Taxol Chemotherapy

After #8 of Taxol...a few days later exhaustion kicked in. Just had # 9 and know this will be a tough week. I have to go for a CT scan on Wednesday.....something very small that the Radiologists ( who I work with) said not to worry....but of course I worry.....I did see the images and being an MRI Tech would not be worried if I saw this....but all bets are off with the luck i have had....please say some prayers.....I will get results right away. Meanwhile I get to drink all that great stuff they give you starting the night before. The fun never ends.....being Irish I am going to celebrate St. Party's and best to you all today!

Claire-thank you sooo much!!! I hope the luck of the Irish is following me this week.....trying not to think too much......

Just had my first round of dd Taxol last Thursday.  Infusion went great - no adverse reactions, got to take a little nap, was home early afternoon and slept the rest of the day/evening away.  Friday morning woke feeling rested and really good - so much different than AC - and got so much done.  I thought I was feeling almost "normal" again, and was so grateful to have moved on from AC and all the awful SEs...

Friday evening, everything changed.  My throat started to hurt and my muscles started to ache - like I had been working out at the gym for *hours*.  I took a sleeping pill and went to bed early.  Woke on Saturday morning almost unable to get out of bed, I hurt so bad.  I took some Tylenol and my DH drove me to school (classes all day), which I made it through, but barely.  Came home, went to bed early, praying for relief.

Woke today to less muscle pain, but more bone/overall pain. It's like having the worst case of the flu ever imaginable.  Can't stand up straight; stabbing abdominal pain (but my bowels are moving happily and easily so it's not constipation).  Through all of this, no fever so no reason to call my MO.  I just cannot find SEs like this listed anywhere else.  And everyone promised me that Taxol would be like a "walk in the park" compared to AC - so what's the deal?  Am I just having a really bad reaction, or am I just over-reacting to normal SEs?  All I know is, I cannot fathom going through this five more times...

Any ideas or advice?

Nancy 

to NancyHB, taxol is not a walk in the park. I get my last dose of Taxol and Chemo on Wed 21st yay! and though the nausea is not a problem, the achs and pains are there. The first dose I took and then the nuelastra shot bought major achs and pains, I learned to take the clariton before the "shot" and the day after to combat the pain.  the achs for me start at my neck and shoulders like a bruising soreness and then later in hips and legs.  I also get fingetr nail pain but my nails themselves have stayed strong.  eyebrows and eyelashes are thinning and I am more fatigued then when I was on the AC regimen.  its the darn hot flashes and night sweats that are killing me now and I have to go back to jwork in April, yuck.

Jenn, sometimes I mixed the L-glutamine in something else--sometimes I just grinned and swallowed it down. If you remember that it may be protecting you from a lifelong neuropathy problem and that it's temporary--only have  to do it for 3 months it's easier to get all of it inside you. I took it in the a.m. and p.m. (divided doses--15 g each)and took the L-carnitine and B complex in the a.m.

Jenn, if you saw my counter and pantry you might just gag!  I take loads of stuff! Including the l-glutamine which I do in a protein smoothie (and some strawsberries in there for taste) and I get lots of protein that way (body can only absorb so much like 20-25 grams of proteint at a time so don't overdo it). I take all kinds of mushrooms-- except the kind that make you very happy-- for my immune system plus, chinese herbs as I see fit to prescribe to myself.  i must be doing something right because my lab reports and overall everything doing well.

so, bottom line, pull up your big girl panties (as if you haven't been doing that for quite some time) higher and down them puppies.  

oh and by the way-- I don't take vitamins for the most part!  

 Q 

I had 18 weekly treatments of Taxol and although I lost my brows and lashes and body hair, felt exhausted (and still do) and felt flu-ish for a few days after each treatment, I felt far better than I had expected to. I kept my hair but only with the use of cold caps. It did thin but I know that having Zoladex and shutting down my estrogen production didn't help with that. I didn't experience neuropathy until the last two rounds and although my toes are better, my toe nails are ugly as can be and my fingers are still lacking sensation in the tips after 2 1/2 months after "chemo grad". But it's a small price to pay. The first three rounds my cancer responded miracously, and my six month scan found me stable. I was hoping for NED but my onc said the chemo continues work even after you're done. So, here's hoping Tamoxifen, Zoladex and Clasteon are finishing up the job. I should mention I had only Taxol - no other chemo drugs.

