Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

Kelloggs

Congrats Dance!!!

GrandmaV

Dancetrancer - Congratulations!

SpecialK

Ashla - yay for the end of rads!

dance - yay for the last TCH!

Moonflwr912

Ashland, glad you finished RADS! Dance, happy dance for you. I finished TCH last week, but am Still! on the Damn D train from it. Only during my first tx did it last so long. Hope your SEs stop soonest!! Had to call my mo though just have four pills left and they need autherization, sigh! I didn't think I would need a refill on the lomotil, but I do. DARN THINGS ARE CLASS 4. I never knew that! LOL. The things we learn .

vickilind61

Okay, Home now.  One down, one to go, another town and one more show....

Check out the new hair!!!!

First tx went well; uneventful.  Right now I am just tired.  Thought I might be on while I was in the BGC, but had a room full of family to keep me company.  Next time, I'm thinking just my DD and me or DH and me. 

Have my compazine and zofran ready.  I think I will take a comp tonight and tomorrow to stay in front of any nausea.  Don't have any right now.  Thinking about some good chicken noodle soup from Panera for dinner.  Yumm-o!

Moonflwr912

Vicki, enjoy the soup today, but don't be surprised if by tomorrow your taste buds head south. So enjoy today.

vickilind61

I will, thanks moonflwr.

dancetrancer

moonflower - SUCKY on the Big D!  I feel the Big C coming on...will be doing Miralax tonight.  Also feel the beginnings of lovely heart burn and my appetite has been real so-so this time (different from prior tx's - only lost appetite a day or two for TCH 1-3).  BUT...this is the last time we are going to suffer chemo SE's!!!!  It will be over soon and then moving forward!!! 

Vicki - yay that it went well!!!  Still lovin' that mohawk AND that smile!  

hbb

Hi everyone. I'm curious, has anyone done four cycles instead of six? I'm only one week out of my first and five more seems almost impossible!

Relda

Hi hbb

I was scheduled for 6 and stopped after 4.  My side effects from the chemo as well as the neupogen shots became increasingly more intolerable and after only doing taxotere and herceptin for tx #4 (and discontinuing the neupogen shots at the time as well)  I spent 3 days in the hospital with neutropenia (fever went as high as 103.5).  My WBC went down to .2   After that I was DONE.  I will continue with Herceptin every 3 weeks through the end of the year, but I am done with the T & the C.  

Part of the reason it might have been so hard on me is that I had surgery and radiation prior to the chemo so my body was pretty run down before I even started.  Take it day by day, see how it goes and if it becomes intolerable, talk to your onc.  There are lots of women who do 4 instead of 6, but it also depends on your diagnosis.  I was stage 1, grade 1 with a 1cm tumor, all low numbers.

 Sorry you're having a rough time - its sucks, I know.

hbb

Hi everyone. I'm wondering if any of you have been through four rounds instead of six. My onc unintentionally mentioned four to me then prescribed six. I'm only one week out of my first so I can't imagine five more and I want more information on doing four if possible.

dancetrancer

hbb - you may want to discuss this article with your onc:

Breast Cancer: Four Cycles of Adjuvant Chemo Sufficient for Most Patients

This study did not look at TCH - so interpret it with caution!   

SpecialK

I leave on Sunday afternoon to go to Washington, DC. I have my intake appointment Monday morning for the Her2 vaccine trial. I am excited and hope I am sorted into the vaccine-receiving arm. At the least the placebo is sargramostim (like Neulasta basically) so I get an immune system boost.

dougieswife

Hey, Special K!!!  You will be about 1 1/2 hours away from me!!!!!!  Good luck in getting in the trial!!!  That is awesome!!!!

Congrats to all of you who have crossed the finish line!!!  Dance....it seems like just yesterday you were going in for TX #1.  So glad you are finished!!!!! 

SpecialK

dougieswife - how are you feeling lately?  If you are bored come over and visit me!  I hope I get the real thing too, but it will be good to contribute to the cause and maybe benefit too.

dougieswife

I am feeling GREAT!!!!!!!  The biggest issue I have is this stupid allergy to either adhesive or latex that has turned into lovely blisters!!!!  How long will you be in the area??  

SpecialK

dougieswife - I will only be there this trip until Tuesday afternoon.  When I come back in mid-July I will be there for a week.  Not sure on subsequent ones - each month, either Mon-Wed, or Tues-Thurs.

Moonflwr912

Special k, so cool you got in the trial. Hbb, please talk to your mo. I had a lot of problems after tx 1&2. So he adjusted my dose for tx 3, and then again for 4. Four had the least SEs, 5 wasn't bad, and six I am still in the middle of the SEs. With diarrhea. But, I know it is my last SEs so I will make it. Just wanted you to know there other options to shortening the tx! Much love

lago

hbb don't look at how many are ahead of you. Just do one at a time. If it gets too rough then you can quit but don't think about quitting so early. I didn't want to play anymore after tx4 but I did all 6. No regrets. We'll get you through this.

