taxotere side effects

I just started on Monday. Interested in hearing others input as most I have read about are Taxotere plus something else. Mine is just Taxatore and Herceptin.

No major SE f

Hi ljhm,

I am on taxotere too... last treatment next Friday.  Are you having the Neupogen shots afterwards too?  Is your tx every 3 weeks?

Everyone reacts differently, but here's what helped me.

The good news (if you can call it that) is that is the after 7-9 days the pain should go.  These turn into flu like aches and for me some days are better than others. Just rest.    Have you taken any pain killers for it... my MO prescribed me T3's for when it gets really bad.  or try Tylenol first to help.  

OK for the sore mouth.   clean teeth after eating and then make up a rinse of baking soda 1 tsp and 1 cup of warm water.   Rinse mouth thoroughly and spit out.   That really helped me.  

I never had the hard pit in my stomach - that could be nerves too.   This is pretty scary shit we are going through.   If it persists call the nursing chemo line...do you have one of those ?  Not sure where you are in the world.

Drink lots of water (or fluids) and try to go for short walks...even if it is around your front room, yard.   5-10 minutes a time.  I found that helped.

Hang in there...remember there is an end to all of this.

Hi guys, I am exactly 6 mos past my last taxotere/cytoxan.  I hate to say this, but mine got progressively worse.  However- there is a lot you can do to help.  I used Biotene mouthwash like crazy, and drank tons of water. I also tried to take walks to keep things moving (and gentle yoga helped my anxiety alot). That said, allow yourself to rest when you feel like it. I think my worst days usually started 3-4 days after chemo- I felt flu-like with body aches and fatigue.  Towards the end, my legs got progressively more tired (think I was more fatigued in general). my eyes got taxotears (watery) and twitchy too after #3. Weirdly, I also craved meat (I am mostly vegetarian), and my sense of taste was all over the place. I just ate whatever I craved and didn't worry about whether it was healthy or not (don't know if that is such a great thing:)

It sucks, but is doable...and I am happy to report that I feel very good now (working full time, training for distance canoe races). You can do this!! If you have specific questions I'll be glad to answer. Are you guys in a chemo cohort group (like june chemo group or something)? my september chemo group really helped when I was having questions about side-effects...we could vent together in real time;)  Best to you, anne

Hey cooka... I have the taxotears too... that for me has been the most annoying and irritating of the SE's and mine seem to start after the pains have dissipated.  Oh and I have a sweet tooth... which is strange for me as I am a savory type normally... funny how you craved meat - opposite to what we normally crave

 That is great to hear about how well you are doing now - gives everyone hope eh?

I only joined these boards at the beginning of May... lurked for months and and now wish I had joined when I was at the beginning of treatment.  But no looking back.  I didn't and that's that.  

But for ljhm and kltb you may want to look at a June chemo thread.  There is so much knowledge on these threads.  I was blown away by it.

I'm on a Cytoxan/Taxotere regimen.  Here is what I've learned from the chemocare.com website (which is a website founded by Scott Hamilton, the ice skator who had cancer) about Taxotere:

The following Taxotere side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking Taxotere:

• Low white blood cell count (this can increase your risk for infection)
• Low red blood cell count (anemia)

Nadir: Meaning low point, nadir is the point in time between chemotherapy cycles in which you experience low blood counts.

Onset: 4-7 days
Nadir: 5-9 days
Recovery: 21 days

• Fluid retention with weight gain, swelling of the ankles or abdominal area.
• Peripheral neuropathy (numbness in your fingers and toes) may occur with repeated doses. This should be reported to your healthcare provider.
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Mouth sores
• Hair loss
• Fatigue and weakness
• Infection
• Nail changes (color changes to your fingernails or toenails may occur while taking Taxotere. In extreme, but rare, cases nails may fall off. After you have finished Taxotere treatments, your nails will generally grow back.)

