FEC chemo

Hello - I am about to start 6 rounds of FEc.  It is supposed to be easier on the heart (good).  FEC is used a verry great deal here in Britain, and mainland Europe.  It is perfectly true to say that many people have reported having a no-too-bad time on FEC.  The list of side effects tends to be the usual one, but people I have actually met told me they got on fairly ok.  The nurse at the Chemo room at my central London hospital told me that using coldcap treatment, ladies do fairly well retaining some hair too!   I would guess that isn't relevant for you just now, but others might like to know that.

 FEC is well established here, so it isn't in any way untried.  It is more recently used in the USA, so it might sound new, but isn't!

Very best wishes for everything -

Karen,

I have not had FEC yet. I have 3 more weekly Taxol left then it is off to 4 treatments of FEC. I hate to hear you were sick.I have already lost most of my hair due to the Taxol so I cant answer the question about the hair. I did my surgery first... 5/21/2009 (double mastectomy) then I started chemo on 6/15/2009. Have you had surgery or are you doing the chemo first? I will be watching this post just to see how everone is doing on FEC. I will be there soon......

May God Bless Us All

Hey Karen - sorry about the puking. I puked too, but like Kim, only for the first day. Then I was fine nausea-wise, but felt weird for about a week. My Onc gave me a Kytril IV for my second round, which  helped a bit, but didn't stop me puking. I actually felt better once I threw up!  If it is any consolation, I had no nauses what-so-ever with the taxatore.

My hair started coming out day 12 too! I remember sitting on the living room floor playing with my kids and literally pulling out handfuls. I buzzed it before the second round, and then it all just fell out after that. I didn't go completely 'shiny bald' though, and it did start to grow back a bit on the Taxotere. I am three and a half months out and look like I have a very very very short haircut! Waiting for some bangs.

Hi Karen,

I'm in Georgia and also had the FEC/Taxotere regime. Like a lot of the ladies who've posted, I had mostly nause with FEC (Emend helped a lot) and mostly joint/bone pain with Taxotere. I know for some it's cumulative. For me, the first of each was the worst (first FEC, then first Taxotere). They hit me like a ton of bricks, but then the next rounds were more doable. My advice is, like others have said, stay on top of the pain with Tylenol or other painkillers while you are doing Taxotere - it helped tremendously! You will do great though. This is agressive chemo and hopefully will kill every last cancer cell!

Oh, and hair fell out right around Day 12-13...

Jackie

I lost all of my hair. I had bought a very expensive wig before I lost it ended up wearing the thing just a couple of times ended up wearing caps. It has been 3mos since my last chemo and my hair is coming back it is so soft and I no longer wear caps I just go with the way it is, after all you go through with the treatments you are proud of what you have not what you dont have. In fact I am liking the idea of no bad hair days. Good Luck

Well ladies I have two treatments of FEC in now.  Two left to go and then on to four of Taxotere.  My second round of FEC wasn't bad at all.  I just had one day where I felt really nauseated but I only threw up once and once the nausea past, it never really came back full force.  Much easier to deal with than my first treatment. 

Take care everyone!

Hello FEC ladies!

Thanks for the info to date - I just wonder, did anyone else get a swollen abdomen on this regime?  Also I seem to be gaining weight horribly quickly........  aaaargh!

thanks!

Do steroid pills make you gain as well? 

Well that would explain why I can't stop stuffing my face.  hehe

Bumping for Luah

Hi Susan, I was diagnosed during my first mammogram too.  I had a BMX in April with immediate reconstruction (SIEA).  I started FEC on May 24/11.  Will be having FEC x3 and Taxotere x3 followed by some hormonal treatment (depending on whether chemo puts me into menopause) and likely radiation too.  My first FEC went well - felt off first night and only side effects since is some fatigue.  I have been told I will lose my hair after about 2 weeks.  I have such thick stubborn hair, I have a hard time believing it will cooperate with the expected loss but we shall see.

I had my mammogram in October 2010 and have had many many months to get used to all of the new developments and treatments.  I know the initial shock must be very difficult for you.  Waiting for test results is by far the worst experience of this whole BC experience.  Knowing, whether good or bad, allows you to move on with the treatment plan stage.

I have read a lot on this website and it has helped me tremendously to share in the experiences of others and have questions, almost always ones I did not pose myself, answered.  I hope you have the same experience.

By the way, I do not have a triple negative cancer but came across this thread when I did a search for people who had experienced FEC-T chemotherapy.  I am mostly posting on the chemotherapy threads.

Hi ladies,

I'm 30 years old and have been through 4 cycles of FEC now. On Friday, ten days after the chemo, at the nadir (lowest point for blood count) I quickly developed a fever. I've been in the hospital now for 3 days as my neutrophils are .7 and they need to be above 1 to let me go. My fever also comes and goes and I'm on antibiodics. I was wondering if anyone else developed a fever around that time and if it common? Everything is so new to me, I'd love to hear some responses.

Many thanks!