taxotere side effects

Maddie57 - Thanks for the info, the bone pain is better so I am sure it was the chemo I just do not remember this from the first time and had not put it in my journal I guess.

MsW2012 - I did get the Neulasta shot just yesterday and I usually can tolerate that pretty well, once and a while I would get some bone pain but I do not get the shot for a week after I have treatment.  Does everyone else get it the day after or a couple days after or how do they get theirs?

carlads - I get my tumor markers done every time I go for chemo, it tells me where I am with the cancer.  My tumor markers have always been right on, when they go up and we scan there is something new and when they go down and we scan after 3 treatments of Tax, the cancer is shrinking, even my oncologist said that my markers have always been true to this form, and lots of other people can not go by markers.  He said he usually goes by scans and markers not just one or the other, it is a combination of both along with some other things but he said when my markers go up and we have scanned there has always been something new.  I just thought everyone got markers done everytime they had chemo but I guess not, I guess every doctor is different on this.

I have to say that I have felt better this time than the first one I did back in September, I don't know if I have just adjusted to it, if I think this is normal or it has just not built up in my system yet, but whatever it is I am thankful and enjoying it.  Of course my white count was way, way down but got my shot and should be able to be around people again by Monday so that is good.  Hope you all have a good weekend and can get some rest and do just what you please.

Has anyone run a low grade temp after getting their Neulasta shot?  I have had the shot before but do not remember running a low grade temp.  I had my Tax treatment on April 4, it was not to bad this time, in fact I only ran a low grade temp on Monday after.  I had to go for fluids on April 11 and got my Neulasta shot.  Yesterday I could feel it in my bones so took Tylenol, today I woke up with the bone pain still there and am running a low grade temp of 99.2 or so.  I am keeping an eye on it but just wondered if the shot along with the Tax could be causing the temp.  I have always run a low grade temp the week after Tax, usually for 3 or 4 days but do not remember running one the week after the Neulasta shot.  No other symptoms of any infection so just questioning what others may have experienced.  Thanks.

Good Morning Ladies,

Jeanieb2- I have been running a fever after my last two treatments, I'm not sure if it the Neulasta or the Taxotere.  I had my treatment April 4th and I always feel good the first few days after, last Monday and Tuesday were the worst.  I was feeling better, than Saturday I woke up feeling bad and ran a fever all day no other symptoms. I am already on an antibotic because my dang WBC was low again. I know the Chemo is cumulative and I think my SE's are just lasting a little longer, but I still can't complain I have been so lucky, and only one more to go..  How many treatments for you this go round?? 

blondiex, hope you are doing good! What day is your treatment?

Everyone else have good day!

Carla

carlads, as I said I always run a 99.4 temp...assume it is the tax cause I don't get the shot.

I asked the dr. if it was culmlitive cause it is getting harder for the 3 week....wasn't too bad this past friday...

I moved it til tomorrow cause they are having a "phillies" party and i wanted to go....back on zometa also...

jean, not sure about the temp, everytime they take it it is up, but I don't take it between...nope it doesn't (which one am I looking at and I will look at last weeks and tell you what it is?)

nails are bad on fingers not toes, did bye latex gloves to do dishes, and people are telling me to get my nails done, not sure if that is a good thing, ANYBODY?  

eyes are friggin watering, but they tend to slow down in the afternoon...hair didn't fall out, and the crazy thing is it is curly, which it has been poker straighter my entire life....nose is running still, nose still bleeding, whatever......

bbl

blondie46 - I have my counts done on the day I get chemo, a week after chemo, then the following week, in fact I get chemo on Thursdays and every Thursday I have to go back to have my counts done.  The one following chemo is to see if the chemo has dropped them to low, then the week after that they look to see of the shot has brought them back up, the week after that they do the counts and tumor markers so I can get chemo again, does this make sense or am I talking in circles here ?  I understand it but I don't know if anyone else will.

MsW2012 - You are right about this is the time for us to just do what we can and want to do.  I read a lot and rest a lot, I can not seem to even get out to walk, to fatigued but I do what I can around the house as far as routine things.  I just make sure when I get up I do what HAS to be done first in case I can not continue with anything else, then I do the things I want to do.  I feel good when I am laying down and feel like I have tons of energy and then I get up and within an hour that has gone, but that is ok, that is the way it will be and I will adjust to it just like I did before.  I think having that 3 month break in there was almost worse, it gave it a taste of what could be.

jean it does make sense, I only get mine done before chemo...not on my weeks off...

MsW, thanks for your response, they are so nasty looking, I just might polish them and they look swollen if that makes sense....you take care of yourself....thinking good thoughts for your also.....

Jeanie, I guess each doc has their own way of doing things. I always got the Neulasta shot 24 hrs after chemo, never bothered to test & see if it was truly needed, just gave it anyway. I didn't get any blood tests until the day of the next chemo, they would check to make sure everything was good enough to get the chemo. I'm not sure what they would have done if it wasn't. Sent me home? But the shot always did its job and my white cells were good.

