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Abraxane

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Comments

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    So far Abraxane has been much easier than I thought. No fatigue, really, I did my first 5k (walked) two weekends ago. I do have some minor bone/joint pain on day 5 and my skin is dry despite drinking a ton of water. My biggest issues are painful fingernails and the crappy taste buds. Almost everything tastes like unseasoned, uncooked tofu, blah! I'll be done on 5/29, then lumpectomy, rads and tamoxifen.

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Kandy how long have you been on Abraxane? My old oncologist took me off it at the slightest rise of TMs my new oncologist put me back on it saying it really hadn't failed me. I think even if your TMs are accurate for you I would wait for it to become a pattern and not a one time rise.

    Please keep posting I don't feel so lonely anymore

    Aurora

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424

    I started abraxane in January. I went a full cycle with tumor markers rising. Then I was scanned which showed mixed results. Some had shrunk, others had grown plus I had new spots. Then MO added carbo. Since I have been on it my tumor markers have continued to rise. I'm 2 weeks away from being done with this cycle then we will scan. My markers have been on the rise for a year. Nothing has slowed it down.

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Have you tried Ibrance? It's the newest FDA approved drug that is taking stage IV like a storm! Many are having good results. Again my old oncologist took me off too soon. Ibrance can take up to 5 to 6 months to work and I was only three months.

    Aurora


  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424

    I haven't tried it yet. MO thought because my cancer was progressing so quick that he needed to stop it with chemo, then once he had it controlled he would go back to hormonals. It was a good plan except it's just not worked out like that. I don't think I can afford to let my cancer grow for that long before it starts working or to see if it fails

  • theziz
    theziz Member Posts: 134

    Hi everyone,

    I'm new to this thread, I have Mets to theliver, bones and lungs. The mets in the lungs have put me in the hospital twice, I had a drain and some fluid in my heart that seems to be controlled now.

    Since my MBC diagnosis I have been on ibrance and femara which almost took me to NED. Xeloda and navelbine did very little for me and i was on it fora very short time.

    Now the MO put me on abraxane and gemzar and I'm really hoping that this is it.

    I have a 10 and 5 yrs old and I pray that God allows me to see them grow up.

    I have had 2 infusions so far.

    Ziz

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Ziz I'm glad you posted here. There are few that come to this thread but I also follow the bones thread. I too was on Xeloda and Ibrance (separately) Xeloda was a total failure since I got the worse case of HFS. Ibrance plus Faslodex did not work. This is my second time I'm on Abraxane. Last year I was on it for six months and I was stable but my old oncologist decided to put me on Ibrance and then Xeloda. So my new oncologist saw last years results and since Abraxane did not fail me he put me back on it.

    I'm on a low dose one every two weeks. My TMs have consistently dropped since February when I started it I did loose my hair and have fatigue but no nausea.

    Hopefully this will keep us stable or even NEAD.

    If you have questions feel free to ask them and I'll try to find answers for you.

    Aurora


  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    I've found it pretty tolerable, some neuropathy, hair loss, nail damage and taste bud issues but it's been good at shrinking tumors. I can no longer feel mine and my last infusion is in 4 days, yay! I have no doubt it'll work well for you too :)

  • theziz
    theziz Member Posts: 134

    Thank you chicas;

    I hope I have good results too.

    Ziz

  • segardin
    segardin Member Posts: 1

    hi everyone, this is my first post. My mom is on abraxane , 1 infusion every 3 weeks. She had her 5th treatment, (started in February) but she is very sick. She's extremely fatigued, joint pain, finds it difficult to almost impossible to eat. With each infusion it seems to take her more time to bounce back. Is this normal for abraxane

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    segardin I'm sorry your mom is feeling this way, unfortunately these symptoms are common with Abraxane and she's already on a low dose. For me this is my second time on Abraxane. First time I was three weeks on one week off and I was knocked out by it. This time I'm one infusion every two weeks and I'm feeling much better.

    I doubt your mom's oncologist would agree to lower the dose even more so my suggestion is for her (and you) to talk to her oncologist about quality of life and ask to be changed to a different treatment (equally effective) without so many side effects.

    If you could please fill out your mom's profile indicating all her treatments and make them public so we can have a better idea of what might work.

    Will be praying for you and your mom.

    Aurora


  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    Side effects are different for everyone but mine weren't very tough at first. The problem is that the effects are cumulative, so they do get worse over time. Hopefully, things get better and/or she is able to tolerate it as it tends to work very well.

