taxotere and permanent hair loss

I just remember how upset someone who posts here regularly was the day she found the embrace the bald thread.  I felt terrible that what was a light hearted thread for the most part ended up making a hard situation worse.  Made me very paranoid about the topic since that time.

okblessed,  I've been massaging everything from coconut oil to olive oil for quite some time, by this stage I should be having surgery to remove unwanted hair growth from my eyebrows, but alas my eyebrows have not retruned.  I had given up hope of them ever returning but I might just purchase one of those pointy finger massage devices that you talk about and give it a try, it might just wake those hair follicles up! 

I'm kinda in denial about my 'thin' spot at the top of my head, my hairdresser laughs at me as when she places the mirror at the back of my head to show me how my hair is sitting, I close my eyes tight... if I can't see it it's not there!  (it's not there anyway... back in my denial box I go).

I was on Taxotere and Cytoxan - twice.

I am now 18 months out and the hair, on my head, has returned but not "normal". I have 2 or 3 inches of very kicky - straw-like hair. (Looks like a Brillo Pad)  No matter what I do, it looks awful - but at least I do have some. 

WHile on TC I lost every hair on my body and not all of it has returned. I am still bald in a number of places, including pubic and under arm hair, where not one single hair has rerturned. I guess I should be happy, maybe Ill never have to shave again

Can anyone tell me about the massaging of the head to help the folicals come in I have done it but not sure if I am doing it correctly and it tends to make my head sore ha...I have some thin hair coming in and I wouold like a norm head full...I have dropped the wig too hot and my hair does alot better when I am not wearing it I was without it for over 3 weekds on medical business my expander out and new boob in and vacation combined and while the hair only had a ball cap it seemed to do alot better...

Great Okblessed can you tell me where you got your large massagers I only have a huge thing by homedics that is for your back or neck or leg I guess it would scramble what brain cells I have left it is electric and can you give me a idea where to purchase them? Please dont tell me a adult store we have only walmarts kmarts and walgreens in this little town but they have a adult store go figure ....ha

How many rounds of this did you have?  I'm 3x[-], good surgical result, no mets, very little hair courtesy of Red Demon on previous BC treatment, facing taxotere--- hoping to keep/re-grow my eyelashes!!! ---

 If one more person tells me at least your ALIVE I know that dummy is what I want to say but I have gone through summer 08,fall08 winter 08and 09 spring 09 and now summer 09 its not that easy I have done almost every thing even the massaging I have a electric one my neighbor lent me and I try and do it every night so the picture of me is the electric massager on my head and the electric pump on my arm for the Lymphedema from the breast cancer is this isn't a beautiful sight I have come along way from the primping perfect weight lady I was to I need to loose 20 pounds etc and gain the hair...I did get my boob but now I have to go back next summer and get a nipple you would think they would have a all in one package oh well ....I did want to tell you I started a vitiam that cost 40.00 for 200 pills I take 2 a day I thought I would give it a try and its for Healthy hair and skin and nails so I have only started it about 5 days I will let you all know how it is working. I have been told to try Rogaine I wont do it your hair falls out when you stop it. I have ditched the wig for now so I have a pink and a white and a red ball cap those are my favorite colors to wear and the hair grew so much when I ditched the wig so I think it suffocated the hair. I am still very thin in spots and I can feel like whiskers coming in and my hair on my body parts are not coming back very fast at all. I was excited when I went to Boston to my sisters and my hair grew but now its slowed down since I came home. I am also doing the cold water rinse too to wake it up ....thanks for all the suggestions ladies too. I will post my picture I am going to the hair dressers this week to see if he will want to shape it sometimes hair grows better with a trim and its getting wild in areas by my ears...Another hair dresser told me in Boston to do this she said it also gives it a pattern to grow and it makes you feel better and we all want to feel better ..I have also signed up for a after cancer re hap class its 284.00 and they are suppose to work on you with weights and cardio for 12 weeks twice a week I thought this might give me a new lift with my baby of 3 sons moving out in August for college I have had kids in my House for almost 31 years I will survive ....my middle one said he would move back in NO....ha .

Maura

Maura,

I just want to say AMEN to the "at least you are alive" comment.  People who have not been through this do not understand what it means to get your hair back.  I have had people tell me it is no big deal.  Maybe they would like to shave their head and walk around in public??  I know they mean well and try to help me see the big picture, but I just want my own hair back to feel like I really made it through all of this successfully.  I started chemo in 2004, finished in January 2005 and am still bald on top.  I too am trying the massager - hope it works.  I found a steroid cream that I am trying now.  The side effect is excessive hair growth.  It is called Kenalog cream.  My onc told me to use it nightly for two weeks, then off for two weeks because it will break down your skin.  I've been through one cycle so I can't tell yet if it is working.  I start my second two weeks tonight and I'm going to use the massager with it.  I'll let you all know if I get any results. 

Happy Birthday Pam.  Mine in next Thursday.  Funny how they mean so much more now than they used to.

Elaine

Hi enjoylife.  I'm just on my second two weeks now, so I can't really see anything new yet.  I have been putting the cream on and then using the massager with it.  Hoping to get a double dose Ha!  I'll keep you all informed and hey, I forget to tell you that this cream is on Wal-Mart's $4 list.  My doctor wrote the rx for a large tube and I got three small tubes for $4.  What a deal!!  It's the generic brand, but I use generics a lot and can't tell that there is any difference.  The active ingredient is the same.  Have a great day!!

Can someone tell me whn your hair goes from baby fine thin to feeling like real hair and not babys hair?

 Oh my I was hoping my hair was coming in more and more which it is but thin and baby soft I hope it comes back soon I want to live again and its holding me back from going to alot of things and places if you know what I mean. This is part of staying well to get us back not a hot wig our hair stragjht or curly more hair than our babies had ...I hope somone can find a way for the hair to come in and I will let you know how the steriod cream does I dont look for much from it dont ask me why its my attiude I guess try this try that stand on your head for 3 hours and nothing works only kidding about standing on your head.

Good growing this weekend

Maura

 I hear you Charlotte I was on it from May 15th until August 28th of 2008 every 3 weeks and we shouldnt have to worry about it coming back its our crown so hopefully it will not happen to you and maybe someone will create someting to help our hair come back faster and evenly ....

Maura

Hi Charlotte,

Good luck to you on your journey.  My chemo was from August 2004 to January 2005 and very little hair on top of my head.  This is due to taxotere.  I still wear a hairpiece or a hat unless I am at home.  Taxotere has affected a small percentage of us (I think 6.3%), but I have to say that it is devastating and it doesn't matter if it happens to 1 or 1,000,000.  Please take a minute to go to Wikipedia and search for Taxotere.  It will return the result Doxetaxel which is the same thing.  It is a few pages long, but if you look toward the end at adverse effects you will find that hair loss is sometimes permanent.  I would print this out and take it to your doctor because the pharmaceutical company does not tell them about this side effect either.  Good Luck.