Abraxane
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Hi ladies! Well my time on Abraxane is over. I’ve had progression in the liver. From one spot to multiple. So the Abraxane quit working for me. I did a full nine months, and my worst side effects were mouth sores and anemia. I have to have a biopsy ASAP, then on to xeloda I think. Good luck to you ladies on Abraxane. I hope you get really good results with it
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Sorry to hear of the new liver spots Gracie. I am so impressed that you were able to do 9 months on it, hopefully having many good days. Best of luck on the next treatment and I hope to see you back on the other threads 🙂
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Thanks Mae! 9 months was way too long! It’s good to get off of it! Don’t know where I’m going next. Hope it will be xeloda but my onc is really pushing Halaven, which I really dont want! Just another iv chemo with all the SE’s!!!! I’ve stayed awa from the boards, the loss of Z was incredibly hard, and I already struggle with depression. So I won’t be back on a regular basis, just check in for education other chemos. I’ll see you again, if they can get this beast under control
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Gracie, I get it. Thanks for the update, I hope nothing but the best for you 🙂
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Hi Gracie,
I’ve had 2 cycles of Halaven and it’s been easier than the abraxane. Less nausea and fatigue. I do get a shot of Nivestym for 3 days after chemo - it’s a colony stimulating factor for building white blood cells and I know that helps. I’ve had more side effects from those shots than the chemo- I started with leukine and had a bad reaction. I also do faslodex and zometa. I understand wanting the Xeloda over Halaven. I’m hoping in a few months I’ll be able to switch to something that requires fewer than 4 visits a week to the oncologist’s office. Good luck!
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Thanks Wandering! The many trips to the onc's office is hard for me, it's an hour and a half one way. That gets real expensive.
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Hello ladies, so far I have done 5 cycles and this is my week off. I'm starting to become concerned about the fluid retention I've been having. It's at least up to my knees and probably my abdomen. It makes my joints feel very stiff and I feel extremely exhausted. I have an oncologist appointment Monday before starting cycle 6. I don't want to give up bc my markers are down big time with this treatment but I think I need to take a break. I brought in a stoll and a pillow to have my legs up at work. It's not as bad but it's still early in the day and they are still swollen a bit. When I wake up its back to normal but by the end of the day they're blown up. Thanks for reading. I hope everyone's doing well. Not a whole lot of posts lately which is hopefully a good thing!
Heidi
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HLB, maybe a dose reduction would do the trick. I had swollen feet at the end of my abraxane and it took about 3 weeks to go back to normal. Good luck!
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Thank you illimae. I feel a bit better hearing that because I'm worried about kidney failure. Or something. I've had them up all day and they're just getting bigger. I might call the nurse coordinator.
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HLB, I had to take a cut in strength and also a break from the chemo. I think there have been a lot of women who have taken a cut in the amouht
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Thanks for the info Gracie. He did say to keep an eye on the neuropathy because we might have to lower the dose. I'm ready for a month off. The numbness is up to right below my knees now but it's not bothersome or painful. I see the oncologist tomorrow and Friday they called and said he would not be there so I'm seeing a different doctor.
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Gracie, have you had your biopsy yet? I wish you well on the next treatment. I have not had halaven but I had Xeloda for a year and it was pretty easy.
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Well I saw a new oncologist bc mine was out today. I'm getting a one month break, and my XGEVA is being changed to quarterly instead of every month, which is what it's been for 7 years now. She set my mind at ease about my organs based on the blood test and an ekg I had last year, and said the only reason other than that for the fluid retention would be venous insufficiency and to try support stockings. I am thrilled!
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HLB, glad you get a break, it will help! Don’t know anything on the liver biopsy yet, but I see my onc on Friday, so will know more then. I sure hope I can go on Xeloda
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Gracie, I hope so too, and if he says no to Xeloda then fight with him! I have a stash of Xeloda because I reduced the dose myself. Also 2 bottles of letrozole when I was not approved for kisquali but they had already sent the let. One was leftover from 1st treatment. I hoard all the drugs I can so that if they ever tell me there's nothing left to do maybe I can experiment on myself.
I really like the doctor I saw Monday and when mine retires I will hopefully get her. I feel so relieved and relaxed that I have a break.
I hope your appointment Friday goes well and you have a wonderful easter weekend!
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Thanks HLB! I start Xeloda tomorrow! Praying it works!!!
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Hello everyone, is anyone still on abraxane? Not a very active topic. I just has a month break (after doing 5 cycles). Had my appointment today and I'm getting another month!! I'm not quite sure what he's thinking but I think it's because he wants to see scans. Insurance refuse approval for a PET/CT, so now I'm going to have a ct and bone scan sometime before the next appointment. It's a little scary but I feel so much better being off chemo and it will get even better now. He did say it seems like my disease is turning out to be a chronic disease, compared to a lot of other people. That is good to hear but not sure how much I agree, as we all know things can turn ugly at any time and sometimes very quickly, so I guess we will see what happens. I hope everyone is feeling good!
