taxotere side effects

Keep an eye on your fever. I had one that lasted DAYS of 100-103. Ended up in ER with violent diahrhea! If you start getting blisters on your hands make sure to alert your docs! I got them pretty bad and they ended up stopping my taxol treatment and went straight to surgery! But, the good news was..........they could not find my golf ball sized tumor anymore! The chemo had made it microscopic for the lumpectomy! YUCK on the chemo, YIPPIE on what it does to your tumor!

Hang in there....one day at a time.....you can do it!

trisha-anne - unfortuntely I have not been to Australia yet - my DH has been to Darwin on military assignment, but I was not able to get there when we were stationed in the Far East.  It is still on my list of things to do though!  My mom was born in England but raised in Canada, married my dad and they lived in California from the mid-'40's until they both passed away within the last 10 years.  They maintained lots of British/Australian customs so it is all familiar to me. Our backyard looked like a mini-Australia - the climate is so similar that my dad landscaped it with many native plants.

Trisha-Anne - Thanks so much for the hugs, they came through just great and it means a lot to me, they just seem to help, so I am sending you a GREAT BIG HUG back from Nebraska.  I did get my 3rd treatment today and he increased the dose from 100 to 110, not a lot but some.  He said since I did so well that we would try it and see how it goes.  I will let you know what happens. Did you have your dose increased after the 2nd one or are you taking something else right now?  I will go for scans on November 7th and on the 8th go for the results and probably another 3 to 4 rounds of chemo.  I asked the onco if I was done after this one and he said we will wait and see what the scans show but he would just feel better doing more doses even if the scans were showing improvement and so would I so I think that will be the outcome.  I did go after treatment and have my hair buzzed off.  I found a wig and it needed to be trimmed a bit so got that done all at once.

I had my 3rd dose of Taxotere last Thursday, October 18, and today I am still feeling that pounding heart, running a very low grade temp 99.1 or 99.2 off and on but not much above that.  I keep getting slight twinges in the upper half of my body, I kind of think it may be gas but am not sure, today is the first day of this treatment that I did not take Imodium, oh and I finished Xeloda on Sunday so maybe it is worse because of taking things in the same week.  I have read you can have aches and pains with this but wondered if anyone else has had this happen.  I thought I would feel better today, and tomorrow will be a week since I got the last dose.  I did received 110 mg instead of the 100 he gave me for the 2nd dose, would this make a difference?  I have probably asked these questions before but can not remember and I tried to go back through and read some of the feedback, I am still a little fuzzy minded, not as bad as it is on the 3-5th day but I do not remember being this way.  I started a small journal just to make a note how I felt when I got up and throughout the day, I know I should have done that the first time and not wait until the 3rd time.  I do think I will be getting 3 or 4 more doses so figured it would help some.  Does it get better or does it get worse, I know everyone is different but just some other opinions help?

Jeannie, it's been four weeks PFC and i still get the pounding heart. I have herceptin, though, so im not really sure which.



Jack12, im sorry your sister has this se. I hope she's better now. Nothing to chime in about that.

jeanieb - I had the Neulasta shot and had heard that Claritin can be helpful for counteracting the aches and pains. I asked my oncologist is she had any problems with me taking it, she didn't. I took it the day of and then for the next 6 days post Neulasta last time and only had minimal pains and aches, nothing like I had heard could happen. With starting Taxotere/Herceptin as the new part of my chemo regime on Tuesday of this week, the nurse who administered it told me that some oncologists had there patients take Claritin as a premed for Taxotere also. Since I didn't get Benadryl, only Dexamethasone, I decided to take some when I got home and have been taking daily for last three days. So far, so good regarding Taxotere pain and achiness and I will have my Neulasta today so will continue the Claritin for the next seven days. Ask your oncologist if this is something they are agreeable to you doing, I know there is a clinical trial on right now that is using Claritin, if I can locate the link I will add it.

Take care, hope you are feeling better very soon

jeanie, I took the generic store brand claritin.  (Non-decongestant)  Since I have allergy problems, I just took them everyday and still am.  I didn't know about it until after my 1st chemo was over and it did seem to make a bit of difference once I started taking it.  Was still glad I could beg off from the last shot tho!

Here is a link to one trial for Claritin with Neulasta -



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

PAeaglesfan - Thanks for the info on the generic.

websister - thanks for the link to the study

bcbarbie10 - thank you for the info on the Claritin before and after treatment day, is that for less problems with the taxotere or do you always get the Neulasta shot and it is for that? 

I appreciate you all getting back to me. 

bcbarbie10 - Thank you, I am going to mention this to my oncologist or I may just take it on my own since the onco nurse said it would be ok to take with the Neulasta shot and your onco told you to take it.  I am having a hard time bouncing back this time, don't know if it is the low white count, Levaquin, or the combo of the two together.  I should finish the last of the Levaquin tomorrow but I still feel really tired and washed out.  The last two times I had treatment I had bounced back a little more by now.  I am sure I will feel better tomorrow or the next day.

Hi ladies, ivylynn - I did not lose my voice with taxotere, but had a sore throat every time. Has anyone checked down your throat - you may have an infection

Thanks to all of you who suggested diaper cream for the burnt nether regions - stupidly I didn't think of it, but then I was feeling do ill I couldn't think of much.

jaenieb - I was also allergic to Taxotere. The joint pains were so bad I was pinned to the chemo seat within 2 minutes, flushing bright red and shivering like a wet kitten. The reduced dose will help your SE's. I was also given  hydrocortisone and piriton  thereafter with every infusion for the allergy, and they slowed the infusion down. They kept the dose a110 - the oncologist said they want to kill the cancer - not me!!A heat pad will help the aching joints. Neulasta is a **** - even your jaws will ache, but this passes after 2 days. I got the really bad days on the 3rd and 4th day post chemo. The pounding heart and pulse is worse the first week, but seems to persist the whole 3 weeks on and off. Hang in there - thinking of you.

