taxol worse than AC

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bludevil
bludevil Member Posts: 31
edited October 2017 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

My mom had her first round of four Taxols a week ago today and doesn't seem to be bouncing back as quickly as her four rounds of AC.The fatigue and joint pain are much worse, she said.

I'm reading that many people on this board have an easier time with the Taxol than the AC. Has anyone had a harder time with the Taxol? Does anyone have any advice?

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  • cbm
    cbm Member Posts: 475
    edited August 2010

    Hi, bludevil.  I think maybe it's the cumulative effect, and it will get better.  If she is not allergic to the Taxol, and you would know it by now, it may be that in a few weeks the side effects will abate. 

    Lots of fluids will help.  My clinic welcomed patients who had trouble drinking a lot of fluid to come in and get a "happy meal" intravenously between treatments--saline, zantac, whatever helped.  The point was to make sure we were as comfortable as possible.  You might ask your mom's oncologist if that is feasible.  The practice I go to is huge; not all are able to do the extras.

    I also think that with Taxol, they might cut back on the premeds, and it is also possible that her whites or reds blood cell counts are low and they are not giving the neulasta, neupogen, or arenesp shots they do with AC.  I had to ask them to check mid week.  I got shots for the first few weeks of Taxol because I didn't bounce back as fast as I thought I should.  They would have been more patient, not me--I don't like feeling lousy.

    Warmly, hugs to you and your mom.

    Cathy 

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited August 2010

    I had also heard that the taxol was easier to deal with thn the a/c so I figured things would get better when I started it - had a terrible time with thew a/c.

    Wrong.

    Also had a terrible time with the taxol - actually found it harder than the a/c. Since the se's are cumulative it was harder each time. Like your mother, I had 4 treatments of each. I had terrible bone and muscle pain. OTC painkillers worked for the first 2 treatments but not the second 2. I ended up using percocet, since it was the only thing that relieved the pain. If your mother is having pain, I suggest she askes for something strong now so she has it if she needs it.

    This might not be the perky "it will be fine" that you want to hear, but knowing it's something that can be handled should be helpful for your mother. If you have any other questions, just ask either on this thread or in a pm.

    Best of luck and love to you and your mother.

    Leah

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  • fightinhrd123
    fightinhrd123 Member Posts: 633
    edited August 2010

    Bone pain here too, it was horrible, had to take dilaudid and just lay in bed!  I didnt need the neopagen shots or anything with it though, and if i hadnt had the bone pain i think i wouldve felt ok

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  • bludevil
    bludevil Member Posts: 31
    edited August 2010

    @ Leah_S... Thanks... I wasn't looking for perky and upbeat, I was looking for reality. I wanted to make sure this was "normal" and not something that I should be concerned about. I keep telling my mom that painkillers are OK for this, but she keeps refusing them.

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited August 2010

    I didn't take them at first either - I thought, why take a painkiller when it's "just" for a SE? Then I thought, well, if it hurts, take the fool pill! So I did.

    Best of luck to your mother, tell her to take what she needs to feel as comfortable as she can.

    Leah

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  • Lisv1010
    Lisv1010 Member Posts: 4
    edited September 2017

    So far for me the a/c was harder, I'm doing ok with the taxol, just a sensitive stomach, After 3 treats I have occasional shooting pain in legs but so far I'm doing ok.

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  • Castigame
    Castigame Member Posts: 752
    edited September 2017

    I had 4 DD AC immediately followed by 4DD taxol. I was funtional by day 5 for AC while I was not till day 12 or 13 for taxol.

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited September 2017

    Bluedevil, like others have said the effects of chemo are cumulative and by the time we start taxol on this regimen we are already exhausted. One thing you may want to do, is make sure your Mom tells her oncologist about all the side effects she is experiencing on taxol, she shouldn't be holding this back. They can adjust the dose if necessary or if it gets worse stop a little sooner. They might have meds for some of the side effects too.

    I went through AC without major complications but taxol was tough on me. My dose had to be reduced starting from the 2nd or 3rd cycle because of elevated liver enzymes and i developed mild neuropathy by the end of treatment. Fortunately, it all went away rather quickly after the completion of treatment except for mild edema in the left foot.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited September 2017

    This was a 7 y/o Thread that had not been posted in those yrs. The OP hasn't been back to the Site in over a year.

    For me, my 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant did not slow me down at all. 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant were NASTY! Was completely and utterly EXHAUSTED the entire time. The EXHAUSTION did start wearing off a week after last Taxol and continued to get better weekly throughout my 25 rads which started a week after last Taxol.

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  • sisterhasbc
    sisterhasbc Member Posts: 18
    edited October 2017

    My sister found taxol worse than AC as well, but she did get through it and once she finished did gradually feel better. Lots of stomach issues on the taxol and pneumonitis (which may have been from the herceptin, can't tell which, they stopped herceptin because of this) and oddly very itchy arms. She has recovered from everything except the itchy arms which are still driving her nuts 3+ months after finishing taxol.

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