These Taxotere side effects are less common, meaning they occur in 10-29 percent of patients receiving Taxotere:

• Vomiting
• Muscle/bone/joint pain (myalgias and arthralgias)
• Low platelet count (This can increase your risk of bleeding)
• Increases in blood tests measuring liver function.  These return to normal once treatment is discontinued. (see liver problems)

********

For my mouth issues- I eat ice/drink lots of icy cold water during the Taxotere infusion to help prevent mouth sores.  I try to rinse several times a day with 1/4 tsp salt + 1/4 baking soda + 1 cup of warm water solution to help prevent the mouth sores and also to help them when I have them.  Make sure you clean your toothbrush ( put in dishwasher or get a uv light toothbrush cleaner).  The Biotene products (mouth wash) help.  If my mouth is weird, it usually starts during week 1 and ends by early week 2. 

For nails- My onco suggested that I ice my nails (toes and fingers) to help save my nails and help with the neuropathy.  If you ice, you need to ice 15 minutes before the infusion, 1 hour during the infusion and 15 minutes after the infusion (1 1/2 hour total).  She also suggested that I use clear nail polish on the nails to help keep them strong.  So far, I haven't had any problems with the nails.

WBC- I started taking a Neulasta shot after my recent #3 round because I had a fever/infection 12 days after my #2 round.  I'm taking regular 24 hour Claritin for 7 days starting the day I receive the Neulasta shot.  There is a an ongoing clinical trial study to determine if Claritin (loratadine) is effective for the bone pain from  Neulasta/Neuprogen.  I haven't had any bone pain from the Neulasta shot.  My onco told me to take either Tylenol or Advil for the bone pain. 

Hope this helps. 

So true, Tazzy ----  that the SE's may occur and may occur differently for each of us.   All we can do is be proactive as best we can and get help from our oncos when the SE's get the better of us.

A wonderful weekend to all and minimal side effects!!! 

laurannie- Ask your onco if it is okay for you to take regular 24 hour Claritin (contains the chemical loratadine) to help with the bone pain from the Neulasta shot.  There is an ongoing clinical trial to determine if Claritin helps prevent the bone pain.  Under the clinical trial protocal, one takes the Claritin for 7 days starting the day of the Neulasta injection.  I had a Neulasta shot with my 3rd round of chemo and took the Claritin.   I am assuming the Claritin worked since I didn't have any bone pain.  Here is the link for the clinical trial:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01311336

ljhm- You may want to join one of the chemo threads to help get support from other gals currently going through chemo.  Come check out the April/May 2012 chemo hang out thread or one of the later chemo threads.  The April/May 2012 chemo thread is pretty active and it doesn't matter when you started your chemo.  Everyone is welcome join in and get the support.  Please don't hesistate to post your questions there!!!  We will be looking for you!!!

I am on the March 2012 board - it has been invaluable to have support from others.  Most of my cohorts over there have had Taxol and/or T/C rather than just Taxotere...

Fever seems to be gone - still having some tummy troubles.  Eager to see what my counts are on labs tomorrow.

ljhm - I was told to rinse my mouth with Club Soda often through the day and it helps, have heard from others that have used it and they say it works really well.

Hikergal - Neulasta is given the day after treatment in one shot...Neupogen is a series of shots.  Some insurances won't cover the Nuelasta and so people have to have the series.  In my case, I didn't receive the Nuelasta for Taxotere like I did for my A/C - and my counts plummeted so I had to go in and get a series of 3 Nuepogens.

I had Adriamyacin and Cytoxin for the first four cycles and my side effects from that combo was mostly nausea and fatigue - I also had pain from the Neulasata...with me, the side effects kicked in from about day 4-7?  Now with only Taxotere, it has been more just feeling blah and occasional aches and pains...but everyone is different.

lijhm - glad you are feeling better.   Shouldn't you call your MO about coughing up blood - I dont know, just saying.

To all of you I hope you have a wonderful day with minimal side effects.

It is bloody nasty.   But each time I felt shit and each time I felt pain (most days) I kept thinking "OK Michele, if its making you feel like this, imagine what its doing to that bastard cancer"... sorry about the profanities, but...

Today is the best I have felt since last treament on June 1... but then I keep thinking this time in 3 weeks time when I feel this good... I wont have to go back again for chemo..... doing the happy dance, woo hoo !!

Peace & hugs to all xxxxx

kelly... that is such wonderful news about your lung mets - gives everyone who has the fear of mets (most of us I would think) hope that it is treatable and it can be kicked into touch.

Hoping the SE's are bearable for anyone going through them.

Enjoy the day ladies - keep smiling  (if you can).

Peace and hugs xx