Questions for Taxol Veterans

GregH
GregH Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Hello,

My wife is being treated for early stage breast cancer.  Here treatment is weekly taxol (80mg/m2 and herceptin 4mg/m2 push then 2mg/m2).  They gave her 4mg of decadron as well as benadryl and ativan as a pre-treatment.  She had her first infusion last week and 24 hours after the infusion she had a facial rash with some small welts, a slight fever of 99.5, a sore throat and painful eyes.  The symptoms lasted about 4 hours.  Otherwise things went pretty well, slight tingling in toes and fingers but no nausea.  She is worried that this is an allergic reaction and that it will be worse the next treatment and is afraid she will have a more severe reaction and perhaps wind up in the hospital.  Has anyone had a similar reaction and did you indeed have more severe reactions as the weeks dragged on?  Thank you very much for any insight you may have.

Greg

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Comments

  • havehope
    havehope Member Posts: 503
    edited April 2009

    I am on my Taxol #6 and with each tx on my 4th day, I get a red rash on my face and I feel like a puffy fish - swollen. (Hypothetical speaking since I have no clue how a puffy fish feels).  But it goes away. I take 20 mg decadron 12 hrs and then another 20 mg 6 hrs the night before treatment and then another 20 mg before infusion. We had to cut on decadron because I started having SE from decadron (high sugar). Taxol dosage changes with my blood work. Here are my Taxol dosages: 80 -80-100-60-60-80. I also take benadryl 50mg and Pepacid 20mg one hour before transfusion. I am not on herceptin. The signs to watch are neuropathy and anemia. These two can put a stop the treatment. I wish your wife easy treatment and no SEs!

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  • sorchaj
    sorchaj Member Posts: 36
    edited April 2009

    My biggest problem with Taxol was the joint pain. I was literally unable to walk for 3 days. The pain would kick in at about 48 hours post infusion and last from 3 to five days. They put me on a fentanyl patch as I was unable to tolerate other pain meds, but even the patch caused me problems. I am so glad to be done with Taxol!

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  • BrandonMom
    BrandonMom Member Posts: 412
    edited April 2009

    Greg,

    Rash and flu-like symptoms are also side-effects of Herceptin.  Sometimes these get better after the first dose.  Definitely let your onc know. 

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  • mkurtzman
    mkurtzman Member Posts: 33
    edited April 2009

    I had a terrible time with taxol.  My hemoglobin at one time went down  below 2 so you can imagine  what a dangerous situation I was in.  I am now a 3 year survivor but taxol has left me with a good case of neuropothy and I am very anemic.  I have to get a shot of aranesp every two weeks in order to raise my hemnoglobin level to about 10.5

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