taxotere side effects
Comments
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sherylb - you don't want to bring the fever down if it will exceed 100.5 on its own because that is usually the mark that determines that you need to notify your MO - the concern is masking a neutropenic fever or an infection that needs treatment.
jeanieb - my high temp came and went but did not exceed 100.5 - usually during the first 10 days or so after tx.
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Ok now I understand we don't want to mask the fever so that the doctor can determine ABTs or not.
Thank you, Sheryl
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exactly they want to know when my fever is over 100, that means something.....and the friggin steroids. so I have been up since 130 am, read, tried tv, took a shower at 5am omg, oh and I worked for 4 hours and am still up, throat hurts and am coughing also...am exhausted. but up....wth....
Sandy
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Fight4two, pruny fingers and high temp? Arent you just getting dehydrated?
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This is the first time I've posted anything and am not certain how this works, but have a question or two for anyone who has had AC and Taxol. October 2012 I completed my three months of AC every 21 days, then the T weekly for three months. I 'sailed' through it with very few side effects other than hair loss and brain fog. Now, what concerns me is that i am still having quite a lot of physical aches and pains...seems like what arthritis might feel like. Seems to have even worsened, or that some days it's more noticeable than others. Has anyone out there felt these symptoms?
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Hi special k - I was interested to see you also had a low grade headache with herceptin. I have had 3 without the chemo, and it makes me exhausted for about 3 days with a mild headache. I thought maybe I was sleeping in a funny position, and it was my neck causing the problem. I didn't expect to get any SE's from the herceptin.
I am sorry I can't help with the port problems, as I have never had one. My veins are now taking a bit of a beating, and I have 10 more herceptin treatments to go!
jeanieb - good luck with your decision about taking a break from the chemo. Hope there has been no progression of the tumour.
fight42- I am sorry about the pruny fingers. They are different to neuropathy. I haven't found anything that helps - only time. 12 weeks post chemo, and mine are still pruny, but I think there is a slight improvement.
Sweet almond oil will bring almost immediate relief to a sore scalp. Rub it in, then leave it on for an hour or so, and then rinse it off.
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maddie - how fast are they running your Herceptin only infusions? Mine was 90 minutes when it included chemo (60-90 minutes for Taxotere, 60 minutes for Carboplatin). When I moved to Herceptin only the first one was run in 30 minutes - which is allowable according to the drug manufacturer. I was in so much pain starting the same night that I could not sleep for more than about 15 minutes before having to change positions. I read, from another member, to slow down the infusion to 90 minutes preferably, and the aching went away. The low grade headaches did not start right away - they probably developed in the last third of H only infusions. You can also experience some SE with you fingernails, especially if they were damaged by chemo. Also the cardiotoxicity continues during the whole time you are receiving Herceptin, so your heart should be monitored - there is now some study indication tht the cardiac risk continues for a time period after you are done as well. The runny nose was there the whole time though!
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anham- Muscle aches and joint pains are a side of effect of Taxol/Taxotere. You may want to ask your onco if it's okay for you take an OTC med like Advil/Motrin/Tylenol to help with the pain. I don't know if you are receiving Neulasta/Neupogen. If you are, you may be having bone pain also from those WBC boosting shots (Neulasta/Neupogen).
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Specialk - thanks for your input. My herceptin is run over 30 mins. The first one was taken with Taxotere and Cyclophosamide, and that was run over 90 mins to see if I had a reaction to it. The 2nd one was also slow, but they reduced the time to 60 mins. By the 3rd and 4th ones, they had reduced the time to 30 mins. They are monitoring my heart, and the function still seems fine which is great. I go for another echocardiogram in Feb. The runny nose is pretty irritating, but at least it does not bleed now I have finished the Taxotere!!
MW2012 - thanks so much for the interesting link to herceptin trials. It was really interesting, especially as I was asked to take part in the Persephone trial.
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The speed of the Herceptin only infusion related directly to the aching for me - ask them to run it more slowly and see what happens.
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This is all very interesting about the Herceptin. All I was told by onco was there was chemo and there was Herceptin, and that H had no side effects to speak of. The se's may be fewer but it is not totally harmlees! I start H-only after my last chemo Jan. 21 & I will ask about the infusion rate. They plan to give 3X more at once every 3 weeks, instead of 1/3 dose every week.
I think my onco wants a second echo in Feb. First was the pre-chemo baseline. She said it takes a few months for any sign of chf to show up.
Today is Day 4 of chemo #5. Laid down all day yesterday and still slept all night last night! Hooray for small blessings. -
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thanks for the reply regarding side effects of T. Concerns I have are more to do with the fact that I finished all chemo (ACT) October 10 and I still have the achiness, difficulty in getting up after sitting for a while, etc. Anyone else been off chemo for a while and experience this? It seems more than even during the chemo!
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Anham, are you still getting other medication? I have not finished my chemo but some say the low red blood cell count causes muscle achiness, and that can take a long time to get back to normal. If that is it, then exercise will help. Even just a little walking.
