Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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I had terrible constipation, especially after my last chemo. Don't leave it too long. It can become serious. I had to use suppositories as after a few days the stool softeners are of little help. Hope you get some relief soon.
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Hey guys - I'm still trucking right along, just over 8 months pfc. My doctor has me on tamoxifen now and I have to say - the hot flashes / night sweats are killing me. Obviously, I can't take hormone therapy - do any of you have any suggestions? I really miss not being able to get a good night's sleep.
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One year ago today I had the first of 4 rounds of chemo and glad that is over! I suffered from the Neupogen and then Neulasta. I think it was worse than the chemo. I had the worst diarrhea of my life for the 12 weeks of chemo. I took Claritin every day for the bone pain and it worked great. Lost my hair after about 10 days from first treatment. It's coming back curly! I then had 6 weeks of daily radiation which was uncomfortable but no where near as bad as the chemo. I started taking Aromasin in March but suffered from horrible back pain after about 4 months so my MO changed me to Femara which isn't much better. Thank goodness for Ibuprofen. I take Effexor to control the hot flashes and they aren't too bad now. My moods are another story! All over the place. My MO originally said I would have to take AI for 5 years but now he is saying 10. I'm 65 and am already tired of this. I have trouble falling asleep even though I am tired and have no desire to exercise like I am supposed to. Heartburn is another issue even though I have been taking Prilosec for years.
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Hi everyone. I haven't posted for a while but would like to give words of encouragement to the newbies.
I started my journey on the 4th Dec 2013 and had chemo in July 2014. I am now feeling so well that I started running 5K park runs in July this year. I am still having reconstructive surgery on my silicone implants but that's going well . I never thought that I would ever get healthy again . BUT I Did. Just to let you know that there is life after cancer.
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Kechla,
Do they give you an orientation before chemo I should start in Jan. Are you using dignity cap or another company. I have been told insurance does not reimburse.
How do you ice your feet and hands.
I really know nothing
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Positive - below is a link with all sorts of chemo tips. There are already threads for people starting chemo January 2017, but you might want to read through the December chemo thread to get some ideas.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...
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-2 thanks I will build up courage to read it
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Positive2strong- Hope you are finding your inner strength to move forward. Emotions may be everywhere at times.... so many questions, so many things to learn and so many appointments and tests. Be easy on yourself and try to remember it is one foot in front of the other and one day at a time. Give yourself whatever mental break you need for as long as you will allow yourself. Doesn't matter if it is for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, a few hours.... distract yourself with shopping, reading, watching tv/ movies.
Now for info on icing. The following is a reprint of what I posted on this thread.... Hope it helps. If you have further questions, please ask.
( Sorry everyone--- this icing is a repost of info )
With the okay of your onco, one can ice their fingernails/ toe nails to help prevent nail damage and possibly help with neuorpathy. It is fairly simple. Attached below is info that I posted previously . I found out about the icing on the Chemo Discussion threads and asked my onco if I could do it. She said it would be fine and but said she didn't know if it would help or not. I did ice and fortunately have had minimal nail damage and neuorpathy. I know some gals don't ice and are just fine while others who didn't ice wished that they had. The first minutes of icing are not comfortable but one gets used to the coldness after a while. I usually wore the same outfit to every chemo--- leggings, a men's undershirt, a pullover hoodie sweater, socks and boots. When it was time to ice, I would put on some fleece running pants over my leggings, wear a fleece jacket and get a warm blanket for the infusion center warmer.
Here are some tips to help you with icing.
FOR THOSE ICING NAILS : Always clear anything you want to do with your oncos. You will need to clear it with your onco about icing since not all oncos will allow icing during the infusions. The Taxotere icing time period is 1 1/2 hours ( 15 minutes before the infusion, 1 hour during the infusion and 15 minutes after the infusion. For Taxol, the icing period is 3 1/2 hours ( 15 minutes before the infusion, 3 hours during the infusion and 15 minutes after the infusion). At the suggestion of my onco, I am using clear nail polish on my nails to help keep them strong and also icing the nails to help prevent nail damage which is a side effect of Taxotere. She suggested that use Sally Hansen Strong As Nails Clear Polish but I switched to Essie polish since it doesn't chip as much as the Sally Hansen brand. Essie polish costs more but for someone like me who never used nail polish before chemo, the fewer times I have to apply polish the better. I don't mani/pedis but some do. I'd rather avoid the germ issue at nail salons and taking of a chance of getting nicked.ICING :
- Time period for icing- You will for 1/1/2 hours in total= 15 minutes before the Taxotere infusion + 1 hour during the infusion + 15 minutes after the infusion. For Taxol, the icing period is 3 1/2 hours ( 15 minutes before the infusion, 3 hours during the infusion and 15 minutes after the infusion).