  • theziz
    theziz Member Posts: 134

    Segardin im sorry your mother is having such a hard time with abraxane.

    I haven't really felt anything so bad. So many treatments have failed me that I just care and hope that abraxane cleans my lungs and my body up.

    Ziz

  • theziz
    theziz Member Posts: 134

    Hi,is anyone loosing weight?

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Hi Theziz, wrong person to ask, I've always been a little overweight and years of anti-hormonales did not help! I wish I could loose some of it.

    If his is a problem for you maybe talking to a nutritionist might help.

    Aurora


  • theziz
    theziz Member Posts: 134

    Thank you Aurora

  • sissy2013
    sissy2013 Member Posts: 5

    I was on Abraxane for around 6 months in 2013 which got me to NED for what feels like a minute. Now after trying hormone therapy and Xeloda with progression I am coming back to the Abraxane club. Last time my hair got super thin and I was tired but overall tolerable. It is so crazy that losing my hair, eye lashes and eye brows again is bothering me. I hope everyone has great success with this treatment.

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Hi Sissy2013 and welcome to the thread. This is my second time on Abraxane as well and it seems to be working. I shaved my head and I've lost my eyelashes and eyebrows but to me its worth it to have more time to spend with my family. I hope you get great results from it and no se's.

    Aurora

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    Theziz, sorry I didn't see your earlier post until now but I did lose 25 lbs in about 5 months due to food tasting so bad so often. It actually helped me a bit though, I've got about 50 more to go.

  • sissy2013
    sissy2013 Member Posts: 5

    Thank you so much Aurora I am so glad it is working for you and hope it will have you dancing with NED soon!' You are right it is much more important to be here than having some silly hair Thanks for your repsones

  • lalady1
    lalady1 Member Posts: 530

    Hi ladies - looks like I will be joining you soon after a nice long run on Ibrance, followed by a 2 month fail on Afinitor. My onc plans to keep me on this for 2-3 cycles and if I respond well, switch me to Xeloda. Any of you on that plan? What are the SE's like? Hoping to use cold caps again to preserve my hair which just grew back after Ibrance. Any tips or thoughts are welcome. I am still working, so hoping this is med is somewhat manageable, but I can work from home for 2 months as needed.

    (()) Claire

  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 424

    Welcome to the group Claire, I started Abraxane in Feb and after 3 cycles we added Carbo. My MO has not really said how long I will be on it or what will be tried next. He has stated that he wants to get me to the place where he has some play room to be able to try hormonal again. I'm not sure when or if that will ever happen. But the chemo itself is pretty easy. I lost most of my hair, where I shaved the rest. I also lost my eyebrows. I do have issues with fatigue but other than that, I really don't have any issues with it. I wish you the best. Enjoy the moment

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    I agree with Kandy. Abraxane has been way easier than I thought it would be, it has the same SE's as taxotere of taxol but I only experienced hair loss, nail problems and muscle/bone pain (1day/wk), all tolerable. I just finished 5 months and my tumors were almost completely gone. Good luck :)

  • auroaya
    auroaya Member Posts: 784

    Hi Claire! I follow you from other threads (bones) this is my second time on Abraxane. The first time brought me to stable and my old onc switched me to Ibrance/Faslodex and then Xeloda. The Ibrance my doc cut me off too soon I think, the Xeloda de hfs was intolerable. But again my onc misfired because she had me in the highest Xeloda dose and did not tweaked it. The Abraxane is working well bringing my TMs down. I'm hoping to stay on it for a long time. I'm on an easy dose of one infusion every two weeks. I didn't loose my hair and ive got some fatigue but it's tolerable. Hope you do great on it.

    Aurora


  • artistatheart
    artistatheart Member Posts: 1,437

    Well ladiesI will be joining shortly after I have a port installed. Will be following closely although won't have much to post at first....

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    Hi artist, while chemo sucks in general, I think Abraxane is pretty tolerable. Welcome :)

  • Kaption
    Kaption Member Posts: 2,934

    I'm joining you- coming from Xeloda. This is my 4th tx in almost 4 years.

    I see the NP next week for the details. Then I'll read through the board to see what your lives are like on this drug.

    I see some familiar names. Hi dear Claire. Hi artist. My west coast friends.


  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    Welcome kaption, I hope it's as easy and works as well for you as it was for me and many of us here :)

  • Kaption
    Kaption Member Posts: 2,934

    Thank you Illimae. Start next week!


  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,743

    Great, hope all goes well. Looking forward to good news updates over on the bone mets thread :)

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