First Taxol a week ago: Now I have a horrible rash on my arms

Curlysue50

My onc dismissed red dots all over my arms right before I had my first Taxol treatment last Monday. On Tuesday, nausea, lower cramps and lower back pain and leg pains set in. On Friday I had blook and urine tests. Found out I had a urineary tract infection, on meds for that. Now the WORST is a horrible raised red bumps rash up and down my arms. I started Zofran for nausea which I had never taken on Tuesday, stopped on Thursday to see if that was the cause of the rash. On Friday, infusion nurse said she didn't know anything about a rash being caused by chemo. I called the cancer center of the weekend and talked to a resident who said she didn't either, but try hydrocortisone creme. I have been using the cream but the rash is still here. Ugh, it is uncomfortable. and UGH I'm not looking forward to the next Taxol. Has anyone had this bad rash..causes? cures?  Also did anyone get the urninary tract infection from Taxol?

ProudMom_Wife

Hi Curlysue-

Yes I developed a rash.  I did dense dose AC+T with the Neulasta shot after each chemo round.  The rash would appear about 5 days after each chemo treatment.  Then would disappear after my next treatment, then reappear about 5 days later.  Finally my MO and I figured out that I was having a reaction to something in the Neulasta shot because I skipped the shot with one of my chemo rounds because my counts were almost too high and surprise... no rash.  When I took the shot again the rash returned like clock work 5 days later.  My MO had me to take Claritin from that point on after I gave myself the shot and that controlled it until I was all the way through chemo treatments.  My MO thinks the steriods I was receiving with the chemo was clearing up the rash then would return after each Neulasta shot.  

You did not mention if you were geting the Neulasta shot, but thought I would share this just in case.

Curlysue50

Thanks..I have finished with AC, had neulasta shots and did not have this horrible rash. This is new. Onc and infusion nurse are saying it has nothing to do with chemo..I hardly believe that!

crazyride43

Curly sue I also had a rash from taxol, on my legs and later on my face. It was awful! My MO said it was from the taxol, and said to try over the counter rash treatments. They didn't work, but the rash did go away within a week.