- Ice- You can use frozen peas in quart size ziploc bags marked "Do no eat!!!" and reuse those bags of peas. Some have used small reusable/refreezable ice bags you can get at the drugstore in the first aid department. I opted to use ice. I have an ice tray that makes small rounded bottom circular ice. I tried the peas and decided I liked the ice better because I thought it stayed colder longer. My infusion center has ice available for me to use if I want to use it. I always bring an extra bag of ice just in case I need it.
- Transporting ice to infusion center- I used a cooler with a freezer pack plus take extra infusion ice bags.
- What to put the ice bags in- That is a personal preference. Some just put the ice bags on their feet and wrap a blanket around them so the bags don't fall off. Some use insulated lunch bags and put the ice bags in those. My hands and feet are small so I'm using some neoprene wine cooler bags that I bought at Target for $6.99 each. I figured I could use the wine bags later on. I'm still able to hold an insulated mug so I can drink really cold water and eat ice during the infusion. I have pretty small hands/feet which explains how I am able to use those Neoprene wine bags.
- Hand & Feet Protection- I wear thin sports socks on my feet when I ice the toes. The socks keep the rest of my feet warm during the icing. On my hands, I wear a pair of knitted wristlets/fingerless gloves to keep the rest of my hands warm. If you don't have knitted wristlets, you can make some from men's socks by cutting holes in the toe area. Some people take their feet/hands out of the ice periodically; however, I don't do that.
- Process- I let the infusion nurse know that i'm icing so we can coordinate when I should start the icing. Once I know when I'm going to start the infusion, I put the ice bags in the bottom of the Neoprene bags. I put the ones on my feet first and adjust the ice bags so my toes nails are covered. I then put the ones on my hands on and adjust the ice to cover my fingernails. My husband helped me with this process.
Tips to Help Take Care of Your Nails
- Keep them short
- Use a polish with strengthener ( clear if your onco does a nail check at your appointments)
- Learn to not use your fingernails as tools----- No more opening cardboard boxes/cartons with your thumbnail
- Do not use your fingernails as staple pullers
- Use garden gloves if working in the yard
- Use rubber gloves when washing dishes or using cleaning products around the house
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Not sure it's CT or theLetrozole but after chemo i was always hungry. Readsome where the CT can give you metabolic syndrome
Even dieting i was gaining weight seemed like my blood sugar was wrratic and making me hungry. Have been on a ketogenic diet and finally feel human again
The chemo gave me a neuropathy in my feet which has persisted in my left foot but it beats getting mets
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kechla what company are you using for cold caps? Is it working?
Positive
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Melrose thank you.....I still have not called to order the chemo, I need to find out about coldcapping also. All the talk about bone pain, neurophy and all the things to do is overwhelming. The weird part is I feel fine.... I know I am avoiding the truth. My grandsons graduation is May 15 and I have booked my flight, so I have to do something soon to get it all over with before May. I have never been a pill taker and seeing all the pills I need to take Somehow I have to Women up but still feeling immobilized. I read some and then try not to get too anxious
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cholesmom
Did you have chemo because you had a high risk mammaprint or onotype?
I think I have a similar diagnosis as you
Is your neurophy going away? Did you take b 6 or b 12
Did you have 4 treatments 3 weeks apart
Positiv
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cholesmom,
Sorry I had ICD with lympec
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quixhobbit,
Just wondering why you needed chemo and mastectomy.
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Kathytoo
Amazing you are proactive. I seem immobilized and just can't get started.
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eating.....what has worked for everyone what do you eat before the infusion and what after
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Positive - sending you the link to this thread again - tips for chemo. If you at least read the header, you will find answers to most of your questions. Good luck.
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Positive2strong- As for eating, I was given 2 books which helped me figure out what to eat and how to deal with some of the chemo side effects.
Eating Well Through Cancer- Holly Clegg and Gerald Miletello, MD ( You can order this book at Amazon-- get the newest edition. This book has chapters that deal with how to deal with side effects ( i.e. nausea , constipation, etc and has menus, tips, shopping lists)
The Cancer Fighting Kitchen- Rebecca Katz ( great pictures and has the recipe for the Miracle Bone Broth. She also has a website that you may want to check out with recipes for different soups)
I kept a food diary to help me figure out what I could eat throughout the 3 week chemo intervals. I also ate 5-6 times a day.... small meals. A tummy with a little food may help prevent nausea. Try to keep in mind that you are eating for nutrition and energy and not for comfort. In short, if you have favorite foods and want to keep them as favorite foods after you finish chemo, you may want to take a break from those foods if your taste buds are off.
