Taxol Chemotherapy

JulieLynn- congrats on finishing up!  It is reassuring to know that many of us are feeling the same anxiety at the end of treatment.  I have always been such a positive person..but like my BF tells me..after having the crap kicked out of me for the past 4 months its gonna take a little time to recover mentally as well as physically.  {{Hugs}} 

FLislander- I guess there  is no real way to check to see if the cancer is gone..we just have to have faith..I just feel very challenged in the faith department  these days..

Hi everyone, I'm new to this thread - I have just received my second dose of Taxol (every week for 12 weeks). I am experiencing a lot of difficulty sleeping, this didn't happen to me on AC, in fact I slept really well on AC (DD every 2 weeks for 8 weeks). I'm hoping they can cut down on the steroids, maybe that's causing the insomnia?

marinakaplan, I have my 2nd dose of Taxol (4 very 2 weeks) and finished A/C also. I have not slept well through any of it and am thankful for a decent night of 5-6 hours. I almost always wake up at some point. I try not to nap to help me do better at night. One Tylenol PM helps me get through a longer stretch. My first 3 days were difficult with the steroids but that has been better on Taxol too. I'm diabetic, so the steroids kicked my sugars in a nasty way, but even that was better with Taxol. Some nausea a few evenings, but not as much as A/C which was constant. No appetite, but food tastes better. I keep my Kindle by my bed so I can read when I am awake at night, till I can fall back to sleep. We all need rest so much!  I pray you can get some good, deep, restorative sleep. 

I told someone yesterday, when they asked how things have been for me, that it hasn't been easy, but it also hasn't been impossible. I have not had the worst of SEs, but am not breezing through either. This past treatment, I got a whopper of a cold on top of everything and am praying that it won't affect my blood counts for this next treatment. I'm not usually negative, but am expecting a call tomorrow telling me I need to bump my treatment for a week. I hope not! Happened once - it is probably when I caught this cold! I've been doing alot of resting and staying in, and am feeling better, so we will see.

Overall, the Taxol is easier. When I look back at my list for SEs from A/C, there are many more. But the leg/joint pain was nasty. Couldn't get away from it. I still have my eyelashes and brows, but they are getting thinner and thinner.      I was hoping they would hang in there!

Always amazed at the variety of treatments...I know it depends on so many things, It just amazes me.

Hi Marina, not sure how many days you're on steroids, I get them during infusion and have been gradually cutting back. Still greatly affects sleep. The benadryl does make me sleepy and I'm sure that takes some of the edge off too. Sometimes an Ativan that night too.



I've been taking calcium/magnesium before bed, supposed to calm things a bit.



I hope you can find something that helps.



Andimom I hope you recover quickly from your cold and are able to have treatment as scheduled.



Feel well, Laura

Hi BethU-I'm on weekly taxol x 12. Started end of Dec and have four to go with one delay b/c of low WBC.  Because I'm on weeklies, I can't have neulasta as it has to be administered and then followed by a 14 day wait, so I'm getting neupogen shots 3x a week from now on.  Tx on Wed, then neupogen Th/Fr and Mondays. 

I'm taking effexor for hot flashes and so far they haven't been at all bad--mainly just interesting.  I have a hard time believing my white count was low because I felt so good considering I'm getting Taxol.  I can say that the neupogen shots seem to have helped me feel better--I think you aren't supposed to feel SEs from low white count itself--but I was pretty fatigued.  My RBC has always been normal.  I hiked six miles RT yesterday in Sedona at my normal crazy pace--and felt fien throughout. My onc. said that exercise was a really great thing to boost WBC so I'm stepping up my activity levels. 

Getting through these Taxol txs is like watching the glaciers recede. It seems to be taking SOOOOOO long....

But my hair is growing back--in a few weeks it looks like my prison haircut will be more like a Sinead O'Connor look. I'm going topless more and more in public and I don't even think about it much...was white and fuzzy, now getting darker and darker.

