Chemo May 2011

Laureen - Also - if the Kytril not worked for me they also had mentioned Aloxi (not sure about the spelling) but that was the thing I would have tried next

dlcw

dlcw,

thanks for the detailed info.  i will mentione both Kytril and Aloxi to my oncologist on monday to see which might be a potential candidate to replace my current Zofran/Compazine regimen.  Goodluck with deciding between local and stanford oncology.  I tried to get in a trial but I was too late as told.  I did my egg cell freezing at Stanford Fertility Clinic though before I started my chemo. 

Take care!

Laureen

I too am feeling so drugged up....definitely not myself.  I have been taking emend, dexamethasone, and zofran.  Also have prochlorperazine to take as needed but didn't take any of it today.  Tomorrow will be the first day without any of the anti-nausea meds (except for the as needed).  I'm a little nervous about that.  Also gave myself a nulasta shot today.  I am just now seeing all of the comments about taking claritan with that shot.  I didn't do that...how does claritan help?  I guess I should ask my MO about it before my next treatment.  For now, I'm just praying for none of the joint/bone pain!  

 It's hard to imagine living this drugged up (or maybe its the fatigue) for the next 4 months.  Or maybe just 2 months....is taxol easier on the body?  I have AC x4 and T x4.   

Txladysara- hi I am doing FEC had first tx 5/3 so 11 days out now - keep on top of the constipation and take aid sooner rather than later! the gastro tract goes into chemo shock and much better to use a laxative prophylactically!

Candice - thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way!!!

BKJ66 - the whole treatment process is overwhelming at times and it helps me if I keep the image of a tunnel in my mind whenever I seem to hit a mental brick wall! That said, antidepressants can help- I have a clinical depression ( came out if the blue 4 years ago) which is hormonally related and have found medication to be very beneficial- it will also have the side benefit of reducing the hot flash side effect when I start tamoxifen!! Gotta find an up-side!

Day 11 post 1st treatment and feeling great! I had my hair cut short pixie style and it suits so will enjoy it for a week or so before it all falls out ! Spent the day pruning in the garden and while I get puffed out quick am feeling healthy and energetic! So far the only side effect has been the nausea gastro upsets for the first 7 days. I am going to speak to the oncologist about fasting before chemo to reduce chemo side effects. a study detailing 10 case reports seems quite promising. I would rather take less medication if the nausea can be controlled without it. I will see what the MO says.

Good Luck to all those in the chair this week! Robyn

Cyborg,

I hope you are doing okay.  Just saw your post being on the ER with fever.  Oh dear!  Hugs to you.  Feel better.

Laureen

So how long can we take these anti-nausea meds?  Kinda of scared to stop taking them!

Sue53,

Hi!  I was directed to use my anti-nausea meds "as needed" or PRN.  However, since my first treatment last Monday, I ahve been taking them around the clock.  I only started "as needed" yesterday, on my 6th day.  I lasted 18 hours wihtout nausea and headache!  I felt good, too - not drugged.

Best to ask your oncologist about it though.

Take care,

Laureen

My understanding about Neulasta vs neupogen is the neupogen is the original drug, and needs to be given daily for several days - I've read people getting it 4 - 6 days. It causes less bone pain because the dose is smaller, thus the bone marrow isn't pushed as hard to produce those emergency white blood cells. Neulasta is so named becomes it "lasts", and is a heavy, one-time dose so you don't have to go daily for shots. Apparently, Medicare will pay for people to give it to themselves if they live far too from a center to go daily; Blue Shield won't do that, cuz I tried.



The Claritin is not an "official" drug to ease bone pain from Neulasta - may not be needed for neupogen, since the dose is smaller. When I asked my onc and nurses about Claritin, they shrugged and said they'd heard it, too, and that it couldn't hurt. Somewhere I read Stanford is gearing up a phase I trial for it, but I can't find any more info on that.

Hope all goes well for you!  Hugs!

Add me to the May group also; I'll be on cytoxan and taxotere.  Was accepted into a Herceptin 3rd stage trial for HER2 low people, but my envelope put me in the "no Herceptin" control group.  I'm already into anxiety attacks & PC doc prescribed light Ativan dose.  After reading the posts here about taxotere's SEs I realized I have less time than I thought before the hair starts falling out, so I ordered a wig from wigs.com and some scarves & sun hat things from TLC.  I live in the desert, so cool head coverings are almost a must. Hopefully they'll all be here before the hair is not.

Note:  I did a search for "coupons for wigs.com" before placing my order and found a 25% off code.  Keep this idea in mind if you're ordering wigs and head paraphernalia on line.

So here I am with everyone else trying to keep my knees from shaking and hoping for the best.  I'm alternating between feeling like I'm on my way to Auschwitz, Reverend Jones' coolaid party, or prison--or I'm just living some sick pretend joke that keeps me on the edge of breaking out into hysterical laughter.  Whatever it is is without doubt a severe feeling of unreality.

Thank you ladies, all of you, for being here. 

Welcome to those just joining!

Marybe, you are not being petty-I voted for you and we need all the fun stuff that can take away thinking of cancer for any amount of time, we deserve it, you deserve it! What a great picture!

dlcw-glad to hear your friend is doing well, made my day! How long did they wait after chemo for your surgery? I knowmthat will be awhile for me, but I forgot to ask!

Mccrimmon, so is the 6 treatments of all 3 together? TAC? It seems like many do that protocol also, I know nothing about it, but it seems like it might be harder to handle with side effects? I am actually doing 4 ac, or however many I can handle, getting muga scans before each one since I have already done ac 8 years ago, and then I am doing taxol/carb x 12 (not sure if the carbo part is x12 or e/o) I asked my doc if I could do abraxane instead of taxol because of some side effects I had 8 years age, I think he agreed, but I will talk to him again before I start that part.

Today is a better day for me, physically and mentally! Feel stronger, have a bit of bone pain, headache, from neupogen shot probably. I have to go get another shot today. I do suffer from depression and started up again with effexor when I was first diagnosed, I do think it is helping, not feeling so panicked all of the time.

Cyborg, how are you feeling? Did they pump you full of antibiotics? You better take it easy!

At my onco's the nurse I mentioned claritin to said Oh, I think Susan Love talked about that in her book.  I am not a real fan of Dr.Love since after reading her stats when finding out I was Stage lV I thought it was curtains for me right then and there, but if she recommends it, there must be something to it.  The reason my onco prefers the neulasta is because he knows I am going to be working as long as I am possibly able and that going in there every day for a shot of neupogen would be far less easy for me to do, BUT I supposed if I get the bad SEs once again, maybe we will go for the once a day and I can go on my lunch hour.  I am feeling halfway normal now and just took tylenol today. 

BKJ....thanks for the vote...I am still a longshot, but thanks to the help of my friends both on and off of BCO I am slowing moving up.

Ruthii, It is all pretty overwhelming to begin with.  If you get a RX for a wig (cranial prosthesis...for some reason I found that term very funny) from your onco, your ins will pay for at least part of a wig....I think mine would pay up to $175, but I did not get any that were than expensive and I found inexpensive ones that looked good.  This time I am going the scarf and bandanna route. 

Prune juice is the natural non-med alternative to liquid plumber or draino. No, really, granny always used to give us a glass of prune juice and that stuff opened up some blocked drains I tell you!

Loviesmom2,

Thanks so much for the prune juice suggestion.  will chug some later.  i loved your metaphor on the draino!  LOL!

Thank you,

Laureen