Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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Quirkygirl- I would have chemo on Tuesdays, felt not so great on Saturday and Sunday (Day 5 & 6 post chemo) and feeling just fine on Monday. Yes, everyone is different. The rest of time, I felt okay.... just a little tired and fatigued. I had a Neulasta shot after Rounds 3-6 since I developed some high spiking fever/chills episode about two weeks after Round 2 of chemo. I did what I could to eat well during my time in chemoland and became a little germaphobic. I would make an effort to get out of the house on the days that I felt good which meant a trip to the grocery store, Target or mall so I could get some walking in and get out of the house.
Here is a link to the American Red Cross which lists food that are iron rich foods.. http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods and another link to the chemocare.com website http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/side-effects/low-blood-counts.aspx.
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I had my chemo a week ago today - felt pretty tired awful til yesterday. Today I got my car inspected and did a bunch of Christmas shopping and food shopping. Now I'm even contemplating baking cookies.
It really is fascinating how each MO advises/treats their patients. Like how we all seem to be different with when they check blood and such. My MO never told me to avoid any specific foods (though I am not eating sushi or drinking...both by my own choice).
I feel like I "normal" person today - so I end up with one crud week and 2 good weeks.
Like the others have said, seems as though we are all unique in our own ways
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VirginiaNJ- You are so right about how different the MO's are!!! Mine never put any limitations on what I could eat. I'm the one who asked her if it was okay to eat raw veggies/fruit and she finally said that I could eat whatever I wanted but always be smart about what I ate and the source of the food and where I ate. So I opted to the no sushi, no buffets, no food condiments in large containers and no eating out in weird places and no alcohol and did just fine. I was very glad that she did not put any restrictions on me since it helped my attitude through chemoland. She did ask me if I drank wine and that it would be fine for me have some. I got the impression that she was encouraging me to have a glass of wine to relax..... lol. I rarely drank wine/alcohol before diagnosis and that hasn't changed.
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melrosemelrose & head east, thanks for good advice. I called MO and nurse wants me to come in for platelet count. I finally realized they want me to call them! Thank you all for welcoming me. Amy ( momat927)0 -
You are very welcome! That is why we are all here! To support each other!0 -
Welcome mom at 927!!!
LOVED the menu Headeast...TONS of info.!
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Melrose - that part of it is so so fascinating to me in a crazy sort of way. I think my approach is much like yours (and it was my approach my first go round) to just try and be as normal as possible. I do have to say I have a pretty solid week of not wanting to do anything. Felt great to get out today and be productive...though I am a bit tuckered from my running around this am.
It's great to read here what everyone is being told.......it's nice to kind of take a compilation of all the reco's.0 -
hi I am on the December board so recognize a few of you from there, thought I would check in here as we'll for specifics on TC. I will be having round 2 on 12/26 I had a rough 6 or 7 days after round 1. I will be trying new meds this time. Have any of you used the sancuso patch for nausea?0 -
Welcome KLI !!!!! I've heard of a anti-nausea patch being used for chemo. I know I had some kind of anti-seasickness/anti bausea nausea patch placed behind my right ear when I had my UMX surgery but I can't tell you the name of the patch. Hope you have an easier time with the rest of chemo rounds and minimal side effects.
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thanks for the information, it's so helpful! Ended up being seen twice by my regular doc today - sore throat (not strep) and they are going to test me for c diff. My MO called to check on me since she'd been out of town last week and was concerned about the big D. Told me I did the right thing to call the after hours number over the weekend. Nice to have that validated. Apparently my heart rate is just racing along at 124. Strange.0 -
Kli, my first TC was the worst.0 -
Welcome KLI- I took Zofran after my first treatment. Had a terrible headache for days and horrible gas pains (though I don't think the gas pains were from the Zofran...not sure). Anyhow, doc gave me compazine for this time, but I didn't even need to take it....
Headeast - my first was way worse than my second. I hope that it stays that way. Sounds like it did for you???0 -
Virginia, yes. The first one was the worse of the four. The second one came with cramps like the first, but I knew I needed to take Gasx and Motrin, so cramps were controlled almost from the beginning. The third one was a breeze, just tired, a few headaches, all controllable with over the clunter medicine my MO approved to take.
