TAC Chemo

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GinaB49
GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Ok, so I've finished 2 treatments - 4 left to go then on to radiation.  Unfortunately I got a fever first time round and was hospitalized, ANC was 0 so I am now dose reduced for the remainder of my treatment by 20%.  Anyone else been dose reduced?  They are saying more important to stay on schedule than stay on dose but now I feel I've lost before I am even finished treatment.  A day at a time seems not doable at this point. Someone with some pointers would be  much appreciated.

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  • Fourj
    Fourj Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2012

    Dose reducing is definitly not a fail. I have a friend who is 13 years out from stage IIIC. She had AC-T. She had to reduce the dose in the last two treatments by 25% due to the very bad neuropathy.

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2012

    Thanks that is encouraging.

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  • christine47
    christine47 Member Posts: 1,454
    edited April 2012

    Gentle hugs to you Gina!  I did six rounds of TAC last year, I told my onc I was only doing 4 after the 2nd or 3rd.  My WBCs dropped to 0.5 each time, but I made it thru and did all 6 treatments.  I assume you are getting the Nulasta after each chemo?  Are you staying away from everyone and staying hydrated?  I hear you on the day at a time, I basically went to bed and tried to just sleep it off.  Is your nausea, pain, etc controlled?

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2012

    Yes, I am getting the Nulasta, the bone pain was incredible the first time - 2 days on the flat of my back. And still my WBC went to zero the first time. Nausea is controlled, but now I can't sleep anymore and sleep was never a problem for me. I can't believe I've got four more left to do.  Yes, staying away from all of my friends and extended family. I have two adult children (university) living at home and trying to get through to them no friends has been a bit of an issue but now they see how sick I am they get it.  I am working (self employed) and I have a lazy boy put in my office so when I am zonked I take a break.  I have a very small staff so I am limiting who I see. When you were finished how long did it take to get back on your feet?

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  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 2,651
    edited April 2012

    Gina, sorry to hear you are having a hard time with TAC. Christine47 and I are chemo twins. We both finished TAC a year ago this week :-) .



    I suggest talk to your doctor about side effects and take any help you can get. Maybe a mild sleeping pill to help with sleep and listen and respond to what your body is saying. I had no pain from Neulasta so don't know if there is a pain med to offset it.

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2012

    Thanks for the advice. Just nice to know someone got thru the treatment - I feel like such a wimp. I am in a small city with a small chemo unit so I will not see my oncologist until I finsh treatment ( she is on the other side of the island), I do see a doctor before each treatment though.

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  • shaah2468
    shaah2468 Member Posts: 72
    edited April 2012

    Hi Gina.  I just finished all my chemo and was also having the neulasta shots after each one but still did not manage to make it through without the dreaded fever.  After my fifth chemo session I got a slight chest infection and fever and had to be on intravenous antibiotics for a couple of days.  Then my sixth and last dose of chemo was reduced by 10%.  So the neulasta was not fool proof but I would still have it again with future chemos.

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  • christine47
    christine47 Member Posts: 1,454
    edited April 2012

    Gina,  You are not a wimp!  Chemo s*cks!  TAC is not for wimps!  Do ask the doctor for all the help you need.  I took sleeping medication (ambien), pain medication, etc, and this helped alot. 

    Racy and I are chemo twins, we both have bounced back, better than ever.

    I honestly feel and look better now than before chemo.  I am 5-10 lbs away from my ideal weight, exercising and gaining muscle.  You can do it, we are pulling for you!

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2012

    You made me smile - first time today. Last night I took a ativan and slept all thru the night.  I hate taking things but I needed the rest and feel better for it today.  Did either of you exercise at all during treatment?  I taught step aerobics 3-5 times a week prior to my diagnosis but immediately stopped and have lost all my muscle mass in the last 4 months.

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  • lbrewer
    lbrewer Member Posts: 766
    edited May 2012

    i'm so scared.  I start AC-T in 2 weeks.  I know without I will die but I don't think I have the strength to get through this.  I had TC three years ago but nothing like the schedule planned for me.  Anything positive would be greatly appreciated.

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  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 2,651
    edited May 2012

    Gina, I didn't exercise during chemo but many do. My main side effect was queasiness but I was also quite depressed and hair loss and hot flashes made me too uncomfortable to feel like exercising.