SpecialK I hope too you get in the vaccine arm!

hbb

Moonflower,I will definitely talk to my onc,I didn't know they could adjust the dosage. I'm 8 days out and still suffering with so much stomach upset and diarrhea. The other SEs like taste, etc are manageable but i'm sick of the stomach ache!!

Lago, thanks for the support, you're right,I need to just take one dose at a time.

Dance,I will definitely ask my onc about that article!! Are any if you ladies (besides dance) doing the cold caps?

dancetrancer

hbb - what kind of stomach upset is it?  Heart burn?  Nausea?  We've got lots of suggestions to offer here, but need to know more.   Hope you are feeling better soon!  P.S.  My onc slightly adjusted my dose for #3 and 4 as well due to some severe side effects.  The biggest improvement I noted after that was I didn't have a nonstop low-grade fever like I did on rounds 1 and 2 (almost all 6 weeks of those rounds).  

hbb

It's just plain bad stomach, lol. In the first two days it was the worst heartburn ever, with some constipation. Then it moved to horrible diarrhea. I even got muscle spasms from the lack of electrolytes. They called in lomotil, which I am having to take every day. The nausea I seem to control pretty well but my stomach is just plain upset!!!

dancetrancer

hbb, I have had horrible heart burn issues each round - and I mean bad, maxed out all meds.  Chemo can cause terrible acid reflux.  Some get it controlled with an OTC med like pepcid, Maalox, etc., but I would say from what I've read, most do best with getting on a prescription proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) like Protonix, Nexium, etc.  That does the trick for most and can make you feel so much more comfortable.  I had sx well beyond that, so if a PPI doesn't work for you, come on back and ask for suggestions!  I'm full of them for reflux. 

P.S.  My onc also prescribed probiotics daily which I feel has helped regulate my system - although I still had big C/big D back and forth, it was not as bad after I started the probiotics.   

Moonflwr912

Hbb, try the BRAT diet, bananas, rice, applesauce, toast(dry white) personally, I don't like the taste of applesauce when on chemo, but the bananas are tolerable. Rice worked, mashed potatos. These seemed to help with the D train. It was one of my most hated SEs. I am on lomotil still. I needed a refill yesterday, day 8 of my TCH #6 . Oh well. Much love.

kfontaine

Hbb- chemo well this one at least, can cause severe heartburn, which could be causing your sour stomach. Are u taking anything for the heartburn? My onc put me on nexium, I was having severe heartburn and pain right beneath my Rib cage, once I started the nexium took care of heartburn and the pain right straight under my ribs! Those sx related to stomach could all be related to heartburn! It can cause nausea pain and sour stomach!! My onc told me it us known to really tear up your stomach as far as the acidity goes.

hbb

This blog is so helpful. you are all so great! My onc prescribed prilosec but I didn't take it because the side effects mentioned stomach ache and that terrified me!! Lol!

I have tried the brat diet, and I agree about the applesauce! It's crazy how your taste buds are so messed up. The lomotil definitely helps I just hate that I have to have the symptoms before I take it.

I also had crazy pain/muscle spasms in my hips, lower back and down to my knees. I could barely walk. Anyone experience this?

I'm in Michigan, where is everyone else?

hbb

One more thing,I have this crazy (non itchy or painful) rash on my upper arms, chest, back and face. Anyone else experience this?

GrandmaV

Hi hbb, I have a rash like you describe from herceptin.  I'm still getting herceptin every 3 weeks and if I take a Benadryl, before infusion I still have it but not as bad.  Also the steroids you are getting can cause that. 

edited to add:  please keep a record of it and all other se's to share this with your onco next time you see him.

dancetrancer

hbb, did you get a Neulasta shot or Neupogen by chance?  That can cause severe bone pain and also muscle aches; of course the muscle aches can also be due to the chemo, but often Neulasta is a big culprit.  If so, Claritin can really help keep that pain from happening.  You would have to clear it with your onc.  If doing Neulasta, take it the day of the shot and 7 days afterwards.  If Neupogen, take it daily with each shot.  Generic loratadine, 10 mg, is the same thing. 

That's too funny about the Prilosec.  Shooting yourself in the foot, er, stomach, eh?  Glad you found us - we are here to help!  The wonderful women on this board helped me so much getting through TCH!

I'm in Alabama.   

lago

hbb I too had the heartburn that was the worst at TX1. By the time I was doing tx5 I was on Protonix(then Nexium) and Carafate for the heartburn. Prolosuc never ever worked for me even before chemo. At times it still was bad. Don't eat too close to sleeping time.

I also had really bad constipation. I was on a probiotic (nutra flora mixes well with water) and metamucil. I stopped the metamucil once things moved at a normal pace. Niether of these products will upset your stomach. More stool softener.

Chemo dosage is based on surface skin area. It is calculated by height and weight. At times they still can be off. If your SE are that severe they will reduce them. My onc said if my nueropathy got worse she would reduce my dose. It didn't.