Claire

Marina- I see that FLislander mentioned that I quit steroids and yes, that is true.  I had two doses and not very high doses either. By the third one, I refused it, which is our right.  Here is the reasoning--

first of all Taxol can produce an allergic response which is preempted by the steroids. Therefore, you either do not know if you are allergic to it or you know that you are by your response shortly in the infusion process.  Buyt the 3rd time, if you do not have a bad response-as my ONc told me- you are unlikely to have one in the future.

That said, they do keep hydrocortisone handy in case you do react and then, you get a hefty dose but you need it and it saves your life.

I had no reaction and therefore, felt  no need to bombard my body with any more drugs than those that were needed.  

Be careful with ativan-- you can develop immunity to its lovely sleep effect!  

Good luck with Taxol-- I am done with it and  off to another set of new chemo. Q 

thanks Kelley.  

I rode my horse for over 5 hours yesterday (about 15 miles) and I ached from head to toe-- BUT, I still can get out and do things I love.  This new chemo (Navalbine) has its own unique profile of side effects, intense fatigue being one of them.  

Thanks for your support! Q 

Q

Hi good to hear from you , and still getting out there with the horses, what a peaceful treat. I only take steroids the day of infusion and I'm trying to cut that back, thanks for the info that it's ok not to take them, they give me a terrible time.

Marina:  Q was a little head of me on the weeklies.  I finished a few weeks ago.  Anyway, I got them to cut back my steroids to 6mg in IV only with premeds no orals.  I still had insomnia for a few nights with that   So I think the taxol can add to the sleeplessness.  Anyway, most of the time a phenergan and a xanax were enough to help me sleep the first few nights.  Other than the sleeplessness, I hope the weeklies are smooth sailing for you!!!

Hi Elaine, sorry you have to be here but welcome.



I have been troubled by a fast heart rate since beginning AC. I am now approaching my 4 of 12 taxol.



My heart has been as high as 115! Prior to chemo my resting rate was in the 70s.



Lately it has been in the 80-90 range. While this has me concerned, the onc is not as worried. She always checks again and finds it has slowed down. Glad your EKG was fine.



I do find it is worse when I am anxious or more fatigued and from the steroids. Are you taking them more than one day?



I hope you and your Drs find the best way to ease your symptoms and your mind.



Laura

KCD - I just finished 12 weekly Taxol today.  Yippee!!!  I had steroids Sunday thru Wednesday but not nearly in the amount you are getting.  Thursday night my leg aching and weakness would start but I would not call it deep bone pain.  Definitely some weeks were worse than others - I don't know why but it doesn't sound as bad as yours.  I'll take my last steroid on Wednesday and I'm anxious to see how long the achiness and weakness lasts.  I always felt better Sunday night after I started the steroids again.  Do you tend to overdo it or do you get lots of rest?  Have you tried any pain medicine?  What kind of other pre-meds do they give you before the Taxol?  The only medicine I take after the steroids at home is Ativan to help sleep at night and Zofran on Tuesday and Wednesday only to help my stomach.  But I get steroids, Prilosec, Aloxi, Alavert, Benadryl, and calcium and magnesium before the Taxol and just Tylenol before the Herceptin.  If you don't get it, the calcium and magnesium might also help.  I hope your next tx goes much better!  Definitely talk to your oncologist or nurse about it - They should be able to do something to help! 

I'm currently sitting at my second Taxol (every 2 weeks, DD) and doing okay. Not looking forward to Thursday when leg pain starts.  I have had a fast heart rate off and on, but no high blood pressure...quite the opposite!

I get a steroid, benadryl and Pepcid as pretreatments and have pain meds and anit-nausea meds at home if needed. Have never taken steroids orally for this. The dose they give is a 3-day dose.

Doing okay but will be so glad to be home.  

Week 7 of 18 done, still feeling ok, more or less.  Feet are a bit tingly and sensitive but it eases off when I walk around.  On a steroid high now so hoping to get lots of work done tonight.  Sending positive thoughts to all.

Just had my fourth taxol,

I've been wearing crocs shoes since I started taxol and those shoes have saved me fom hitting my toes at least 20 times. They are serving me well



Good night

Cindy