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herceptin only always gave me a headache, and some joint aches, the one time that they accidently set it to take longer, I still had a heachache, but it wasn't as bad, and didn't last as long, but it took me forever to figure out that was the reason that I felt better after that one treatment. I had muscle pain from the taxotere for about 3 months after finishing treatment - I also have a lot of pain from the AI's, but there was definitely a difference between the pain for that and the taxotere.
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Anham, i took glucosamine supplements all throughout chemo bec i was already on it for several years now. I didnt have any joint pains at all. But last month my onc told me to stop all supplements for a while bec my liver enzymes went haywire (a big part is due to an alcohol night out with friends). Then i noticed achiness in my knee joints which i never really attributed to stopping glucosamine. But when i restarted it last week, the joint pains disappeared. You might want to ask your onc if you can take it.
Herceptin gives me the headache more than the taxotere did. -
Does anyone get this weird feeling like a cold tingle through your arms or legs? Yesterday, I kept occassionally feeling the sensation of something cold briefly coursing through either an arm or a leg (at different times). So odd.
Oh, and I used to take glucosamine for pain in my left knee. Although my knee doctor didn't believe that glucosamine works for joint pain (I guess its not officially proven), it worked for me - so I would agree with bcbarbie that its worth a shot!
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Hi Ladies,
Wondering if anyone can help! I am 4 weeks post last Taxotere.
Just wondering for those that have finished treatement, do you still get the occassional back pain here and there or is it something I should be more concerned about ?
BTW: My Feet and hands are much better re peeling and the neuropathy has eased so much now.
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Anham, I finished taxotere/ taxol (had to switch to taxol halfway due to toxic skin reaction) in the end of Sept. Lower extremity aches subsided at the end of Deceber, a mere memory now. Hang in there:)
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Stopping by give an update for those still in Taxotere treatment. (I'm hoping it gives some amount of comfort to those going thru it now.)
It has been 4 months since my last chemo and I am happy to say I HAVE HAIR! It's probably about an inch or so long and my head is completely covered now. It came back the same color and it's still stick straight but I have MUCH more of it now! YAY! I had seriously thinning hair before so I am beyond thrilled that I have such nice coverage.
My nails stuck with me all along. When the area that was growing during chemo reached the end (I hope that makes sense) they split and peeled a lot. Keep them cut close and keep use a nail hardener to minimize this issue. My eyebrows and eyelashes did jump ship a few weeks after chemo ended but they came back just as quickly and you'd never know a difference now.
Aches and pains hung on for a while and it was probably a good 2 months before I felt back to normal in that area. I did have a lot of muscle fatigue in my legs and had to take breaks when doing stairs or walking any distance, that's also gone now.
The only lingering thing seems to be dry skin but that could just be because it's winter?
I hope you are all doing well and if you're still in active treatment, I pray for minimal SE's for you. -
PAeaglesFan - Congratulations on the hair and coming in thicker. I sure hope when I am done it comes in thicker because it was pretty thin. It is so good to hear how well you are feeling. Now when and if I get done with Tax I know that 4 months down the road I will feel good, and really 4 months is not that long considering. It is good to hear from you and how you are doing. Hope all continues to go well and that you stop in often, as you can answer questions for people that have been through it and are now done with it. Many Hugs coming you way from me.
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Hi everybody—
Just wanted to drop by with an update. Today marks the mid-point for my mom's chemo treatment allover, as well as half-way through the Taxotere. I'm praying that round two has fewer side effects than round 1! First time through she experienced:
- Hiccups from the start of the steroids.
- Thrush, days 1-5
- Severe foot pain/neuropathy (felt like heel spurs and toe rashes) from around day 4-10. It lingered even to the end, but was so much improved that she was dancing.
- Cold-like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose) days 2-14 or so.
- Lack of taste and little desire to eat days 2-6
- Falling asleep/exhaustion just after the steroids wore off
- Lightheadedness and unsteadiness from day 3 through to the end. Even as we were going in for this treatment, she was still a smidge off, but better.
- The final 5 days before the treatment she felt wonderful. We went on adventures and even splurged on frozen yogurt, even though it's been snowing in PA. She just needed to get out once she could walk again.
We asked about her WBC being so high (50-ish) mid-cycle, but the Oncologyst wasn't concerned. I'm more convinced that her body was fighting off the thrush, which, along with the Neulasta, probably brought on the high count. Today, her counts were perfect, so she recieved the second treatment at the same dosage as the first.
Her tumor shrunk again. (started off at 12x9, and we're down to 6.5x7.) The rash that caused the shift in treatment is also fading, but we're still monitoring that situation. We've been waiting for that mid-point so that now we can say we're in the home stretch. Now that she's gone through it once, we're hoping that round two isn't quite as terrible.
She was given a prescription for fluconazole to help with the thrush, and she might start taking it tonight or tomorrow. Her throat isn't quite right now, but we want to chemo to full get into her system before we introduce something else. Depends on how bad it gets tonight, though. They thought it was pretty important to treat that if it became an issue, and because of the holiday, we just tried home remedies last time. It did clear up, but it sounds like reason to take medication to clear it up!
