Beware of allergic reaction to Taxol

chanah

Astarte, sorry to hear you also have difficulty with Taxol. Rather than lower your dose (so presumably less effective) why are they not just switching you to Abraxane. Abraxane has the same active ingredient but is in a different solute and is still under patent so is MUCH more expensive for your insurance carrier. It is the solute most people are allergic to, not the active ingredient. Why should you take a lower dose and have to get less active ingredient just so the insurance company saves money and the doctor saves hassle of changing you to Abraxane?

crs003

Did you receive the higher dose every three weeks? I am getting weekly Taxol and am told that it is more tolerable in small weekly doses. There is also research that suggest the weekly dose gives the tumor cells less time to recover. I always get two small IVs of medication before each treatment. One of Benadryl and Pepsid. The other, an anti-nausea and steroid. I don't take any other medication at home.

SpecialK

crs - this post is from 2011, and the OP has not been here since last year.

crs003

Oh, someone must have bumped the post, missed that, sorry.

chanah

My reaction was to the weekly dose. 1st dose no reaction, second dose reaction after a few minutes, third dose reaction almost immediately. Sadly, insurance required TWO reactions before they would allow the change to the more expensive formulation - Abraxane.

Kimberbir

anyone out there having problems with their taxol infusions? First I had a reaction to the perjeta they removed it, now I am still having reactions like red spots on arms, hands and face swollen, burning and red. I have scabs on my eyelids and around my mouth. I can hardly talk my throat is so swollen. Happy I found this forum at least I am not the only one and am not completely crazy. Will be asking my MO about this abraxane or something different cannot keep going like this.

xxyzed

I had reactions to Taxol. My face would burn mostly around my eye area. I would have a red rash like sunglasses, my eyelids would scab, my nose would bleed and the inside of my ears felt burnt. There was some mild hearing loss. It was managed with phenergen and lots of moisturising cream and was a pretty miserable time. I also had the really painful fingernails, severe bone and muscle pain and neuropathy to my feet and fingers. It really wiped me out

Kimberbir

xxyzed- so did you finish all your taxol treatments? If so did your SE get worse with each treatment? I am hoping my MO will switch me to something else, I have 8 treatments left and if it's accumulative I'm gonna be hurting by the time this is done.

Walkingintheclouds

kimberbir/ xxyzed -- my allergy reaction didn't kick in until the 7th day after my #2 infusion -- I'm on TC every 3 week plan. It was terrible... hives and erythema head to toe, itchy to death, throat closing up. I felt the unsual muscle pain and nail pain must also be part of the allergy reaction.... I was put on 6-day steroid to calm down the hives. After both steroid and Benedryl ( switched to Zyrtec once a day, and itworks well) ,a lot of lotion as well, the rash/hive eventually become manageable ... not saying they are gone completely, they still comes back but in a much manageavle size and severity. THe nurse pratitioner told me that the reaction would last for a long time.

MY onc did change the regimen by using Abranxane instead,which is similar to Taxel but bounded with protein to reduce the anaphylactic. It might worth to check with your onc about the replacement

I just had my 1st Abraxane today. Less fogged brain compared to last two rounds. Will keep you updated.

xxyzed

Kimberbir- I finished all my treatments. The skin reactions didn’t get worse. They just stayed the same but I also developed gastro problems for cycle 3&4 (mine were dose dense). Cramping stomach and bloody bowel motions. I’m now almost 12 months later and have just finished herceptin. All of my taxol related side effects eventually healed but I still have fatigue and have a tendency to drag my bad side and fall when I’ve done too much. I’m certainly no where near normal but I can mostly fake it with people who don’t already know me

Kimberbir

xxyzed, thank you for the info, yes the did switch me to the abraxane I have had 2 treatment so far and am doing better. My voice is coming back, the rash is getting better its still there but better. I have had a few issues with my stomach getting upset but nothing to serious. Hoping it stays like this for the last 6 at least I feel like I can handle this. Congrats on finishing herceptin yay hell of an accomplishment!

xxyzed

Thanks Kimberbir. I don’t think I’ve let myself feel like I’ve made it yet. I’m still in hospital following removal of my infusaport and spare skin left from my mastectomy and am likely to be starting on neratinib in a few weeks. I had a reaction to the red surgical solution they used and the plastic dressings on my radiation side. I guess I still feel like I’m putting in the hard yards although nothing compares to those taxol reactions.

