Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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FairyDog, is the Vit B helping? I am too tired today to read through old posts about neuropathy so just checking in about the vitamin
Day 4 after Chemo 3. I may ramble on today & will apologize in advance
think I hate feeling too yucko to do anything but at the same time resenting the boredom and isolation. I may try to take a walk today since it will be a balmy 47! I notice I can 't concentrate during the days after chemo- can't even read & I read constantly. All I can do is color Mandalas!! Lol. My friend sent me a book of them. It is like time stops for me. Maybe it is different for younger Sisters with kids still at home. When my daughter was home from college, I pushed myself more.
I am not a super feminine woman either. On the other hand, I love having my own style. In an odd way, being bald and wearing little makeup has been really a relief. I get to stop hiding in a way, not that I hide, per se, but we all do I guess, a little. Here I am world.
Just trying to get through these few days post- chemo. Thank you for being there. momat (Amy)
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welcome neverready-love your name btw! I started losing my hair about day 17 after first TX and have had my 3rd TX of TC this past Thurs. My hair was long, bobbed and now still have sparse bangs and enough in the back to wear a hat w/o looking bald. You can call the ACS in your area and they will probably be able to provide you with a free wig if you decide you want to go that route. I decided not to shave my head. Just going to let it do its' thing. I'm thinking I like not having to deal with the fuss of the hair every day, so may decide to keep it in a short cut once it grows back. Seems like the first TX is the hardest bc you don't know what to expect of your SE's. My MO was right with mine. So far, they have been pretty much the same from the first one, other than more fatigue this time. I can say that mine have been manageable and fairly easy compared to a lot of people. Try not to google, be good to yourself and let others help you when they can!
I am on day 5 of 3rd TX and feeling kind of tired with heavy legs today. Yay! Last day of steroids! I hope I can get motivated to get out and take a short walk later. I was awake all night thinking I want to call MO and cancel 4th TX! I think I really just need some sleep.....zzzzzzzz. It's a weird feeling being tired and wired all at the same time!
Have a great week, ladies!
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Daily Rant: I am only 6 days out from my first TC infusion and already the symptoms are making me irritable. My back and leg muscles are aching nonstop and my face is breaking out...I think from steroids. When I said I wanted a drug that makes me look youthful I didn't mean acne.
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YES!!! Daily Rant!!!! Love it! 4 days out- everything feels leaden, like a second heavy body is glued to my real body. Even eyes heavy. Face burning. Here is to permission to say this. momat
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Warrior, taxotere gives you the lovely rash/acne. Treat it with soothing moisturizing cream, and it will go away. If it gets bad, use Benadryl. The muscles are another taxotere gift. The steroids actually HELP with this sh@t.
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After the first treatment, the peripheral neuropathy was so bad on my left side, I couldn't hold a cup, walk, and my toes would lock up. The second round I went rogue, because my EX-MO won't let me take B6 or B12 even though its water soluble and research shows it helps peripheral neuropathy, so I took 500 mg then tone it down to 300mg I do every other day. I haven't had the pain like I did the after the first chemo.
WarriorWoman-for the joint pain, try taking Claritin. The first chemo I took Claritin and it didn't seem to help. Then before the next chemo I started Claritin the day before chemo, day of chemo, then 6 days after as the nurse told me it would help with the joint and leg pains. I also get the neulasta shot. I found walking helped over the running I was doing. I think the furthers I have run since chemo is about 4 miles, because I still have burning in my feet.
Also something the nurses told me to take when I got home from chemo for 3 days was Children's Benadryl to help with the 1)sleeping 2)rashes.
I hope all is well.. LAST CHEMO FOR ME WEDNESDAY! I'll post picture of our theme when we get home. Since I'm having such a allergic reaction the throat doctor is going to head up when they start the T encase I need the epi needle.
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four days out from my 3rd and creeping around. Got to the store to refill my zofran before a snow storm comes tonight and I'm tied to my bathroom thanks to extremely predictable GI SE. 😞 But loving the fresh air while I'm still free!
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I got a prescription for my rash - - Flucinonide, which worked well.
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fairydog, thanks for info. Today my hands are freezing all of the time while my face and body feel sunburnt. No fever. Just odd sense of heat and burning. Some tingling but more cold. Amy
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Momat, I took L-Glutamine powder in my shakes for joint pain and neuropathy.
Neverready, this link might be helpful: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lif...