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Glad I found this group- had my first Abraxane Wednesday...so far, so good. Made sure to ice hands and feet. Ondansetron has helped with a slightly queasy stomach. Wondering how long I'll keep my hair ?
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Stilts, I list most of my hair after the 2nd or 3rd treatment but found abraxane pretty tolerable. Good luck to you.
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I lost my head hair after the third infusion. It took longer for my eyelashes and eyebrows. I have completed six cycles of Abraxane. Currently there is only scar tissue in the breast and lung where there was once a tumor. Side effects have been minimal. Energy level is good, no neuropathy. Still eating most everything I want. I do have a strange eye tic that the MO says is a side effect. I am going to take a brief break in July and get back on the chemo wagon in Auagust.
Best of luck to you, Stilts!
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Anyone on Abraxane + Tecentriq
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I had my first infusion of Abraxane on Thursday, I suffered horrible pain that night and the next day. Totally exhausted and trouble breathing. Still feeling awful today. Has anyone had such a bad reaction? Am I allergic?
Chats
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I had shooting pains from my waist to my knees after my first infusion but no reaction with the next two. I would definitely let your md know ...hoping your next one is much better!
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the first infusion tanked my wbc to 0.5 and i got an infection been in hospitsl 5 days. Will not be doing any mor e of this drug. Chats
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Hi all,
My mother is about to start Abraxane for 6 months. I've seen some previous posts. It doesn't seem that people stay on Abraxane for long or the effects of it is just for a few months. Is that the case or I just read only these posts?
Thanks so much
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Hi everyone, I haven't been here for awhile, but I started abraxane in Nov (I think) and it worked very well for 5 months. Then I needed a break. I took 2 months off, then did another 3 months. I don't think it worked for any of those 3 as my marker went up the whole time and now I have ascites. I will be starting verzenio as soon as it gets approved. I just hope it clears the ascites. It's a horrifying reminder. I'm going to go on disability asap too. Tired of this shit. Hope you are all felling good.
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Hi HLB:)
If you don't mind me asking what are ascites? I have been doing the abraxane since April of this year along with tecentriq. It has been a very hard on my body also, I have had to take a week here and there off from it also because of it reaking havoc on my hands (which I was told could cause permanent damage). My last treatment was 2 fridays ago because i told them that it took me longer to rebound from the last treatment this time...I do my treatments on fridays and it usually take me to Wednesday to start feeling okay, but the last time I did treatment it took me to Friday (a whole week before I started feeling okay). So, I know I can't take much more of the abraxane. I have one more this Friday coming then I have pet scans the following week.
I am currently on short term disability with my job, because I could not work and do chemo. The first time I was diagnosed I did A/C and Taxol and worked the whole time. But not this time.
The scans I got back in July showed my tumors clearing and my body was responding to the abraxane. So the plan is to stop the abraxane in October and just do the tecentriq by itself every 2 weeks. I am "claiming" that I am going to have clear scans this month and done with the chemo.
I know you are tired of being on this roller coaster, so sorry it stopped working, I hope the Verzino gets approved and works for you. ***HUGS Lady***
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Hi nayda , ascites is fluid build up in the abdomen. I assume I have liver Mets but it hasn't been confirmed by bx or seen on scans. Scans show "cirrhosis" which I think came from xeloda. Anyway the fluid build up when the liver is not working right. I had the fluid before abraxane but not as bad, and it cleared up very quickly with abraxane. It worked well and quickly for 5 months, but now it's stopped working. I worked while I was on it and took off one day a week to get the treatment. It wasn't too bad for me but now with the fluid I went on std also. Ive been tired of working and unmotivated for awhile now, and I'm happy to be off. I will just have to be poor and hope for the best. I hope the abraxane is not too rough for you until Oct. I had numb toes and still do but it doesn't bother me. The worst for me was just the sheer exhaustion. If it gets too bad maybe you can get away with stopping earlier. Sounds like things are going the right way and I hope they continue!
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Stilts I am finishing my 4th cycle of Abraxane and Tecentriq today. I also went from hormone positive to triple negative bone Mets. I have yet to get a great explanation as to why.
So far my tumor markers are dropping and I haven't felt terrible. I felt a lot worse on cytoxcin and taxotere 3 years ago. I definitely have fatigue and some nausea and taste loss. I am definitely not at my norm but a few months ago I was so sick and In so muchpain before treatment that this is an improvement.
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one question I have for the group. Did anyone start growing hair back on Abraxane? My eyelashes started growing back and I have this fine fluffy pseudo hair on my head. It’s definitely not hair hair so I was wondering if it would eventually grow back normally or if it would stay thin and fluffy
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