I am day 13 of my 4TC and the last one. Today I woke up with more energy than yesterday. And the day is beautiful here, 71 degrees! I can finally wear long sleeves! Sounds funny but down here is so hot that we dont't even have that many winter clothes because we don't have enough cold days to wear them!0 -
Headeast - lolllllllllllll 71 cold??????? That made me belly laugh out loud. I love it!! Here when it's 71 we wear shorts and flip flops . It is snowing here in NJ today. Yesterday I purchased some baking supplies so I hope to bake more cookies. My Amazon orders also showed up yesterday so at least I can wrap.
Thanks for the info on how ur SE's were with each treatment. I had HORRIBLE gas the first time. My onc gave me a prescription and my bro got me some Gasx (he works for Novartis) - so of course I didn't have the pains!!!!! Lol. My biggest battle has been fatigue but I can totally work around that
Hope everyone rise is hanging in there!!!!0 -
Guys-
I am on same schedule as you Virginia and I am feeling better physically today too...Praise God!
Headeast- That must be amazing to be done with your last one!!!! hoorrrrayyy for you!
I used a scopolamine patch behind my ear on mastectomy that they put on without me knowing, and it made me dizzy.. didn't like it...
Zofran gave me super bad headaches too and used it after #1 and didn't on #2 used phenergen just in case and also my first was worse, although that nuelasta competed pretty hard to the ill/ flu type feeling with #1...
Did you all use nuelasta? I think I'm going to boycott that one unless I HAVE to do it with low wbc....
It is in high 60s here and I might even try a walk around outside!
Hoping good ultrasound results at 3 - will let you know...although they won't tell me right away will they, probably have to wait til tomorrow...ugggg...
Changing profile photo to headwrap...look like little baby bald eagle in cartoons or the ones that get blown up and are smoking with a little hairs left on head, so the wrap is much better....:)
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Hey All, got a question. I'm at the end of week 5, and nose issues have begun. Lovely bloody boogers and light bleeding, not a "bloody nose" per se, and constant running. I'm putting gel inside to soothe, but I don't think it stays in long enough to do any good. Anyone know if we can try decongestants? I know I can call my MO office, but the nurse there seems to have "never heard" of my symptoms when I ask, so I thought I'd try you guys. Maybe Claritin since I know we can take that?0 -
Pat: I continually applied a coating of Aquafor inside my nostrils. I didn't use decongestants or antihistamines but I'm sure others will chime in.0 -
Pat: I used Ocean saline solution spray and a little vaseline inside my nose. The running nose is unfortunately one of those annoying side effects of this chemo regimen. I was able to take either Benedryl, Claratin and Zyrtec while I was on chemo. I can't say if any of them really helped with that drippy nose. As for the bloody nose, if it starts to escalate, you may want to call your MO. If you work, you may want to have an extra blouse/shirt handy in the event that your nose starts to bleed before you are able to find a tissue. BTW: if you spit on that blood spot on your clothing, the enzymes in your salvia will help breakdown the stain. Oh the joys of chemo side effects....
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Audra- so glad you are feeling better. Sending all the best karma to you for your US. I am SURE you are fine but yay for having "for real" confirmation. You look so beautiful in the head wraps......you really do!!! And I totally understand how you feel about the Neulasta. I feel like I have more SE's from that than the chemo. I don't remember that from my first time (but I could be blocking it out- like they say women who have babies do with labor??). Please do check in and let us know how the US goes.
Pat- I have the same issues with the dry/sometimes runny nose. I was blaming it on being on my house so much with forced air heat...... I have some Aquafor left over from my rads so I will try that....0 -
hi everyone thanks for the input I too am hoping round 2 is easier. I had compazine round 1 it controlled nausea but I hated how it made me feel dizzy foggy. I did not have neulasta first round but my counts are too low so will be getting it next time. I have the same vaguely bloody dry nose issue have been sleeping with a vaporizer.
