Starting Chemo October 2012

I've had neulasta twice - started the Claritin the day of the shot and continued it for seven days both times. Absolutely no bone pain! Consider this a positive story that should encourage you!

Toots, positive story for me. I do Neupogen every other day myself x 7 each cycle (this time only 5 as neutrophils good) and no S/E. 

Day 4 after 2nd treatment. Delayed all SE's to the point I got excited. But last night as dinner hit the table they all hit, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, cold sweats etc. ew. I got SO pale in like 2 min.



I really think the nausea was due to the whoosh of everything but took some meds just in case. So far only the thrush hasn't made a full appearance yet. Aches being controlled by Naproxin.



Drugs make me sleepy and now I worry for my tummy with every thing I eat. But all of this is tolerable and short lived so keeping good humor and trying to remember all my blessings in this early morning light. Buttered toast from my hunny here now, is one.

hap_k: i had my first neulasta last Thursday, also worried like you due to the stories, but listened to the advice re. Claritan, started day before then daily.  I also was taking Tylenol every 4 hours as well.  Apart from some achy shoulders / back it was just fine.  

Ladies: for those of us supplemented with neulasta or neupogen is there any good research that if some cancer cells are still floating in our bodies (for my with 5/7 nodes I would think a very likely) that the neulasta / neupogen increases these cells as it does our WBC?  I had read somewhere that it can impact "tumour" growth and wonder if this applies to the cells generally?  I suspect this is one of those risk / benefit things that we need and the benefits of increasing WBC is most important...still, I hate the thought of having any lurking cancer and wish there was a more conclusive way to know that it "worked".  

Hang in there everyone! I have friends in again from out of town but I'm still here. 5 days post round two and feeling 1000x better on the Abraxane than taxotere. Still slight nausea here and there but no diarrhea (maybe the Emend offset it this time?). Still no neulasta! Woot! Labs tomorrow fingers crossed ... 

Love to all! xoxo

Yay Poke! Super news! Thanks sonson. Been sleeping all morning, guess that's good. Going eat a bit and see how that goes...



I hope everyone is remembering to breathe, laugh, and see the beauty in the fight and struggle!

Caitgrace - thank you for the comment 'I hope everyone is remembering to breathe, laugh, and see the beauty in the fight and struggle!' really gave me a boost at a low moment!

Noranelly - sorry to hear about the toothache - that sounds that a major drama you can definitely do without hope it doesn't cause any more complications or too much pain..............enjoy your birthday and the chinese.......

Big hugs to all x

GrammyL - so sorry you have find yourself on this site but it has been so helpful and supportive knowing that you are not facing things alone - that there are so many of us at similar stages and the help and advice some others that have found things you haven't discovered yet is fantastic.......

Hugs, best of luck with the treatment, and hopes for not too many side-effects.............

Hello,

My mom started chemo in October and she'll have her third round next week.  After the first round she became severely dehydrated because of diarrhea, but after a week or so she started to feel normal again.  After the second round she didn't get as sick but doesn't want to eat, is very weak and her back is very painful.  Her eyes haven't stopped watering and she hasn't been able to feel normal like she did after the first one. 

I've been trying to read as much as I can and piece all this together to help her.  Should she ask her doc about taking clairtin for the pain?  She does get the Neulasta shot the day after treatment.  Her chemo cocktail is taxotere and cytoxan.  Is there anything to help her eyes?  I will gladly appreciate any suggestions to deal with the side effects.

Thanks, Jo

Loubar - thank you so much for the information - appreciated................

Hugs x

worst 24 hours yet...

did round 3 of A/c on 7th of nov...

headache is blowing my head up... nausea nausea nausea.... yet hunger pains go figure..

bone pain...

did i mntion headache?

so weak... blah...

Ugh, Celine!! Feel better (hugs)  

Yeah the Claritin only does so much for the bone pain.  I would hate to know how much worse it is without the Claritin.  They say if you wrap up in a heated blanket that it helps.  Or take a hot bath.  Heat is suppose to help with the bone pain.  The only thing that helps my headaches are migraine meds.  You may want to ask you MO for some of those.  They help a great deal.  Of course if you aren't getting enough fluids that will also cause you to have a headache so make sure you are drinking enough and then drink some more.

Schoolmom-I've never thought pepto was very good for anything, but maybe that's just me.  Immodium is much better for diarrhea.  Then you should follow the BRAT diet as well...bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.

Jo-I get the tears also.  I think they call them taxotears...it's a side effect from the taxotere.  I don't know how to help with those.  If you figure out a way to help with that please let me know.  Mine are only a problem when I'm sleeping and then when I go out in the cold.  I wake up every morning with crusty stuff all over my eyes so I figure that's from the tears drying up over night.  And then when I walk outside and it's windy and cold they run down my face and that will continue once I'm inside for a while and then finally stop.  My eyes are really red in the morning also so I use regular Visine to get the red out of them and that seems to work.  Other than that I don't know how to stop it.

Hi Jo; 

So nice that you are looking after your mom.  Further to everyone's comments about the claritan for the neulasta, at the end of day it won't hurt her in any way so worth the shot.  But the back pain may also be if she is not eating, try Sonson's recommendation about BRAT, I swear by frozen yogurt smoothie popsicles for me on the first 3 days and I also have the low-cal gatorade/vitamin water -something to help hydrate? Just anything to get your mom to eat / drink.  

Sorry Celine for feeling horrible.

301724 - all the best

Mrs Cich - funny about the bra - I only had a partial mastectomy but haven't worn a bra since surgery in August so I hear you how great it is being without one.  I think I'm getting "too" used to it and will be hard to go back to wearing one when I return to work.  In the meantime, so much more comfortable without...enjoy the freedom

Sonson - iritated eyes, got some 'Optrex' Soothing eye drops - relieves irratation caused by pollen, pet hair and dust mites, similar to the Claritin.........but found it works............ 

.....anything that relieves has to help...........

hugs to all x