Question re: Taxol

LAlbright81 · February 2010

Hi, I'm currently on my 3rd round of Taxol and was wondering if anyone else had a problem with itching? Mostly it occurs in my hands, but I have noticed that sometimes it moves to my back, chest or abdomen. I don't seem to have a rash and usually the itchiness occurs when I'm exercising or have just washed my hands. I lotion religiously and use gloves to clean and do the dishes. The only thing that seems to help is benadryl. I'm not a huge fan of feeling drowsy but is there anything else I can try to help ease the irritation? Thanks!

NatureGrrl · February 2010

I never had that particular reaction but I took generic Claritin throughout my chemos (every night) and that may have masked any itching.

The first thing you might want to do is call your dr. and see what he/she recommends. It sounds like you're on the right track with benedryl. If you take it just at night (as opposed to during the day or just when you have the itching) as a preventive measure, does it still help prevent the itching? Might be worth a try to avoid the drowsiness, or at least some of it (benedryl makes me feel drugged the first few hours I'm up).

Some lotions are better at getting rid of itching than others so it might be worth it to try sample sizes of things like Gold Bond, I've never used it but it's supposed to be good; same with Eucerin (sp?) products. I used Melaluca Renew and it was great but again, I didn't have itching.

Good luck! those kinds of side effects can be really annoying!

musicmom3 · February 2010

Definitely you should let your doctor know. When I had taxol, they usually pre-medicated me with IV benadryl because it does have a tendency to cause allergic reactions. They could possibly up the pre-med to help relieve the itching afterwards.

poohsmom1947 · February 2010

The reaction is not unusual but let your dr know. Taxotere /taxol nearly killed me and 1 yr after finishing chemo I still have some burning and itching and my hands when I wash them still pour out black. I had mass doses of benadryl and decadron but each time i had it i stopped breathng and had to be put on oxygen. Then I read all the possible reactions and even the rare ones were what I experienced. I did not want to stop chemo for I felt if I did I would certainly die. I am convinced that taxol reactions are why I had to have the implants removed as my body was rejecting them. Each person reacts differently but your onc nurse or dr should be able to help you and there are some good creams to use.

LAlbright81 · February 2010

Thanks for all of the responses. I did tell my doctor about the itching and at first they seemed to think it wasn't an allergic reaction since that would mean the hives, swelling and possible anaphylaxis. Instead, they thought it might be an allergy developing to benadryl. So the last time I received the taxol infusion they changed the IV benadryl to oral Atarax. When on the benadryl, I would see a development in the itching day 4 or 5, right before I'd have to go back for another treatment, in other words. But with the Atarax, I had itching that day after the infusion and broke down, eventually taking benadryl by 7 pm that night. I know that in the long run, this is a very minor irritation and I only have 4 more weeks of chemo to go so I'm trying to manage my symptoms the best I can. Nonetheless, itching can get the better of me at times. Oh well.

So I've just been taking benadryl occassionally, when symptoms become unbearable and using any bags of frozen vegetables to soothe my poor hands along with topical corticosteroid cream. So far, I still have hands which I'm happy with.

Otherwise, I can only hope that there aren't too many long term effects (of taxol or chemo in general for that matter) since I'm petrified that there will be repercussions to my fertility (I'm 28 and never been pregnant) and then I'm about to go on Tamoxifen which has a whole other host of side effects including risk for uterine cancer. At this point I'm convinced that EVERYTHING causes cancer, including green M&Ms. Oh wel, I guess I should thank God that I'm still here and each day is a blessing, itching, no hair, weight gain or not. Sorry to complain, sometimes you just gotta get it out. Thanks for listening.

smerf · February 2010

Has anyone mentioned that there is a topical benadryl that is also over the counter. It mght be worth a try for your itching.

WildRose · February 2010

Taxol, my nemesis! I had such a bad reaction to taxol that it nearly killed me, and I still have problems with the nerves in my legs. The onc switched me to taxotere and the SEs were a bit more bearable.

Don't minimize the annoyance of itching! Laughing That nagging itch can make you crazy.

And don't feel bad about complaining. We all do our share!

I'm on tamoxifen now, so when you go on it yourself, don't be surprised if you find a drop in your libido. It can also make your hair fall out, too, although not as much as it does from the chemo.

Oh, joy. LOL.

LAlbright81 · February 2010

Oh wonderful, so much more to look forward to on Tamoxifen! Woohoo! Laughing

As for the hair, right now I feel a little like an onion that's been left out for too long! haha. I have these little white hairs all over my scalp and I feel so funny but I'm thrilled to have something on my head, even if they are baby fine and almost white!

Oh well, each day is one step closer to getting through chemo and onto the next hurdle. Feeling pretty good today, although tired. Hope the rest of you are hanging in there! Thanks, wildrose! And drop in libido- I'm afraid I haven't had much since this whole shenanigan got started. My poor husband. He's been a saint to put up with me!

Cheers and much love, Lauren

LAlbright81 · February 2010

Oh and the topical benadryl doesn't help so much, unfortunately. I feel like the itching is nerve related which is why the only thing that really seems to nip it in the bud is to totally ice my hands. It's quite annoying but it works the best. Thank goodness, 3 more chemos and I'm done!

Question re: Taxol

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