JulieLynn, I know about the Cleaning for a Reason and tried...we live in too remote an area to have anyone service us, but some very dear friends from church (the ones who told me about the service!) have been helping me out with cleaning so it doesn't always fall to my girls or DH. It is a wonderful service and I hope many can use it!  My church buddies have been a great help and we have gotten 2-3 meals a week since my surgery in November from our church family. It has been overwhelming to me and to many that I have told. My chemo nurses can't get over that! Support from anywhere means the world to getting through this whole journey...and I am SO thankful for the support here as well!

Nancy, I have had my 3rd Taxol and I definitely have the sore throat (have never found that listed!), terrible joint/muscle pain for 3-4 days and then I get better little by little. Overall, it IS better than the A/C, since I had constant yeast infections, thrush, constant nausea, headaches, migraines, burning eyes, and the list goes on. The list of SEs is definitely shorter with the Taxol. Even my blood sugars are better (I'm diabetic and they were awful with A/C),  Better doesn't mean easy though!  Heating pads, Advil or tylenol and having my feet elevated while I sleep seems to help, but I certainly look forward to being done!

I pray that your days start improving. Hang in there and vent anytime you like! None of this is easy. My doc told me this would be a 'blip' in my lifescreen...PRETTY BIG BLIP!

Hi All-

I'm jumping in to join the Taxol tigers.  Sorry we all have to be here, but grateful for the wise and supportive company.

 Just had my first of 4 DD on Friday.  So far the SE's are better than A/C, but I think I'm developing at least one mouth sore.  My MO had me chewing on ice and Popsicles during each A/C infusion, but she said I wouldn't need them for Taxol.  Oh well.  I think I remember reading about a mouthwash or rinse that is supposed to help somewhat.  Does anyone know the name?  And any other suggestions? Is it me, or does mouth pain make you feel a bit bonkers?

It is called Miracle Mouthwash- a generic name for a couple of different formulas.  I am looking in my fridge for the ingredients

benedryl; dexamethasone; nystatin which you swish and swallow.

there is another one with benedryl and lidocane which you put directly on your gums, if needed 

Biotene is for dry mouth

You can also try some natural things like a probiotic opened up on thrush (assuming it is thrush too)

Q 

Hildy,

The icing is to protect nails...the L-carnitine/L-glutamine/B vits are to guard against neuropathy. Two different but important SE sometimes brought on by Taxol.

I take 1000 mg of acetyl L-carnitine a day (the acetyl is important b/c there's another kind too), 50 mg of B complex. I bought a big can of powdered glutamine at my GNC store. I take 15 mg (3 teas.) mixed in water in the a.m. and repeat it in the p.m.

Hope that helps. Since these are supplements, your MO might not suggest you take these. My MO actually works with my naturopath for supplement schedules for me.

Claire

Thanks so much for the comments/advice.  My DH finally made me call my MO on Sunday evening because I was in so much pain.  He said I was "special" and that most people don't have these kinds of SEs and pain, and that they would work with me before the next treatment (back to the steroids).  Also gave me some Vicodin which I happily took last night to sleep (finally!)  Feeling better this morning - still in pain, but it's do-able. 

I think what's been hard is that I had such minimal SEs with the AC (no nausea/vomiting, some constipation, terrible fatigue, a few mouth sores, but the last tx gave me PPE) that I expected Taxol to be even better.  At least with this I am not tired - not like with AC.  So there is a silver lining in there somewhere.  :-)

Quaatsi and Ank066

Thanks so much for the suggestions.  This is a great group of gals.  I did a bit of extra swishing with the probiotic a few times yesterday, and the mouth sore is greatly improved.  Thank goodness for small (large?) things. 

Like some of the others have mentioned, I am taking L-Glutamine and a boat-load of other supplements.  Too early to tell if they are helping, but hope so.  They've completely taken over my countertop...

Nancy, I have to admit that I felt great the day of treatment, but did feel flu-ish each Saturday night and all day Sunday after my Friday treatments. I also felt very fatigued on the Monday and Tuesday. My bone pain and stiffness weren't bad until I started having Zoladex implants to shut down my ovaries. And I have to say that the Tamoxifen and Zoladex, combined with some food sensitivies, have ended up with some horrible stiffness. I have a problem when I eat too many tomatoes or tomatoes but love them both, so after eating potatoes for almost two weeks straight, I could barely use my hands or stand up straight.

Bonseye, way to go! The last three will be done before you know it. I did 18 and near the end wasn't sure if I could keep going but after my last treatment it was hard not going each week for blood work and chemo. And I hate needles so it's stranger for me than it should be to miss going. Be proud that you're crossing the finish line but prepare for the possibility that you will have mixed emotions about being finished active treatment.