Taxotere is a nightmare

Shelly the nail thing just sucks. My nails  were worse once treatment stopped. It does get better but takes time. 1.18.2011 was my last chemo. Only 2-3 nails are a little tender but still lifted. I still have ridges. I figure it's going take me a full 1.5 years PFC for them to be close to normal maybe even 2. One toenail bed is ruined but who give a damn about toes. I didn't lose any fingernails (not sure how that happened) but did lose some toenails and one toenail had to be removed.

You are not   crazy. This nail  thing really sucks and is painful but it does eventually go away. I too was slow to get rid of all the fluid retention. My onc but me on a very low dose diuretic. I finally stopped taking it in September. I still retain a bit but not too bad. I have to watch the salt. Again I think some of us are slow to get this crap out of our system. My eyebrows and lashes are thinner than they were on chemo. Onc says that's chemo too. Granted my hair is thicker than ever. I will say I do feel pretty good in spite of all that. Give it time.

belleast. What's happening on taxotere? BTW have you check out the  Illinois ladies thread?

lago, explosive diarehea, severe joint/bone pain in  knees,hips,spine,long bones lot worse than taxol,pain meds not helping. hot flashes, headaches and scalp pain,fatigue. really like your posts lots of good info and help!

momine, my first taxol i had the same for 12 days. 2nd lasted 5 days, hoping it is just the shock of first treatment to my body. i thought the taxol bone pain was bad but this is a lot worse. only 1 more to go, i can do this!!!

lago, have lurked on illinois threatd but haven't posted.

Ugh Belle, that sounds nasty.

Hi Belleast, so sorry you feel so crappy. I suffered really bad nausea and bone pain from the Nuelasta. the pain was Mind numbing and crippling to say the least. I also had scalp pain, crazy hot flashes? I am 6 mos PFC still on Herceptin and still experience joint pain although exercise is helping. The pain during chemo finally was semi subsided by TX 3 by taking Tramadol. I had to take it 3-4 times per day for the first 5 days after, it was the only thing that offered any type of relief. Everyone reacts different. Are you taking l glutamine and l Carnitine, it helps ward off neuropathy and Biotin helps with hair and scalp dryness. I hear black cohash works wonders on hot flashes but being her2 and ER/PR positive I could not risk it. But please Check with your doc first before taking anything, but it all helps down the road. Good luck and remember its the drugs making you miserable not the disease.

BTW another thing I notice with my current fluid retention. When I go out and do my power walks my fluid retention goes away. Can't say what happened on chemo because after tx 4 I wasn't walking as much and by tx5 I wasn't walking at all. I will say that's when most of the extra weight came on.

Exercise gets the fluids  moving. Also drinking lots fluids helps too.

thank you,all, for the advice! Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!! now, where is my zantac?  LOL

belleeast - There is something called miracle mouthwash if your mouth gets really sore.  It's by prescription.  I almost got to the point of using it but didn't have too.  I did use the biotene spray pretty often for my throat and mouth.  I don't know about the knuckles being red.  I had heartburn and the onc PA told me that some women can't tell the difference between heartburn and nausea and she told me to take my anti-nausea meds more and see if that helped, it did.  Otherwise she wanted me to take some anti-heartburn medicine.  Hey, did I read right, just one more chemo for you?

belleeast,  talk with your onc about your symptoms...sounds like the same ones I got when I had a fungal infection...yeast over growth caused by the taxotere ridding my digestive tract of good bacteria.  I had to have 2 rounds of anti-fungals, eat yogurt every day, take a probiotic everyday (which I still do) and eat an "anti-candida diet" to get it under control.  I had severe abdominal burning, it wasn't indigestion, like they tried to say at first.  Prilosec didn't phase it.  I had the magic mouthwash Omaz mentioned.  (Fair warning...It is the nastiest tasting thing you will put in your mouth.)  I did not have the redness on the skin, but there are other ladies on here that did have the red skin with the yeast overgrowth.  Good luck to you, I hope you get better soon! 

Belleeast, I had similar problems while doing my chemo.  MO gave me a script for Diflucan (sp?) which is an antifungal pill that seemed to help.  Yogurt, yogurt, yogurt! 

As a side note, when my 'stuff' would start clearing from my tongue, my tongue would be extra sensitive, as if it was raw, so be prepared.  Ice water made it feel better.

I got a rx for the magic mouthwash for the sores, but it was so nasty as Omaz stated that I only used it once.  Decided it was easier to suffer than to swallow that crap!  But if you need it, you need it.  It has lanocaine to help with the pain, but no real redeeming fungal qualities.

Hope they have a good suggestion for you tomorrow belleeast.

Hi all - been reading the last dozen or so posts. I had 4 rounds A/C and then just had round 1 of 4 of Taxotere Dec. 12. I also get the Neulasta shot - but haven't had any problems with it on the previous four rounds of chemo. But after round one of Taxoter the bone pain was mind boggling so I was reading up on advice. Trying to prepare myself for my Jan. 4 round. I wasn't prepared for the pain and didn't have Aleve on hand, didn't try the Claritin, so will be stocked up this time. Looks like short of getting something more potent from my oncologist that I will have to suck it up and hope for the best. The pain started day 3 and the worst lasted for four days and subsided to something manageable for another couple days and just a dull pain that annoys me a bit here there since. Once I got past the pain I have found Taxotere with less other side affects than I experienced with Adriamycin and Cytoxen, but then again, I have only done round 1 and if like A/C each round brings on a bit more misery. 

Taking any and all advice. Good luck to all, and so sorry we are all in this ship together, but at least we have each others support. 

Greetings from Canada!

 I was told to look for this thread, it is famous! Just had my second Tax treatment Dec. 19, last one to come Jan. 10. Severe SE all the way around. Through 2 bouts of breast cancer this is the first time I have felt badly enough to post on a board. Taxotere is a nightmare and it's sometimes difficult to keep in mind that it is for the greater good. Thank you for sharing.. knowing I am not alone and going insane is helpful in it's own way

belleast - Glad you saw your doc.  Keep drinking fluids!!  Can you eat well right now?  Food will help build you back up.  Is the doctor planning to do the neulasta next time?

Belleast, as I suspected, you have the dreaded mucusitis.  I had it too.  Hang in, the meds will work pretty quickly.  Figured you were on your way to Diflucan.  It does work, but is just another med to add to the inventory of things to dispose of properly once this all clears.  My thoughts are with you.  I also strongly recommend yogurt as it helps replace the good bacteria that is so needed.

HUGS to all!