The first time I went to my chemo infusion was the worse, not sure what to expect. They added Ativan in my IV and calmed me down. You might want to request it if you get nervous or shaky. It made a huge difference for me and I requested it in all infusions.
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Momat also 4 days out and same heavy head lead feeling. Could hardly move from couch and neulasta aches. Uhg....! Keep hoping it will be so much better when I wake up... Let's hope. Rant on.
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WarriorWoman -- interesting that your muscle aches are back and legs. Mine have been shoulders and upper body from 1st treatment -- I notice muscle aches in my back and legs only fleetingly when hiking uphill, while shoulders are a constant pain no matter what I'm doing. SC has had back issues, too, and perhaps others I can't remember. Our SEs are all individual -- your acne seems like insult to injury!! -- but at least we can complain together!
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Bluegrassharp - If we combine our body parts we'll be quite the pair!
PatAlameda - So it's the Taxotere that's to blame for all this fun. I'm glad to hear it will go away. This is the first time I've purchased Clearasil since I was 15.
FairyDogMother - I thought the Claritin was for the neulasta shot. My MO said I wouldn't need it yet as he's holding off on neulasta. Today is the first day that I didn't exercise. I have been running and that may be why my legs are achy.
Ugh.
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Had TC #5 today, after spending an hour early this morning worrying about it in the dark. I should have followed my own advice and gotten up and done something else; but the house was cold, the bed (and DH) was warm, and I couldn't make myself move until the alarm went off.
Treatment went fine, but my dawn worry was more about potential escalation of SEs in the next few weeks. It's so damn hard to turn my brain off even when logic says it's a complete waste of time! I'm mad at myself.
Well, I hope everyone who is in the BGC this week has minimal SEs; and more courage, optimism, faith and joy than I can conjure up right now!
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WW -- the thought of combining our aching body parts into a ridiculous total wreck made me LOL, a much-needed healing moment for me. Humor is the best medicine -- thank you!
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FDM, I hope your last TX goes well tomorrow! Good for you on that milestone!
BGH, I am feeling the same way about my up-coming TX's...this last one has hit me a bit harder and I know you have already done all that I will be doing, total. I hope your SE's don't get worse. My worst SE so far this time has been heaviness in my legs and getting around without huffing and puffing. I am going to try to add some iron to my diet and see if I can get my RBC's up. I read somewhere that Vit C helps absorb iron also. No steroids last night, so I think I got 2-3 hours of uninteruppted sleep! Hoping that will improve in the next few days also. It's hard to get your mind motivated when your body doesn't want to cooperate. Onward through the fog!!! We've got this!
((HUGS))
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anybody feeling heartburn? I am having a sense of fullness in my throat sometimes when I'm not full and a little bit of burping...is that what it is? any ideas on what to take? not nauseated. I don't feel like I ate anything that would cause it. Never had this before....thanks for your help!
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KeeptheFaith - I've talked to others who have had heartburn and I've had a tightness in my chest and I'm not sure if it's heartburn or something else. Very uncomfortable especially with my TEs adding to the discomfort. I took some Pepcid and it seemed to help.
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Heartburn.... ugh......
Try some Prilosec, Pepcid, Zantac, Tums but ask your MO first to see what you can take. I had a little heartburn but not severe enough that I felt like I needed to take something. I did have a lot of burping which I figured was way better than some of the other side effects. I also drank ginger ale to help settle my stomach.
As for the iron, make sure you ask your MO if it is okay for you take a Vitamin C supplement. Another way of getting Vitamin C is to drink orange juice or eat foods that contain Vitamin C- Here is a link to an article about Vitamin C and what foods to eat. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/ I used to have a glass of orange juice or an orange with my iron meals. Good luck!!!
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thanks WW, Melrose! I am not taking any supplements; trying to work it into my diet...thanks for the link Melrose! So helpful!
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my Mo said Prilosec and approved me to take zofran with it daily as long as needed since I'd been have trouble with nausea the whole time and it was limiting food and beverage consumption.
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called MO's office. Nurse suggested Zantac. Will see how it works! No nausea, thank goodness.
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Melrose, I read somewhere- & might be confused- that with Cytoxan it is best to avoid acidic drinks. I wonder if OJ is highly acidic? Just a thought. Mostly I am drinking cranberry juice, organic unsweetened apple juice, and ginger drinks. Recently, heartburn has been at a minimum but that is very surprising as I had it before chemo! Hoping you all have an easy night. momat
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Momat927- Not sure about the acidic drinks and Cytoxan not being a good mix. I did some quick research and found an article that said that one should avoid citrus with Cytoxan and Tamoxifen.. ( link: http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/oranges)
"Citrus peel products and extracts should not be used during treatment with tamoxifen. This includes orange peel and tangeretin supplements, orange flavored teas, orange marmalade, dried tangerine peel (an ingredient in many Chinese dishes such as Orange Chicken), orange peel extract, and citrus oil. Tangeretin has been shown to interfere with the effectiveness of tamoxifen treatment.