-Emily
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Cowpower, May I ask about your toxic skin reaction? What were the symptoms?
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Just home from my 2nd TC treatment a few hours ago. Such a difference in nausea - i have none! It was so difficult the last time. The only difference was slowing down the cytoxin. Still have wierd head feeling and tired, slow moving but so different without the nausea. Even if it comes back in five minutes it has been a better experience.
Someone mentioned the se's of anesthesia from surgery close to the first tx are a factor. I had a second surgery on 12/5 and first chemo on 12/19 so that may be a huge factor in how I feel now.
I did ice fingers this time. That wasn't pleasant but I imagine losing nails is less pleasant. The salt water and baking soda really helped the mouth issue - never got sores or thrush but felt like something terrible was going on there. By 14 days post I was really good! Tired but good. Of course that's when my hair started falling out but truly no big deal in the big picture. It's funny that people see the loss of hair as a sign that I'm sick during the week that I actually feel good! Some transient tingling in fingers and toes. Got a wierd rash on my hands and back in 2nd week around time of nadir but hydrocortisone and benadryl helped and it went away in about 5 days.
Bone pain from neulasta is hard but that also disipated after about one week. It's amazing how much my perspective of what good means - feeling good, bad side effects vs nuisances. Good labs is another one. My Med Onc said my labs were perfect today. When I got the copy of results all the cruicial ones are so close to below normal. Of course then I worry that I'll need a transfusion, will get pneumonia, etc - that's just where my head goes. I could also try to eat more protien and veggies (although I don't know if it's possible to eat more veggies), and walk every day. I was an avid exerciser of many types before this and have not been able to keep up much of anything except walking and I stopped for many days around the first treatment, first because I felt so cruddy and then because I was so tired and in the dumps. I've been using stairs more at work since I've been feeling better and vow to walk as much as I can - a few steps or miles - here out. I think walking does help with the immune system. We'll just see how that vow plays out - lol. Time to go to bed. I really hope all are as comfortable and peaceful as possible! 1/3 of the way to no more chemo! Question - I have my first appointment with radiology oncologist next week. Unclear why I need to see him so soon. Just wondering. Now I'm really finished - think the steroids have me chatty!
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I just stumbled on another interesting article. It's from 2008 but still. New England Journal of Medicine compares results of Taxotere vs. Taxol. I had already discovered that Taxol has lower incidence of hair loss, and no incidence of permanent hair loss, whereas Taxotere has 6% chance of permanent hair loss. This study shows Taxol as being administered weekly compared to Taxotere every three weeks - is that why doctors prefer it? Curious.
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2008/weekly-paclitaxel0408
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Is anyone's pulse faster on Taxotere? I just went to see my breast surgeon and they take your pulse as a routine practice and said my pulse was at 131! They said normal is between 60-80!! Maybe I just exerted myself too much walking from the waiting room to the exam room? (That would be a sad thought.) Or is something more serious going on? I don't feel like my pulse is racing -- I wouldn't have known if she didn't measure it.
Cowpower and PAEaglesFan -- thanks for giving me/us hope!!
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Hi all,
Had my first chemo treatment today and just got home. I was so nervous and as usual not anywhere near as difficult as I imagined. Here is my question. I had taxotere and cytoxan, Alioxi, and decadron. I feel good, I know that steroids can cause improved mood (or bad mood). What I am wondering is when does the other shoe fall. I am a worry wart and praying that side effects are as easy as my treatment today. I have read that the effects of chemo are cumulative so next time may be worse. Would love to hear from anyone who has the same protocol or can offer me information
Thank you, Sheryl
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If you have a healthy heart one of the first signs of dehydration can be an elevated pulse. Increase your fluids and see if that helps.
Sheryl
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Thanks, Sheryl. Maybe it is dehydration - I do feel thirsty! I drink 128 ouces of water a day, but maybe thats not enough. I have been suffering with fever throughout as well (altho not sweating). Perhaps one of taxotere's SE for me is dehydration. I will try to up my water intake -- hopefully it will help with the fevers as well.
Oh, and I HOPE I still have a healthy heart - Adriamycin was a part of my treatment!!
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sherylb - generally speaking, most people do not notice any SEs in the day or so immediately following tx. Days 3-5 are usually when you will see side effects, although some experience nausea and GI side effects sooner than that. Steroids didn't have any effect on my mood but I did notice the steroid "crash" after taking the last one - increased fatigue. It is important to take your anti-nausea meds to stay ahead of nausea, rather than trying to treat it after it happens - not everyone experiences nausea, so until you have a tx or two under your belt you may want to take the anti-nausea prophy. Are you going to be getting Neulasta? If so you may want to take a Claritin (not Claritin D) an hour prior to that injection, and at 24 hour intervals for several days after to try to prevent bone pain. Definitely try to drink at least an ounce of water for pound of body weight daily and eat as much protein as you can tolerate. Many people find that the first tx is one of the worst, and some of the SE you may experience (particularly headache) appear for this first tx, but then don't happen again. I found that the only consistent SE I had was the Big D! Also, don't treat GI issues until you know which one you will have, if any.
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