taxotere side effects

Good morning all Happy 1st day of Spring,

I am glad to say the SEs are easing as expected they usually last about 6 days all except the taste buds I don't know if they will ever be right again. Finally had a good night sleep which always makes everything look and feel better. Hope all have a beautiful day.

Hugs, Sheryl

Hey blondie! I'm up with you now. It's only 1:45 am here in Calif. Stressful times equals sleepless nights. At least either Ativan or Ambien seem to work to get me back, for a few hours anyway.

My onc cut my steroids in half when they were causing me grief. Is that poss for you? And what is up with the radiologist?

I hope u r asleep now and that I will be soon. Good night, sending good thoughts your way.

Hi Ladies,

I've been awake all night it's 3:10 am here and I decided to just get up.. Can't blame steroids this time.

Did anyone else have weight gain.. This is driving me crazy. They wanted me to gain before chemo.. I laughed my husband laughed I don't workout and watch carbs and fat intake for fun.. I'm still up 7 lbs since treatment. I talked to my NP she explained the reason makes total sence, but very frustrating. I'll be hitting the pavement again in the morning.. I'm just worried with 2 more treatments to go.. I know in the big picture this is no big deal just has me frustrated: (

For those worried about weight gain keep this in mind - it takes approximately 3500 unused calories to gain a pound.  That means you have to eat an extra 3500 calories and not burn it off - that is actually pretty hard to do, particularly during chemo when many of us are actually eating less.  Many of us gain during chemo but this is due to steroids and chemo agents causing swelling and fluid retention, not actually "real" weight gain.  This is why often once chemo is done the weight comes off by itself as the SEs from these drugs dissipate.  It usually takes a couple of months and the scale returns to pre-chemo weight.

Hi Ladies,

The board has been quiet.. Hope everyone is doing good with few SE's. Mine weren't so bad on round 4. Round 5 next week.. My nails on my left hand are sore changing color a little but not too dark.. It seems like my left side is effected more than my right.. I wonder if it had to anything to do with the fact I had my axillary node dissection on that side..

Off to lunch with my chemo buddy.. She was done our last cycle lucky lady!!

Everyone have a great day..



Carla

Jeanieb2- Yes this board has been very quiet!  I had round 5 on Thursday and I noticed with each round my SE's hit earlier.  Water today is awful trying to get it down along with low cal Gatorade, and juice.  I sure hope your SE's aren't as bad for you during this cycle.  I will be done after round 6.  I was a little down the last few weeks because originally I was going to have 4 treatments but I got a second opinion and she said 6 so here I am..  My original Oncologist insisted on the 4 but after alot of research I just didn't feel comfortable with it..  Try to have a good weekend and drink up to get the toxin out. 

Hope everyone else is doing well...

Carla

I have been enjoying my week off....I am not a drinker and forget to drink things, got some more propel today....can't smell and taste, but anything water based makes me nauseous.....either milk or choc milk has a good consistency that I need....the Taxotere side effects suck and I agree that the treatment is worse for me then the cancer, lol....

have a wonderful weekend.....

blondie- I feel the same way about water for about 10 days after chemo .. I try to drink it icy cold but it tastes so strange and sometimes makes me feel gaggy...iced tea almost tastes as bad - I do drink gingerale, sprite ...

I only have one treatment to go though so I can deal with it all just to get this over with..

thanks ladies

Linda I have to get some of that...makes me want to run out and get it, lol dont care if it is good for me or not...

A friend of mine gave me a dorm refigerator and that is in my room....I live with 19 year old twin boys who don't take care of me, (although I have 3 older ones in the area but they don't take care of me either) i have become dehydrated twice because of lack of drinks (and I am not a drinker and forget to drink things)  and when it is bad have to force myself to eat and drink so at least.  Water is really horrible for me....Fridays tend to be the worse...loving my week off, I remember when I used to feel somewhat normal, even without the water and twitching eyes, runny nose, bloody nose...etc.....

LOVE mashed potatoes and eggs...not sandwhiches so much...

