need help with tch symptoms

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kathleenk
kathleenk Member Posts: 6
edited June 2014 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

Hello All, Hope this is  the right place to post. Would appreciate any advice for the following. Had 1st of tch 1 week ago followed by unremitting bone pain! Unable to get comfortable on percocet any other palliation, unable to sleep comfortably for 5 days. 1st relief yesterday, pain less but still present.fyi Took decadron 18mg day before, of and after tch. Pain started 24hrs after decadron. Wonder if a taper might be better. Now past 3 days skin gone from roof of my mouth. Biotene helps but unable to eat any texture. Thank God for popsicles, ensure and watermelon! Scheduled for herceptin  only today and next week before # 2 of 6 scheduled tch. PLEASE tell me there is something I can do for the bone pain? Praying it is from the taxotere and not the herceptin. Managing constipation, diarrhea, hair loss, fatigue etc. in no small part to the great advice on this site. Many thanks in advance for any experience. Blessings to you all. Kathleen

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  • orange1
    orange1 Member Posts: 930
    edited August 2009

    Did you receive Neulasta (White blood cell bosster) after your treatment?  This caused me severe bone pain with 1st treatment.  Onc nurse said it is common, especially in people with small bones.  Mostly resolved by cutting Neulasta dose by 1/4 (at oncs suggestion) for remaining treatments.  My WBCs were still fine with the reduced dose and pain was controlled with tylenol for sebsequent doses. Good Luck 

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  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited August 2009

    As orange said, Neulasta often causes bone pain. It is often give 24 hours after chemo. Some say that Claritin and Tylenol help for bone pain from that.

    If you go to the Chemotherapy forum or search, there is a thread titled taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin where a lot of us on that combo hang out and help each other. There is almost always someone who has had the same symptom or problem to help.

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  • JeninMichigan
    JeninMichigan Member Posts: 2,974
    edited August 2009

    I had TCH last summer.    They too thought maybe the Neulasta shot was giving me such horrible pain.   Mine was in my hips something fierce.   I took Motrin pretty much around the clock before during and after chemo.    I also starting drinking a ton of mineral water.   I would guzzle it during chemo and afterward.  Hard to say if it helps but seems like it helped with many of my symptoms.   I hung onto bone pain for a few months after TCH finished but I was getting Zometa too and that causes the pain.  

    Jennifer

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  • mmm5
    mmm5 Member Posts: 1,470
    edited August 2009

    Same here I was in so much pain after first Neulasta shot that I was scared to death. It got much better each time.

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  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited August 2009

    I forgot to mention - if it is Neulasta which is causing the problem, I had Neupogen which isn't as strong but you need to take multiple shots. The shots are taken one a day. The first couple of times, had a blood test after 3 shots to see where that had put my WBC and 3 was enough so that's all I took each cycle. Because it is weaker and shorter acting, it isn't as likely to produce side effects and I didn't get any bone pain from it.

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  • Beach
    Beach Member Posts: 127
    edited August 2009

    Kathleen,

    I just recently finished Taxotere with Herceptin and since have had 2 Herceptin tx on their own.  During Taxotere, I was never given Neulasta or Neupogen (not sure why), but did experience a lot of bone pain after the decadron wore off.  I was prescribed Tylenol 3 to help manage the pain......helped but didn't take it away.  I still have lingering pain that comes up every so often, but it has nothing to do with Herceptin.  Taxotere is a harsh drug and the side effects can linger for quite some time.  Hugs to you!

    Sandy

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  • janet11
    janet11 Member Posts: 262
    edited August 2009

    I had Neulasta after cycles 2-6 of TCH (for the first cycle, the dr simply monitored to see if I NEEDED it.  Turns out I did).  I took Tylenol for about 3 days each time and that handled it.  I was lucky NOT to get severe pain, just aches.

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  • Vegasmom
    Vegasmom Member Posts: 33
    edited August 2009

    Hi Kathleen,  I too had extreme bone pain.  But I was told to take aleive before my next shot.  Which I did and it seems to help.  Also I took 8mg decroden the first time & had a terrible reaction.  So antsy, could not sit still to even watch TV, I just felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin, and when I tried to sleep forget it-I was up every 5 minutes.   This was on day 3 & 4 after chemo.   So I called the doc, and they said it was probaly from the steroids.  They sent in a percription "to calm me down" Lorezapam.  It did help-slept like a mack truck that night.    So they lowered my steroid dose this next time to 4mg, and so far so good.  So it could be from the shot of nuelesta or the steroids, but don't be afraid to call your doctor.  Mine also gave me loratabs for the bone pain, but I think the alieve works better.  Hope this helps......Tanya

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