Jennie93 - Thanks, I guess you are right on how different the doctors can be on this kind of thing.  I know some people get the shot the day after, some never and I am sure any other time they are needing it.  I know the PA said she was going to ask about me coming back the day after for the shot but I told her it actually works out well for me to come the week after because I have to come for fluids and it is a 25 mile trip one way, which is not bad but since I have to go a week after chemo anyway it just works out, plus I had asked him about coming before and he said the low point was between 7-9 days, I think that is what he said if I am remembering right.

MsW2012 - It is a shame you don't feel you can trust what the doctor is doing.. and maybe are going through a needless procedure if its the wrong spot.. keep questioning him and make him explain it again - tell him your concerns.. tell him where you think it should be directed.

Thanks ladies. You are right. I may be a royal pain in their neck but that shouldnt be my worry. I need to know. It's still hard for me to stand up to drs and nurses. I have it ingrained being in my generation that you be a good patient and do as you are told. Phooey!

MsW2012 - The way I look at it a good doctor will listen to you and explain over and over what you ask.  I have asked my oncologist the same thing many times and even apologized to him for asking it again, he said he wants me to ask him questions and wants me to understand what is going on and never, ever has he gotten short with me or acted like I was a pain in the neck.  He wants me to take an active roll in my health and even asks me what I think when he recommends something, he asks if it is OK with me and we discuss it then.  Don't feel like you need to just say OK, and do what you are told, ask all the questions you want and can think of, it makes you feel better about it when you do. 

Thank you my sisters in bc! It sure feels good to see that you understand my perspective. I may be anxious, but I'm not paranoid!

I went in and asked the receptionist if I could speak with the nurse navigator. I know Karen and she is excellent with communication and helping patients through confusing or difficult times. The receptionist was visibly peeved. "But youur appointment is in five minutes." Well, yes, I realize that, sorry! (my thoughts)

Karen invited me into her office and listened to me explain the concern I had. She looked at my pictures and told me that if she were me, she would also want to understand why it looked like they were radiating the wrong area. Not of course assuming that there was a mistake, but acknowledging that it was something any intelligent, responsible patient should want to understand.

She went and asked the RO when she could see me to show me how they arrived at the area to treat with the five electron boosts. The RO was able to see me about 15 minutes later. She showed me the PET and CT scans on the computer, how they overlayed them, and how they located the area of skin that needed to be treated, adjacent to where the tumor used to be.

For me, I could finally understand how once the breast is seprated from the skin when the breast tissue is removed during a mastectomy, and once they insert an artificial bag and sew the skin over it, there is no longer any natural relationship between the skin and the bag underneath. So if it looks exactly like a point on the skin corresponds to a point where my breast tissue should be, it just isn't so anymore. It would be like a nipple that starts out front and center, then winds up way up at the base of your neck, or down by your side! Ha! Very piable, these babies!

She was able to show me exactly where the target area of skin was on the images, right where the tumor used to touch the skin, and exactly where the treatment plan was, which was about 2 cm around the outside border. That's a big margin! It is a combination of margin-for-error due to shifting, and the nature of electron radiation, which she explained shrinks inward just before it hits the skin.

Between laying flat on your back and raising you arms waaay up over your head where they mark the field with felt pen, and the change in the skin orientation from the mastectomy, looks are understandably deceiving. So, now that I understand that much, I feel much, much better about submitting my body to the lamp. It's almost over. Two more days! (I go back this afternoon.)

This electron radiation is much more intense than the previous treatment. I see definite changes in my skin with every treatment. The surface texture is rough there like sandpaper and the tissue underneath feels tough. It also hurts! That sunburn sensation is getting more intense. Well, gee, two more days. I got through 18 weeks of chemo, I can do this!

Thanks again for the moral support and encouragement. It meant a lot to me this morning.
Update 5/2: I felt reassured that day. What I saw was pet and ct images. The RO explained what they did to arrive at the plan but couldnt show me visually how they got from the image to the target skin area. I felt like she had gone to so much trouble to show me what she did, interrupting the day's treatment schedule and all, I felt I couldnt ask for more. That is my under-assertive personality. Instead of getting carried away with all that cool image science and starting to feel too demanding, I should have stayed focused on my specific question.

Thanks jeanieb! You do get some assertiveness training along this cancer journey. Even when they are not so friendly and helpful, it shouldn't stand in our way of getting the information we need to feel confident about our treatment.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

My skin is crying out now. Thank God there is only one more! The RO also said the skin can get worse for a few fays before it gets better. Well at least it won't be getting zapped anymore. Tomorrow will be happy dance time! I cant wait to celebrate when you are through too.

Take care everyone.

Blondie it sounds like you are having some fun. Good for you!! I wd change my chemo day for a party too.

The electrons are hitting me from the side. It hits at the base of the armpit and extends towards the breast. RO says it is a small target but a wide margin of 2 cm all around because that type of radiation shrinks inward as it hits the skin. In my case the boost is directed at the skin only, no other tissue. My tumor had no cancer in the margins but the margin near the skin was only 0.2 cm! Yes, by all means zap that skin!

Have a good day. At 10 am pst have a sip of something bubbly for me to celebrate end of rads! Yippee!!

Thanks Jeanieb2! Coffee works! I will ask about rx creams. They gave me a steroid ointment for itching so I'll ask if that's for burning too. It's to that point where it pulls when I extend my arm. Not too worried. Last Day!!! Yippee!!! Woohoo!!!