Question about Taxol

mary6204

   I finished chemo for BC in July.  I was on TCH, which is Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin (which I am still getting.).  My sister-in-law has stage 4 lung cancer and she is getting Taxol and Carboplatin.  She has horrible pain throughout her body.  I am quite sure that many of the friends I've made on this sight complained about bone pain from Taxol. 

I'm wondering what day the pain usually hits and how long it lasts.  My mother-in-law is hoping I can get answers to her questions.  Is it the lung cancer itself or Taxol causing all her pain.  I never had any bone pain at all with what I was on.  She had her first 2 treatments 3 weeks apart, but last week they changed it to every week so it wouldn't be so hard on her.  She has been in the hospital since August and no one answers her question.  She is on strong pain medicine around the clock, but it only helps so much.  When my husband went to see her Wednesday he gave her a gentle hug and she screamed out in pain.  Any opinions would be appreciated.

She's supposed to be in a very good hospital, but I think you get more information if you see a doctor one on one in his office.  The whole family is so confused.  Thanks and God Bless, Mary 

bestock

I had 6 carboplatin treatments with taxol,and 12 taxol only with ovarian cancer . I did not have pain with it, but if she is getting nulasta, that most likely is the cause.

mary6204

That's the weird thing, I don't think she is.  Like I said nobody is telling her anything, but she swears she doesn't get any shots for anything. She's really out of it, but I really don't think she's getting the neulasta shots.  Thanks for your input, Mary

Anonymous

I had muscle pain with Taxol, not bone pain. It didn't begin and end with each cycle. It began around the 6th cycle and got progressively worse each week. I also had leg swelling from it.

mary6204

Thanks for the info LJ, I did forget to mention that her legs are swelling horribly.  She also has blood clots thourghout her body and the nurses said the swelling is from the blood clots, yet the swelling didn't start until she got the Taxol.  Very interesting that your legs swelled also.  My husband found out today that a doctor is willing to meet with them Tuesday morning and answer all their questions.  I would like to go as well, but I babysit for my grandkids on Tuesdays.  I sure hope they get their questions answered.  Mary

angie27

Hello

I had 12 weekly infusion of Taxol/herceptin and the only symptom that I felt from the taxol  was the metal taste, a little tired, and cramping and swelling of the leg.  but I did not feel any pain.

mrscrj

Today, I've had the third of the four Taxol treatments planned. The first one was HORRIBLE!! I had very bad pain in my lower back, pelvis and right thigh that started two days after the treatment. Nothing really helped until I tried 4 OTC Advil and using Vicadin left over from surgery, even ended up needing to get muscle relaxants which helped the muscle spasms in the lower back. The pain continued for over a week. The next treatment wasn't quite as bad because I started pain meds (something similar but stronger than Vicadin, can't remember name) with 800 mg Advil when it all wasn't too bad and just started.  It helped a great deal, although the pain did continue for a few days and wasn't completely relieved for almost two weeks.  Don't think there was much edema and thankfully, no pain in left leg which was kind of weird but I'm sure glad about that. I am so happy to only have one more treatment. 

fightinhrd123

I had pain with taxol too, it was quite bad!!  I was getting it every two weeks, and the pain would start the third day and last about 3 days.  I took vicodin too, and on the worst day dilaudid, (the third day) Im three weeks out from my last treatment, and i still have bone pain, not anything like it was, just an achiness.

Debbi5108

I had my 2nd Taxol treatment this past Monday and so far so good. I get mine weekly (every Monday) its at a lower dose by doing it weekly and still has the same effects on my breast cancer outlook or so my onco says and from the research I have done I can not disagree, I wonder if you talked to your oncologist and asked if you could do the same if it might be easier for you??? I had such a horrible time with my DD A/C treatments ending up in the hospital with Pneumonia complicated by Pleural effusions so much they didn't think I'd Make it.  So my onco thought this would be more of a pain for me as far as having to go weekly but, it would be easier on me since A/C was so hard and the fact that I have arthritis and had a severe case of Scoliosis with a Harrington rod placed.  I hope this helps!!!