Linda-n3 - My first Tax treatment on Sept. 4, 2012, I had almost 2 weeks normal but then it went to only one week of feeling ok, the week I went in for treatment again.  I had 3 months off and started again on Thursday and yesterday the water started to taste different.  I can do not like tea at all even when I am feeling ok, I love coffee and will drink one cup of decaffeinated a day after treatments begin as I know caffeine can dehydrate a person and that is not what we need.  I can not seem to drink carbonated beverages during this time, I drink water and Gatorade and try to drink as much as possible but always have to go in a week after treatment because I am dehydrated, then get my Neulasta shot at the same time.  By Monday of that next week I am feeling a tad better but it is another week before I feel kind of normal.  I have found that I can not eat hot foods I gravitate to cold things like applesauce, pear cups, Peanut Butter and boiled eggs, some protein drinks in milk and Boost, if I can.  I lost 10 pounds last time from September to December, which does not hurt me one bit so I am not worried about that but I know you have to eat to keep up your strength so I do what I can.  I just wondered if side effects on the second 6 rounds gets easier or harder.  I will do 3 then scans and then 3 more before a break again, unless something changes. 

Carlads - When I started this in September I was told I would have 3 treatments and I thought I would be done so thought this will be great, but then I went and he did scans and said we would do 3 more rounds, but that was ok, then when they were up I wanted to keep going 3 more to get this down as far as I could but the onc wanted me to take a break and he was right to have me do that, I feel great, or should I say I felt great but I know this is my life from here on out on chemo take a break, on chemo take a break, but I can do it.  I did CMF 21 years ago and was able to get rid of it because it had not spread.  I started Xeloda and took that for a year before it spread more then started the Tax along with that so I have lots of options for different chemos if I should need to or if I just can not tolerate this, but I figure I did it before and know what to expect this time and also know that this is a very good drug and who knows maybe some of the others I would not tolerate or they would not work so I will do this as long as I can.

I hope I do not sound like I am complaining, I am not.  I like to hear what helps other people because I will try whatever may have worked for them if I can. 

I have gotten my eyelashes back, they came back sooooo fast it was unbelievable, my hair is about an inch and really growing but I suppose that will stop again, or will the body adjust and the hair keep growing, not that it matters, my wig makes me look younger, and who does not want to look a little younger.  I just thought maybe our body would adjust to some of this and the things would be a little easier.  I did notice tonight eating that my taste buds are already starting to change and that usually happens on Sunday, maybe they will come earlier and leave earlier.  Thanks everyone for the feedback, it is good to see people on here again, and that they are doing well or what they have been up to.  I like the idea of filling water bottles and then knowing exactly how much I have drank.  I have a large hospital cup that I keep filled with water and ice and just drink throughout the day but do not actually know how much I drink, probably less than I think I am doing, so I may try the other way.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, I think Spring has finally hit Nebraska.

Linda-n3 - How much water or fluids do you try to take in in a day?  I try and drink as much as I possibly can but there are days where I have a hard time, but I do it anyway.  I know days 4 through 8 are the hardest, that seems like the time I am the most tired and lay down and sleep in the morning and afternoon so I do not get as much fluid as I think I should.  I do keep a glass by me all the time and when I get up drink what I can, also drinking that much I usually wake up every hour or two to go to the bathroom and then drink as much as I can when I do that either during the day or night but have never really measured it.

I started back up on Taxotere after a 3 month break.  I had taken it for 6 rounds the first time.  I have noticed quite a bit of pain in the hips and bones, just aches and pains.  Running a low grade temp which I did the first time also.  This is day 5 if you count infustion day.  I do not remember the bone pain, does anyone else have that same problem?  My bone scan was stable and I just had that on April 2 so I am thinking it is the Tax.

Here is another encouraging article from cancernetwork.com. More conclusive evidence of cancer prevention using omega 3s in diet. 30% fewer breast cancer tumors.

http://www.cancernetwork.com/breast-cancer/content/article/10165/2132783

Hi Ladies,

Did any of you have your tumor markers done during Chemo?  I had my baseline done before and it was great 19.  I was told at that time I wouldn't have it done again until after Chemo was done, I just found out today they are doing one at my last treatment..  doesn't make much sense to me due to the fact Chemo can cause a false rise..

MsW2012- Great article.. I take mine everyday along with my "D" which I just also found out is still low..