
Love,
Thunder
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Good luck to all the new and not so new chemo ladies this week. Hoping most SEs are managed and you feel OK!
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First round completed, tomorrow is first Neulasta shot. Have most of you used Claritin? Start on day of shot? For how long after?
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I take Clariten for 10 days starting with day of shot. I have never had any side effects from Neulasta shot.
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Mommadigs, I am taking neuprogen, one shot a day for five days after each tx. I took claritin right after I got each shot. Didn't have a lot of pain with round one, knock on wood
Octogirl
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I had Neulasta after each chemo, I did not take Clarin and had no problems with it.
Good luck to all.
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The light at the end of the tunnel.....I am looking for it as well. For me I have one more chemo round....that's a biggee!!! Can't wait to be done. Then a small break. Start radiation in Nov. I have to make a decision whether or not to have another mastectomy (preventative) or not. That decision to be made in November. If no, I just have to do the tissue expander/silicone swap (2 surgeries - other sides needs some help to balance it out) and then I think I am done. Well except for 5 years of tomoxifen(sp?) and 5 years of something else.
i feel like the worst in behind me. I think radiation will go smoothly. Not too worried about that. Another mastectomy? I can get through it if I have to.
After all this is over, I just have to worry about reoccurrence. Does life ever go back to the way it was?
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Claritin was WONDERFUL! No one told me about it until my 2nd Neulasta shot but it made a world of difference. My onc nurse said 5 days but I took it for longer after reading here.
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anyone have freakishly vivid dreams that wake you? If it's not one thing it's another. I just want to cry this morning. My back killed yesterday with Claritin on board. Had to add Advil and klonipin as I was so anxious. Oh and I got my period so cramps too Enough whining...sorry!!!
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day two post first round and first neulasta shot. Took a clariten for the shot. Have slept for at least half a day. Appetite not so much. headache from the steroids I think. Glad they are done. Glad to have it behind me. Know things will get tougher but 25% through. Thanks for all the sharing and caring here
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mommadigs.....things did not get any worse for me from the first time. It wasn't until my last treatment that I really felt crappy. So there is a chance next time will go just like this time. Kare
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day 9 post 1st TC: appetite back!!!! Hooray! It does return. Grateful for those simple things
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So glad you are feeling better Jabe! I find it is one week of blah and two weeks of good.
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Mommadigs, 25% done...yeah!! Good luck with the rest, take care and be well.
Glad you are feeling better Jabe. My appetite came back but unfortunately taste was 'off' and I craved salt... anything salty - Chinese food, McDonalds, chips, etc., etc.. Salad tasted horrible (and I like salad!). The consequence was I gained about 6lbs by the end of chemo !!! I was not happy, I was at least hoping having to do chemo would help me lose weight.....sigh... BC couldn't even throw me a bone and help me lose weight, I'm back to having to do it the hard way...starvation and exercise....arghh!!! Hahahaha!!! Be well Jabe!!!0 -
so glad you said that CatsRUs as yesterday appetite was there but hardly anything appealed. Only salt salt salt and even then very little didn't taste like dirt. Ugh! So hungry but not sure what will taste good or appeal. Apparently tortilla chips--yes. Guac tasted good on first bite and then not after. All ideas welcome!!!
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Jabe - I read you had stomach issues. I get Emend in a drip to combat nausea, and it's wonderful. I've had zero stomach issues. I haven't taken any meds by pill form (except an antibiotic). They cut my stetoid in half and I felt like nausea might have been on the horizon, but I was fine. I have treatment #3 tomorrow. Ask for drip Emend. Are u doing IV, or do you have a port?
Suzanne - I'm doing rads in Nov, too. In Aug chemo thread you mentioned your reasons, and they are similar to mine. I'm 50 and the doc said the studies support rads. I'm having some issues with my arm. It's not swollen nor numb nor painful, just weird feeling. If it's neuropathy or lymphedema, I worry that radiation will make it worse.
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when my taste went with Round One I found that only El Pollo Loco chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy tasted decent. Not good mind you, but edible. Sweet stuff was awful. I ate El Pollo Loco three nights in a row!
Octogirl
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for those of you craving salt, have you gotten your potassium, sodium and magnesium levels checked? Craving salt could be an electrolyte imbalance. These three substances need to be at good levels. Also, try to stick with sea salt if you can, a much better form of salt
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sloan15-I did get emend.It wasn't nausea as much as very, very bubbly tummy...
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