Hesperidin, a flavanone found in oranges, tangerines, kumquats, lemons, limes and grapefruit, has the potential to interfere with cyclophosphamide treatment. Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent frequently used in combination with anthracyclines (Adriamycin, epirubicin) and/or taxanes (Taxol, Taxotere) to treat breast cancer. Examples of chemotherapy regimens incorporating cyclophosphamide include TEC (docetaxel, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide), TAC (taxotere, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide), and FEC (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil). Alkylating agents strongly promote oxidation, leading to the concern that antioxidants (which, by definition, inhibit oxidation) might prevent alkylating agents from working properly. Hesperidin is found most abundantly in the peel, pith and membranous parts of oranges and other citrus fruits. Similar to tangeretin, food sources include orange tea, unfiltered orange juice, orange marmalade, and dishes that incorporate citrus peel such as Szechuan Orange Chicken."
Cyclophosphamide is Cytoxan. I had no idea about oranges and other citrus could potentially interfere with this chemo regimen. It sounds like the ctirus peel is the primary source of the problem. I know that after a while, one does start to wonder what one can or cannot eat or drink.
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I hope all the ladies who have had TC infusion this past days feel great and with no or limited SE.
I was reading the thread and comments about acidic and citrus.
A few links that you might find interesting about PH levels and cancer
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/11/235
http://www.naturalnews.com/report_acid_alkaline_ph...
http://www.cancerfightingstrategies.com/ph-and-can...
I didn't start with these until I finished with the chemo. I am now taking baking soda, a lemon squeeze in a glass of water a day. I know it is not much, but it doesn't hurt to take it...
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no OJ on TC? That's depressing. It's the one thing I can abide.
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Good grief! I have had a glass of oj every morning!!! Not the peel but the actual orange juice...hopefully the poison worked anyway...I also ate some oranges, who knew?
Keep the faith...after round 3 I got irritable stomach and heartburn, have been taking Prilosec per MO since and it is ok...he told me to stay on it until about 3 weeks after this last round...he also said OK to supplements or whatever after the 3 weeks...
Bluegrass- hoping you are feeling OK, and your morning thoughts are quite the norm for me...I have actually just gotten over that maybe the last few weeks...and am finally sleeping...this thing is HARD... don't get mad at yourself, we deserve to scream and rant and rave!
WE CAN DO THIS GIRLS! WE ARE DOING IT AND WE WILL WIN! SMILE!
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Oh well, orange juice and lemon water was my primary way of getting fluids into my body.
Hope everyone is well, I'm off to see the PS for another fill tomorrow and then my cardiologist for my racing pulse. I thought it would have settled down by now but it has not.
Lots of fun! Hope everyone is doing well with minimal SE.
We are in the middle of a snow storm with the expectation of 8 - 12 inches. Hope people are warm wherever they are!
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I have to admit that I drank OJ and ate oranges while I had chemo and continue to eat oranges, clementines etc since I've been on Tamoxifen. What I don't drink is orange flavored tea or eat any kind of citrus peel or Chinese orange chicken/meat dishes or orange marmelade. I have an appointment with my onco this week. I will ask her to see what she says. All through chemo, she never put any food restrictions on me; and there were not any food restrictions told to me with the Tamoxifen. I did do a little research about the Tamoxifen and discovered that one should avoid grapefruit and pomegranates if taking Tamoxifen. Apparently, those two particular fruits interfere with the chemical absorption of the Tamoxifen. In addition, there are drugs which one should not take while on Tamoxifen. There is a short list on the main BCO and here is the link: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/serms/tamoxifen.
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I guess I'll have to stick with the brussel sprouts and broccoli for my Vit C! Which is fine by me. I love them.
Got the Zantac, seems to have helped some. I had chicken livers, mashed potatoes, okra and gravy for dinner....mmmmm, was good! Don't think I got my Vit C in though, unless it's in Okra!
Good night ladies. I have already taken my Ambien and intend to sleep tonight! Phone off, eye mask on, ear plugs in....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sweet dreams:)
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