Taxotere is a nightmare

FrancesC - I had the BigD through all 6 TCH, for 10 days after each tx but not bad enough to medicate and possibly cause the Big C, but bad enough that I didn't leave the house.

The explanation given to me is that the problem is really dry eyes even when you have Taxo-tears.  I had it up until about 2 weeks ago, so it stopped for me 4 weeks after the last chemo.  Try emollient/lubricating eye drops. Yay for the last chemo!

Robyn, I had symptoms related to neuropathy within 4 days of first dose, but symptoms can also occur a few weeks after completing all doses, a phenomenon called "coasting" where symptoms can seem to be OK right after treatment, then get much worse over several weeks or months. But from what I have heard, it seems that this may resolve more quickly or completely.

About the fatigue, my MO told me that doses of A/C are cumulative, and this was true. Each treatment was worse than the last as far as fatigue went, and it started about day 3, so I was lulled into a false sense of well-being the first 2 days! I absolutely could NOT walk after 3rd and 4th rounds like I had promised myself I would do.

Special K and DragonFly, Thank you for the information!  I am happy to know that it should resolve itself. 

Thank you ladies for the advice on taxotere neuropathy! It really is the thought of long term effects that stress me out!

Maria-Malta - my DH is Maltese and we travelled to Malta in July 2007 -such a wonderful country And people!!! we can't wait to come back even though I won't try it again in July as I have never been so hot!! Maybe a after BC holiday!!

Dry eyes is always my week 3 SE when everything else is working well! Lots of lubricating eyedrops to help the taxotears!

I just experienced  taxatere hell...every symptom mentioned and then just got out of hosptial due to Fever and low WBC and opportunitistic infection and horrible mouth sores...the worst are the mouth ulcers...can't eat or swallow...not nice here...I have so many drugs now they fill the entire  vbathroom counter. Stuck on pain killers and diflucan and antibiotics and magic mouthwash...which barely lasts long enough to get relief...anyway, it was my first go...they will adjust the second dosage lower but may go gradually back up...Depends on how I do...I feel that I  am in a horror movie...my thrush made me have a black furry tongue overnight....creature from the black lagoon....

DO any of you get advice from friends that is so off the mark...ie: Just take grapefruit seed concentrate and your thrush will be gone in an hour...all these suggestions while well intended are very difficult to be polite about.

Paintingmywaythru I would be careful of eating anything from a grapefruit. Grapefruit counter acts many drugs. So far now one has given me advice but I would thenak them then tell them you prefer to listen to what your doctor recommends. If they still push I would again explain that your doctor has a medical degree, specialization in cancer and had many many years of experience treating cancer. S/he should know a little better than your average person how to treat your specific disease. 

Doxetaxel
Interactions with foods
Grapefruit or grapefruit juice may change the level of docetaxel in your blood. Check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about whether these or other foods may be a problem.

source linky 

I did the crushed ice for tx 4, 5, &  6. I never had really bad sores but my tongue would get very sore. The ice in mouth worked for me but it doesn't work for everyone. Now the frozen peas did not work on my fingernails.

I know grapefruit is totally off the list so I jsut thoguht...people want to help but come up with some stupid ideas. 

NMOSS 1000 I did use all the thing you said and I still got thrush. I started the biotene 3 weeks before my first chemo. I drank chobani with a banana everyday  forever..and I took probiotics. I still got hit in my mouth. I was trying every possible way to boost everything prior to chemo...had my teeth cleaned a week before. Now I have mouth ulcers and have 3 different swishes, a nystatin rinse, a lidocaine rinse and a mix of kaopectate, nystatin and benedryl. I was told it will take about 2 weeks to clear up becaue once there is an ulceration your body has to work to heal it and obviously my auto-immune system as hammered.

Special K thanks on the  mention of  Caphosol. I got it on Monday and all the other thrush stuff on Tuesday but it was too late and my WBC plummeted to 1.4 so somehow my mouth  was the place that my bosy got hit.

I would like to trade in my mouth for a new mouth for the next 2 weeks..........jsut cna't find abody shop that has that spare part.

I did get the neulasta shot July9th..had chemo July 8th...

Now have an entire counter of drugs and I lsot 6 pounds in 2 days and even with IV fluids in the hosptial was osing weight because my mouth is on fire.

I am so gald other SE's are gone but this is like being a chipmunk who can't squeek. If not for medicine I don't want to think what could have happened.

So now it is a series of meds and washes and drinks to numb my mouth enough so I can swallow an icy yogurt drink....very unpleasant but at least I am able to swallow without crying.

At least my family gets a very quiet me!

Susan, sounds like you have had an especially rough time with first round. Each round is a bit different, but low wbc and neuropathy are 2 things that would require reduced or delayed dose, or even discontinuing if necessary.  I had to discontinue after 3rd round because of the neuropathy, and still have symptoms (wish we had decided to switch drugs after first round, but that is behind me now, and it DID kick those cancer cells out!!).

Taxotere is docetaxel, Taxol is paclitaxel, both are plant-derived, and work on the microtubules in cells that are actively dividing to stop them, so they affect cancer cells as well as any cells in the body that are actively dividing, such as those in the GI system, blood cells, and skin.  So these cells are the ones that are most commonly involved in any SEs. So between decreasing the wbc and affecting the oral mucosa, thrush is common.  Also yeast vaginitis can be a problem for women who are susceptible.

I think many of us could handle this drug if it just had a couple of SEs that went away after we finished, but there are just SO MANY SEs combined, affect just about every part of our bodies, that it just becomes more than annoying. And yet, we survive and, hopefully, thrive.

paintingmywaythru- I had thrush both tx 1 and 2. Horrible mouth sores, nausea and wt loss, low WBC even with neulasta. I agree, it's annoying to hear suggestions which may or may not help, as if you have any control over thrush. Everyone gets different side effects. I have no neuropathy from taxotere or pain from neulasta. The only thing that helped me a little was to anticipate thrush, and start diflucan at the first sign of a slightly white tongue and that funny burning feeling. The nurse told me to take 2 diflucan the first day and have the prescriptions ready before chemo. It wasn't as bad this time. Thrush is an opportunistic infection-it lurks around in our bodies, and when we are healthy, we easily fight it off. Those of us whose white counts drop the most are at higher risk of getting thrush. I had it so bad the first time that even a lightly toasted piece of bread hurt my mouth. All the mouthwashes and nystatin are temporary. I gave up on nystatin except for day one-thinking it may prevent thrush from spreading down my throat. But, for me, at least, best treatment early diflucan, double dose first day. I'm sure I'll have it tx 3 and 4-my counts drop too much not to get it. Hope that helps.