As always, if you have questions, please ask. We are here to help you through chemoland.
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HI everyone, is this group just for Cytoxen and Taxotere? I am going to be starting just Taxotere on January 20th and I'm nervous about it. I will be doing dose dense, every weeks for 4 cycles.... I finished 4 rounds of AC with really minimal side effects, mostly fatigue.
Any tips?
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Hi Becky and welcome. Ice your fingers and toes during the Taxotere infusion. It helps prevent neuropathy. Some ladies say sucking on ice chips throughout the infusion helps minimise taste changes but I didn't read that until after my chemo. Wish I had. My taste was so off. My breast nurse told me to paint my nails a dark colour to help protect the nail bed. I don't know the science behind it or even if there is any but I didn't lose any nails. Wishing you the very best. Donna.
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I will most likely be starting chemo in January. Cytoxan and Taxotere. I'm curious if anyone else regularly has their nails dipped. It's less toxic than gels, except they use acetone to remove the finish when they are redone every few weeks. I'm just wondering if I can continue to do this or if it's best not to. I have weak nails without some kind of dipping or gel. In addition to cold capping, I'm trying to keep my nails! What else can fall off? This is becoming a major pain!
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Icing fingernails and toenails during Taxotere is a great thing to do. Prevents/minimises blackening of the nail bed. The idea it prevents neuropathy is a common misconception here though. People are saying it all over, but it just isn't accurate.
I iced to the extent that was tolerable, pulling out intermittently when it became too cold (and to navigate on my phone!). No troubles whatsoever. I wish you all the same good fortune!
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Thanks, Tunegrrl. My nails are already pretty weak, so I have them dipped every few weeks to give then a strong coating. I'm not sure if I should stop the dipping and go natural or if the dipping would help protect them. No one seems to really have any idea. What did you use to ice your fingers with?
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Special cold gel mitts and booties the hospital provides to people receiving Taxotere. Easy peasy.
My guess would be you should continue doing the things you usually do to strengthen your nails. Probably can't hurt and might help. I get the impression that most people who ice do not have any trouble at all with their nails. Doesn't need to be painfully cold, just cold enough on average. Best of luck.
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I don't believe that most hospitals have cold mitts. I used frozen peas. Easy to shove your fingers & toes into and you can easily keep a 2nd set in the freezer when they start to warm. Be sure to start 15 minutes before your infusion & continue 15 minutes after - a full 90 minutes.
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Catgirl2- You may want to check with your oncologist about the salon nail dipping that you have been doing. Please be aware that salon manicures/pedicures may not be advisable while in chemoland because of the possibility of infection. As for the icing of the nails, that is a personal choice. As for what exactly the icing can do as far as nail preservation or neuropathy, everyone is different and has different outcomes with the icing, Yes, I did ice and it was a personal choice. I made the choice to do so since I figured I could tolerate being uncomfortable for a short time versus possibly having to deal with neuropathy and nail issues. If you scroll up on this page, I posted some info about icing. If you have questions, please post.
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I never iced at all and I had no problems with the exception of a few nails tearing. Nothing major.
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I did ice and did not loose any fingernails, but did loose my two big toenails (I didn't ice my toes the very first taxotere infusion). However the icing did not help me avoid neuropathy at all. Three years down the road, most of the feeling in my fingers has returned but my feet are still mostly numb. Oh well, we all have different side effects & it was worth a try.
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My cancer centre provided frozen mitts. I didn't find them too cold or uncomfortable at all. I have hot hands so they warmed up quickly and I changed them halfway through the infusion. They did not have booties but the staff happily made up little bags filled with ice cubes for my toes.
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Hi Everyone, I'm new to this chat group, I just found out about it. I have done 3 rounds of TC so far and I'm cold capping with Penguin Cold Caps. This 3rd round kicked my ass. The fatigue last week was crazy and it's the first time I have really felt the neuropathy enough that I was wearing 2 pairs of socks and tennis shoes to help with cushioning them, making it less painful to walk. I'm usually more myself by Day 14 but I still feel like my throat is raw, metallic taste in my mouth and the nerves hurting. At least my energy is up. I added a B complex to my diet and between that, a diet high in protein and time, I have a lot more energy than I did even a week ago when I was huffing and puffing going up a flight of steps. I wish I knew about the icing thing. I suppose I can try it next week, but it's hard to think of putting my feet on ice when I have a -32 degree cap on my head!
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