It was -5 here this morning going to a high of 16. I did my walk on the treadmill....0 -
PatA- i just bought a vaporizer. My onc nurse recommended & I use Simply Saline. Nurse does want to check platelets tomorrow cause of nose bleeds, which are now just what you described. Benadryl dried my nose out too much. Good luck. Your symptoms sound exactly like mine. Amy0 -
Pat, since I live in dry dry dry Colorado, I've always got a dry dry dry nose. It's actually not much worse -- so far! -- on chemo than not. I use a lot of plain saline nose drops that I mix myself from NeilMed sinus rinse packets and bottled water (2 packets in one 16 oz bottle of water). I get the smallest box of plain packets (without the sinus rinse pot) -- it's not expensive, convenient, lasts forever, and it know it's sterile. All the OTC "saline" nose drops that I've tried have had some kind of preservative that my nose hates -- I just bought a few bottles to begin with, emptied them out, and refilled them with my plain saline. My theory is that it works like the salt+bicarbonate mouth rinse my MO is having me use -- keeps everything moist, flushed out, clean and soothed.0 -
And yes we have a whole house humidifier as well. The first summer we were here -- after living 40 years in the snow belt of upstate NY -- I was completely amazed to have humidity readings in single digits every day for weeks. Who even knew it was possible to have RH of 7%! (Of course, it's usually more like 30%.) What's even more amazing is that your body quickly adapts to it -- but the saline nose drops really help
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My MO said I can take claritin and zyrtec, which I do regularly bc of seasonal allergies. I get a little blood sometimes, too, but not all of the time. I use saline spray twice/day.
I had neulasta after my first TX and had some aches and pains. I have been told it is not quite as bad the following times bc the bone marrow has expanded a lot from the first shot...will see how true that is next week. I think I will be getting one each TX. I could tell my RBC's were low this past few days bc of fatigue, but feeling good as new today! I think my nadir is over:)))
audra, hope your US has good results! your scarf does look awesome!
Hoping all of you having TX's this week do well!
((HUGS))
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Thanks Virginia! I thought I wrote about US already...it seemed good, he thought fibroadenoma and my plastic surgeon says it is suture it will dissolve in 6 weeks, he said lots get them after surgery...I am to recheck it in 1 month per radiologist just because of the 'cancer' history...nice. I'm feeling the same way like labor/ this is so the same as pregnancy in some ways isn't it? I did 'natural labor with all 3 babies and I swear the nuelasta was worse! Or maybe I just can't remember the agony...??
I worried myself into a stew the last 2 days and am exhausted now...
the nose bleeds- I have them too in ams and when blow too hard...I use saline spray and ayr ointment when it seems dry, with a qtip just put ayr inside nose at night...
The constant runny nose I have a lot anyway...so that's sortof the same for me...
hugs to you all!
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I had runny nose and watery eye on left side only (go figure). The Aquaphor on a Q-tip at night helped a lot with the bloody boogers. Now that I haven't had any T for 4 weeks, it has dried up, but there really wasn't anything that helped when I was getting T. And because of the hives I had, I was taking Benedryl every 4 hours, and I took Claritin with the Neulasta -- neither one helped the nose.
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No worries Audra - u did in the other thread...
. Hard to keep track of what we post where sometimes Was stuck in the house due to the snow.....did laundry, shoveled, baked cookies, wrapped presents and shoveled again. Tired now lol. Will be very aggravated if I don't sleep
Bluegrass- the guy that replaced my furnace a few years ago put a humidifier in, but I can't tell the difference. Guess I ought to check the setting and make sure it's cranked up
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I had to be my Oncnurse to make me sit in the chair longer for Chemo #2. Within 20 minutes of T being started I had Tongue swelling/Throat swelling shut, Lymph nodes in my neck area swelling, and ears ringing and feeling clogged. Chemo#1 I could not breath, swallow, or talk. Last time I called my MO and they gave me penicillin and steroids. I called my MO this time they would not prescribe it, "it was ineffective", told me to go the ER or see my GP. My GP got me the medicine and I avoid the 100+ fever I had last time. I fired off an email requesting an new MO and my MO called me. MO doesn't not believe the Taxol is causing me to have these issues. MO has never had a patient complain about these issues. The MO wants me to see a otolaryngologist they day after Chemo #3. My reply was "maybe I"m your outlyer". Now I"m trying to schedule a throat doctor for my day after chemo. Has anyone else have this happen to them?
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FdM, Taxotere is KNOWN to cause allergic reactions, and what you are describing sounds like an anaphylactic allergic reaction. I would absolutely see a new MO. allergic reactions tend to get worse with each exposure, so you may need an alternative to Taxotere. I am so sorry you had that happen. Be sure tocarefully keep track of any and all symptoms as they come up. Scary!
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Fairy, I agree. Maybe your MO has not read the SEs but allergic reactions do exist. Read TeamKim's. She had to change to Gemzar.
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