Taxol Chemotherapy

Kim- that sounds about right..hang in there..feel better

Beth, Magic Mouthwash might help your sore throat.  It has helped the sores in my mouth and my sore thoat from my weekly Taxol.  There are several formulas and your onc can prescribe it for you.

I get 15 mg of decadron with my Taxol.  One treatment I had only 4 mg of decadron and I had stabbing pains in my feet and muscle pain in both legs.  Those lasted for 2-3 days.  With the 15 mg, I don't have the muscle pain but do occasionally have some foot pain.  Again, my Taxol is weekly.

For me though the biggest SE is fatigue.  Hope you feel better soon!

Phyllis

Beth- my onc also gave me a prescription rinse for the sore throat. It is not the magic mouthwash but it seemed to work, ask your onc for something definitely.

Im wondering if you ladies are finding it harder and harder to bounce back from each treatment? Im DD so I go every other week. I go for my taxol on Wed and I am still not feeling like I have recovered from the last one. It seems to be getting harder and harder to tolerate.  Is this what you are all finding also?

Beth, my mouth was burning when I ate and drank things also. This evening I found 2 sores under my tongue. I'll be calling the oncologist tomorrow!

I have the Magic Mouthwash and it didn't help. My joints and muscles hurt so bad yesterday. My oncology nurse told me to take one of my pain meds if I started aching. My husband gave me one last night and I slept for 8 hours. When I got up today, it was hard to walk. My feet hurt, my hands are numb but my throat didn't hurt until I ate some breakfast. I am looking forward to going to the ocean when this is all over.

I cannot imagine working through all of this. I can't drive because of the pain.I am losing my eyebrows and eyelashes are coming out. I am being pressured to return to work but I cannot work in the public. The last time I worked, I ended up in the hospital for three days.

Only 3 more and I am finished. A lot of people think I will automatically be back to normal but it may take a while for me to get back to normal.

Take care everyone and we get through this!

Laura, my side effects are very manageable so far...so take heart! Taxol is different than AC and I'm finding it easier, although not side-effect free. I just have to remember to try to do what I can to avoid the ones I can avoid, so I'm proactice.

I take L-lysine to protect against mouth sores and use a non-sodium laurel sulfate toothpaste...so far so good.

I would like to ask anyone if they've noticed that their nose bleeds though..It doesn't gush out--not a true nose bleed, but when I blow my nose I see blood spots on my tissue at times.   My nose seems to be running a lot more than usual for this time of year (it's cold where I live).

Claire

Kim and Beth- so sorry to hear about the pain and the mouth sores.  I had a sore throat my first 2 AC treatments but have not had any issues since..knock wood. 

Claire- I have read on other threads that the nose bleed issue is commen with taxol and its relatives

I am still struggling with zero appetite..I have to force down a protein shake and some yogurt. I am feeliing weak and more fatigue and I am sure this is why.  Anxiety is getting the best of me. 

Claire:  A major yes to the nose bleeds.  I have never ever had one before.  I agree that its not a full blown leaky bleedy nose, but there is definately something going on.  I do find that the humidifier definately helps and hot showers help to get the clots loosened for blowing my nose.  Yuck.. Anyway,  good luck on the NB, I have had them for a few weeks now I get dose 8 tomorrow!!! Number 12 is getting closer and closer! 

I start taxol Tuesday and I'm getting acetyl l cartitine and b complex...should I start taking them b4 or wait until after?

Hello,

Thank you for your post.  I have completed 4 weeks of A/C and 12 weeks of Taxol/Herceptin.  Like the others, the Taxol was so much easier than the A/C.  However, I've developed a rash (which most think is from the Taxol).  I completed my chemo on Nov. 17 and two months later, the rash is worse.  Is there anyone out there that has had the same side effect from taxol?  If so, how long did the rash last after the end of chemo?  I appreciate any help at the point as my doctors are stumped.  Thank you.  Patricia 

Taxol is kicking my ass.   The joint pain is not going away and I have "dead" feet and hands....my nails feel funny again....and  yes nose bleeds.