Zoziana

Hi ladies: Re: hand-foot syndrome it's been a while since I've posted, and I posted about this elsewhere on this board in 2016, but I wanted to let others know that at first, I had mild Taxol skin rashes controlled with Benadryl, but mid-way through Taxol I ended up getting a pretty serious complication of hand-foot syndrome and ended up bed ridden for a couple of months. When the syndrome appeared (I recognized it pretty early as it was very obvious when I was doing my usual thrice-weekly 5 mile hill hikes....my feet were in horrible , burning pain and swelled after one hike..., and hands and feet had been doing that to milder degrees for a few weeks before, leading up to this...) we reduced my dose by 10% so it didn't worsen, and I made the rest of my rounds, but literally had to stay in bed and use a wheelchair outside the house, keep feet elevated on pillows (even touching the bed sheets on heels or side of feet was too painful.) Good luck to all of you.

Kimberbir

xxyzed sorry to hear you are having troubles and in the hospital, it sounds like you are still putting in hard yards, hang in there!!

FarAwayToo

I've had a reaction 4 times now. Talked to my MO today, and she said since I'm still reacting on the max amount of steroids and antihistamine, she is going to switch me to Abraxane. She offered to skip today's infusion, because she couldn't do the switch right away. I don't want any delays in my treatment, so I went ahead with Taxol again. My reactions have all been mild, so I wasn't too concerned about having one again. Funnily enough, I didn't have one today!

But I read about Abraxane while sitting at my endless 3 hour infusion (apparently that is the only way to not have me react, plus the usual battery of steroids and antihistamines), and it sounds so enticing! No premeds except anti-nausea, 30 minute infusion plus some flushing afterwards, but definitely shorter than 3 hour infusion plus 1 hour wait after pre-meds for Taxol. And I could drive myself, because no Benadryl! Wow. There are also studies on Abraxane being a little more efficient in achieving pCR in neoadjuvant setting. I just hope that the fact that I didn't react today doesn't get me disqualified from switching to Abraxane.

Walkingintheclouds, Kimberbir how is your experience with Abraxane?

PauletteK

I heard Kim has switched to Abraxane already, she told me about this yesterday. She suggested that I talk to my MO. I wonder would that help out the neuropathy?

FarAwayToo

I think statistically abraxane produces more neuropathy than Taxol. Here is a quick link about the study, right here on BCO: http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/abraxane-better-than-taxol-before-surgery. 

PauletteK

I have reaction on taxol infusion but once they slow down to 3 hours long I’m ok with it. I have done slow infusion twice already, I can’t handle more neuropathy to finish my chemo. Thank you Far .

Brightness456

I had a reaction during taxol treatment 4. I couldn’t catch my breath. They pushed Benadryl and maybe something else. I was already loopy because of the Ativan so I was really out of it after that. I had no more reactions, but the neuropathy in my feet and legs has gotten so bad since treatment 6 that I’m pretty sure I’m going to stop chemo. They held it yesterday and the MO said the benefit at this point probably doesn’t outweigh the risks. I’ll still complete the herceptin.

I haven’t had any skin issues.

PauletteK

My reaction during infusion was down to the end almost finished my heartbeat went fast, now we slow down to 3 hours plus 1 hr premeds then I am fine. It is just long.

My neuropathy is not improving after dosage cut but it didn’t get worse. Will have my infusion today hopefully it stays that way. 🙏🙏🙏🙏 daily.

Kimberbir

farawaytoo- after I switched to abraxane my SE were manageable. I am still having numbness and pain in my fingertips and it looks like I may lose acouple nails but compared to what I was going through on taxol this is much more manageable.