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  • christina1961
    christina1961 Member Posts: 736
    edited May 2012

    Gina, I had TAC - I walked when I felt like it - but did not walk or do much until after eight days after each infusion.  I had trouble even getting to the bathroom on days 3-4 each time.  I was very weak.  My TAC was neoadjuvant and I ended up having six cycles of a different chemo after surgery (by choice in a clinical trial.) I am happy to say that I am back to walking 4-5 times a week when I have time.  I walked 4.7 miles with hills on Sunday and felt good.  My last TAC was in June last year and my last Halaven treatment was this past February.  I haven't started weight training yet, but plan to start that and/or start trying to jog once I get a few good months of walking established. My main problem is time restriction now as I am trying to work longer hours to pay bills.

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited May 2012

    SO, there is life after chemo.  So hard to see the other side when you are feeling so yucky. I am now tryin walking on a tread mill for 30-45 minutes every second day, only staring after 10-12 days out of chemo until the next treatment.  It seems like I have had every symptom there is - always something different.  This month I have an extrememly tight chest (double masectomy Feb 1) to go with the overall fatigue. Anyone out there work during treament? So far I have worked the 2nd two weeks after one week off for chemo. But the fatigue is adding up - is it accumalative getting worse each time?

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  • Megadotz
    Megadotz Member Posts: 302
    edited May 2012

    Hi Gina,

    I had 6xTAC in 2009.  I took off Thursday and Friday when I had chemo -- Thursday for the infusion, had the neulasta on Friday, crashed on the weekend.  I worked the other days pretty much.  The fatigue did increase over the course of the treatments.  I took naps during the last two infusions and felt more tired.

    I was usually in pretty good shape the weekened before infusion -- took an improve class  before the last TAC.  I  walked to the metro from work and  home to the metro - around a quarter of a mile  total  each day-- stopping to rest during  as I was recovering from the later cycles.   I found that I was more fatigued as I got through more cycles.   I made sure to get enough water and protein -- string cheese and protein verions of  Ensure or Boost when appetite  waned.

    I started rads 3 weeks after the last TAC.   The RO explained that  the improvement in fatigue from ending chemo sort of cancelled out the building fatigue from rads until the last week.  I found that to be true.  I got an early appointment for rads and went to work  for a shortened day. 

    That said, we're all different.    I hope things go more smoothly for you.

    Meg

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  • mom2my4babes
    mom2my4babes Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2012

    Hi Ladies, this is the very 1st time I've posted on this forum so I apologize in advance if I'm not in the correct place to post this, but here goes..my mom was recently diagnosed with BC, she had a lumpectomy 2 weeks ago, plus they removed 2 of her lymph nodes to test. On Monday we got the call that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes & chemo would be required, radiation alone wasn't enough. She had her port put in this afternoon & things didn't go so well. She woke with TERRIBLE pain through her upper back & left arm. EKG was normal, xray showed her upper lung was "scraped" during the procedure. ANYHOW...she starts chemo on the 30th, it's the TAC version, 6 treatments. Is there anything we, as her family can do to prepare her for the toll this is going to take on her? She is an EXTREMELY independent person & has always been the one to take care of others. Last time she was even in the hospital was 38yrs ago, when my little brother was born! What have some of you done or things someone else has done for you that helped you the most during this time? Thanks in advance & again, if I posted this on the wrong board, I'm sorry, just let me know if it should be else where :0)

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2012

    Hi mom2my4babes, as well as the personal experiences you'll read about here on this thread, there's a wealth of medically-reviewed information about chemotherapy on the main Breastcancer.org site. Just click on this link to go there.

    The Mods

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  • NancyD
    NancyD Member Posts: 3,562
    edited May 2012

    mom---just a suggestion that you start a new thread with your questions. Right now, it's buried in someone else's thread and won't get the responses you desire. Jumping in like that on someone else's post is called "hijacking" and can bring down some negative feedback on you. Good luck with your mother's treatment.

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  • GinaB49
    GinaB49 Member Posts: 10
    edited May 2012

    If you read through the posts here you will see everyone is different with regards to their response and side effects to treatment. That being said this treatment is not an easy one due to the duration (3 weeks inbetween each one) and the drugs involved). The first treatment is often the one that causes some problems so stay close to here for that first week.  it tkaes a while to get the meds when you are at home under control for the nasusea and bone /joint pain which she may not even have. But it's better to be prepared than go through a weekend of miseery without the proper drugs available.  The nausea drugs are really good these days so hopefully that will not be an issue for her. For myself, insomnia and hot flashes continue to be an issue - all drug induced. Regardless, treatment is depressing especially if you are independant since you can loose so much independance, however in saying that it is an individual experience.  I believe the trick is to really listen to what she is telling you with each treatment and take your cues from there.

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