My mouth was all tore up this time....I read some where to make a mouth wash of Malox, Cloreseptic (sp) and Liq. Benedryl  - it really helped.....

I cant eat, to nauseated -I am so over all this and want it to be over with.....I was thankful for the three day weekend...but I dont think I can go back to work.  Beth- I can only do part time, full time would wipe me out.

You are right about the getting back to normal...I think my family and friends are thinking I will be back to normal after the last chemo (1 more to go).  But then I start Tamox.....and who knows what that will be like.

Tappy, remind people how long you have been on chemo and that it is cumulative! You will not just "pop" back to your old self right after. I'm 2 weeks out from my last Taxol and still have side effects (though they are thankfully diminishing) and I still have fatigue and need to rest on a regular basis. Be kind to yourself and ask your family and friends to do the same. When asked how I am doing, I reply that I am still recovering from 5 months of chemotherapy and preparing for 6 1/2 weeks of radiation.

Take care, everyone.

Tappy- so sorry to hear you are having a rough time.  Taxol has proven to not be as easy as the Doc said it would..I was told it would be  a walk in the park after a/c.  I'm starting to get scared because I cant eat. I'm not nauseated and I do start to feel hungry but I can barely get anything down..nothing appeals to me and everything tastes bad. I am living on protein shakes and yogurt..I am frightened by this. 

Ladies - thought I'd pop in here and offer a little support.  Taxol is different from AC but not always easier or SE free.

Don't be afraid to take an anti-inflammatory, Tylenol and/or Claritin for the bone and joint pain.  I am on a prescription anti-inflammatory and I still had bad joint pain for a couple of days (days 4-5).

Runny nose is because your nose hair is gone, not doing its job.  That will get better once your hair starts to grow back.

Dead hands and feet - neuropathy, most likely.  Talk to your MO about taking Acetyl L-Carnitine along with L Glutamine.  ALC is being clinically trialed to determine if it can prevent neuropathy.  Your MO should have no problem with your taking it for the duration of your treatments and for up to 20 weeks afterwards to ward off neuropathy.

Heartburn with Taxol - yes.  I was given a Pepcid infusion as one of my pre-meds, then I took Pepcid every day until a couple weeks after I was finished.  It made a huge difference.  And Prilosec won't work for the heartburn from Taxol.  My chemo nurse explained that it's a different proton pumper and Pepcid is the one that works (or its generic equivalent).

Mouth sores - I never got one after I went on prescription Valtrex after my first AC treatment.  I'm still taking it, and will wean off now that I have finished radiation.

Yeah, I know, lots of pills.  But it's better than suffering, trust me.  When I was doing chemo, it took me 15 minutes to set up my pills for the week in one of those weekly pill dispenser boxes!  But it was better than the alternative!  And I knew most of the stuff was temporary. 

One other thing - iron counts and protein counts can be low as you're finishing chemo.  Red blood counts often tank.  I found that taking a pre-natal vitamin helped me get the additional iron and folic acid I needed to help with the fatigue.  And I have continued on those and never got the fatigue that is so common during radiation.  I can't be sure that it helped, but it certainly didn't hurt.

I hope this helps!

Hugs,

Michelle

Kim -- I hope this is the only time you experience that pain.  I got it I think... (chemo memory lol) the second tx and much less on a few others.  I think Claire used tramadol and it helped. Claire??d

 And Claire-- rant on!!! this is the place for it.  Interesting comment about being high maintenance  -- I had that discussion with my husband before I went into surgery. I told him that I didn't want him to make me an invalid, that  I wanted to to whatever I could for myself and then, I wouldn't feel so high maintenance  (can't friggin type!!! driving me crazyyy).  

I think your Onc should go to bat for you with your insurance--that is CRAZY....Q