FarAwayToo

Thank you, Kim! I just emailed my onc to make sure she enters an order for Abraxane for my next infusion. Got a confirmation that she did. I'm so excited about not having to do Benadryl and a ton of steroids next time I go! And no Pepcid (it was giving me abdominal pain, I think). And shorter infusion time. What's not to like?!

Kimberbir

farawaytoo- I really hope you are as happy with the change as I was...let me know how you do, praying for a SE free journey!!

T1AHER2NC

Hi to all, I am T1A, HER2+. Though I had an insanely small amount of invasive cancer in DCIS, I was sent for chemo b/c of HER2 status.

I will tell you first about my allergic reaction to Taxol, and then I have a question about Abraxane.

I had my first infusion a week ago- Taxol and Herceptin (plus all the fun pre-meds). All was relatively ok until 4/5 days out, when I started getting a rash all over my body... I tried Pepcid , Claritin and Benadryl cream at home, but it was not really working. I then started feeling slightly asmatic (I may have seasonal asthma 2-3 weeks a year, but I was not having it now). So, I called dr, and he put me on immediate steroids (Dex....). I had to take 5 pills at bedtime (what a terrible night!) and get up at 5AM for another 5.... but, the itching stopped and rash seemed to stop spreading. No moreTaxol for me....

Given what had happened, they put me on Abraxane today for infusion #2 . Fingers crossed that I'll be okay . They still did give me a hideous amount of Benadryl that left me feeling awful (my pulse went way up), Pepcid and more steroids. Wonder if that will always be the case?

My question- what has your experience with Abraxane been like? Anyone else doing it for Stage 1, nonmetastatic BC?

Strength to all! I need it to get through 10 more weekly sessions + 9 more months of Herceptin + radiation...

Angie

Kimberbir

T1aHER2NC~ I had an allegic reation to taxol the rash was one of the symptoms, I switched to abaxane after #4 and was able to do 11. I was exhausted and chose not to do #12 wanted to rest up to start AC. Abraxane was easier to tolerate for me.

T1AHER2NC

thanks for the note . Abraxane seems to be a better match for me. And now, hoping that insurance will actually cover it! USA med. system!

Best to all!

Angie

FarAwayToo

Angie, insurance will approve Abraxane if you had two confirmed reactions to Taxol. My insurance approval took some time, so I had to sign a waiver (and in the process, I found out just how much is one Abraxane infusion is!) for my first Abraxane treatment. I was switched after 5th Taxol (so I will get 5 Taxols and 7 Abraxane by the time I'm done).

Interestingly, I never had a rash on Taxol, I had reactions during the infusion: red face, neck, throat and chest tightness. The first time, when I didn't tell the nurse right away, tightness progressed to the point it was hard to breeze and I was coughing. After that first time, nurses knew I had a reaction and were watching me like hawks, turning the drip off at the first sign of red patch on my neck. I was told it was a classic reaction to cremofor, Taxol's solvent. Abraxane is protein bound, so no need for the solvent. Also, no need for steroids or benadryl, although my onc still wants me to have pepcid at infusion. Abraxane is better for me, because I don't react during infusions (those reactions were quite scary) but I now get the rash! It's not too bad, but I never had it on Taxol. My onc offered to give me steroid cream, but I'm managing it with moisturizer for now.

Anonymous

Found these reaction posts and thought I would post what I used when I turned allergic to prednisone (10 mg gave me hives all over, heart papls and shortness of breath) and cannot really take Benadryl. That made me worse when I tried.

"My DNP said my body is afire. She came up w Pepcid and Claritin together twice a day which will block both the H1 and H2 histamines."

I did this and started getting relief within hours, gone in 5 days.

Hope it helps someone.

Michele1340

has anyone heard about heart problems with Taxol .....or Herceptin

3 treatments with Benadryl and Decadron and from injection time to 3 days later I have heart pains .

Did an angio and my heart is in great shape only a 20% in one artery top .

Haven' read anything about heart pains .

PauletteK

Michele are you sure it is your heart not gas? Taxol gave me major acid reflux that is a common SE, try to take Pepcid see that helps or not. You should call your MO if it doesn’t work.