A scan is normal after 3 treatments. They like to check if it having an effect on the tumour.

Oh Jeannie - you aren't a wimp.  Taxotere is one of the big guns and can have a terrible effect on our bodies.  I did 3 rounds of FEC and while it wasn't a lot of fun, I could do it.  Taxotere was a different story though.  I worked through chemo, and while doing FEC I would have the day of treatment off, then work for around 3 hours per day for the next 3 days, then have day 4 and 5 off, then back to work gradually working up from 3 hours a day to around 5 until the next treatment 3 weeks later.

With Taxotere, I usually made it into work the day after treatment, but only for around 2 hours then I was in bed for a week.  So you aren't being a wimp, don't beat yourself up.

I would sleep at least 5 hours during the day - then sleep at night too, Taxotere makes you really, really tired.

I couldn't eat much either - mainly because everything tasted so awful.  I did make up a bowl of creamed rice that I would have teaspoon full bites every now and then.  I could also manage a boiled egg now and then.  The one thing that tasted half way ok was chocolate icecream lol I'm not sure of your brands over there, but here there's an expensive one called Connoisseur Ice Cream - it's a top end product, and the chocolate one (with little choc chips in it) was ok on the tongue.

I also had trouble getting water down because it tasted like mud.  I had to put some red cordial in it to help with the taste.

All you can do is stay in bed and rest - you are tired because your body is going through the battle of dealing with Taxotere - but the Taxotere is helping you too.  You are not alone in being tired.  I remember I fell asleep while waiting to make a medical claim one day.  I was in a room with around 50 people waiting their turn, and went out like a light as soon as I sat down lol I woke up before my number was called, but was so embarrassed, I was wondering if I'd been snoring.  Of course I looked like a cancer patient, so I guess no-one thought I was weired. 

Hang in there sweetie - you are going through hell at the moment, but just take it one hour at a time while on the Taxotere.

Sending you ((((((hugs)))))

Trish

xoxo

Trisha-Anne - Thank you for your post and the hug you sent my way.  I appreciate your telling me how you felt, but I did laugh when you said you fell asleep in the room full of people but woke up in time for your number to be called, I am sure I would have been snoring if I had done that.  This is the first IV chemo in 20 years and as I recall the first time was never like this so I am glad to hear that this is normal and that maybe I am not a wimp after all.  I am going to try the ice cream thing, there is one here that I really like it is Cherry Chocolate Bordeaux so will get some of that and try it.

PAeaglesFan - I agree with you about missing your taste buds more than hair.  I can not believe how awful things taste or even the thought of somethings can turn your stomach.  I will get a can or two of the Boost and Ensure and see if I can handle that.  I love peanut butter, so I ate that and now, I don't even want to think about it, hope when I am totally done with this I can eat it again.  I did boiled eggs to start and now do not want to think about them so I think the Ensure or Boost is the way to go, who cares after this is over that I don't like those two things.  I also appreciate you telling me I am not a wimp, I was just sure it was only me feeling like this and that I needed to put on "my big girl panties" and deal with it.  I also agree about the fluids and maybe I just need to go back and get them a few days after the treatment.  I have had them three different times now, twice after the first treatment and once this last time and it really does make a difference.  You think you are drinking lots of fluids but when you are getting rid of them as fast as you are taking them in I guess your body can not keep up.  I will ask about that next Thursday when I go. 

Thanks you guys for the moral support.  I can not believe how my mind thinks the week or two after treatment, it just makes me go places I never go, not really depression but wondering if I am going to survive.  When I am through the worst I never even think those thoughts so I guess when you get so tired or fatigued and can not do the normal things it gets to a person.  I should really just take my Xanax on a regular basis on those days.  I just forget about it but need the bottle right next to my other pills and definitely take them during that time.

Yes we have all been in that dark place. Taxotere is so horrible and it messes with your head. I can remember being so sick I thought I was going to die then for a couple of days wished I would die - just because I was so sick.

PAeaglesFan is right, we are here for you, take it slowly, I know how overwhelmed you are right now, but you will get through it.

More ((((hugs))))

Trish

xoxo

PAeaglesFan - Thank you so much for your nice message.  I appreciate my cyber angles very much.  I will just remember to not plan a thing the week after treatment, except a date with my bed and couch.  Like I said I usually do not go to the "dark place" but after the treatments I seem to get there from time to time.  I will definitely be posting if I get to down because I know you will be there to lift me back up.  It helps SO MUCH to have a place to go where other people understand.  I can tell my husband and daughters and they try to understand but it is hard if you have not walked in these shoes, and heaven forbid, they never, ever have to walk in these shoes.  My sister had breast cancer a year after I did, 20 years ago, and she is the only one that can understand the fatigue and feelings.  She is a good support but I am one of these that will not tell anyone how I feel, except you guys because you have either gone through it or are going through it.  Thanks for the hugs and kind words of encouragement.  I am sure I will lean on everyone for a while and hope that others can lean on me when they need it also.  Sending lots of hugs right back to you.