taxotere side effects

Hi Jeanieb. That must be such a wonderful feeling, having a doctor you trust for such a long time. I have one like that, my primary care. Had him for probably 20 years or more.

Anyway I was the same way about gaining or losing weight - we always seem to be ok with losing, but now is not the time, for sure! I didn't gain on purpose, but between the lack of exercise and the comfort-eating I ended up gaining about 10 pounds during chemo. It's all back down to normal now, almost three months later.

My skin is healing great! I think the plastic surgeon will be happily surprised to see how well it held up. There was that one scary day when the skin broke down right after the office closed, but by the afternoon of the next day it was already better, just by leaving it open to the air all that time. I'm doing great. My energy is back to maybe 75%!

I still think the boost days missed the mark, treating the wrong area of skin, but I will wait and see what the surgeon says when I see him next month. Worst case scenario, I'll have to have a few days more of radiation to the right spot. I'm not going to dwell on that right now.

Hugs to you too!

thanks Jean, can't stand gatorade...propel is it.....

water and anything I put in it makes me sick...

hang in there and will check in  later.

Carla - Yes next Thursday is my next treatment.  I have to say this time was not quite as bad as the one before, at least I only ran a low grade temp a couple of days instead of a week so that is a good thing.  Thursday will be my 3rd one for this round and then we will scan June 4 or 5, so that on June 6 I can find out the results and probably do another 3 rounds.  That is the plan anyway but we all know those plans can change in a heart beat so I am hopeful for this plan to work like it did the last time.  I am sorry to hear it kicked your rear so hard this time and I do know what you mean about the cough, I do not like it when that starts.  I am hoping I do not have to contend with that.  Hope you are feeling better everyday, even though it is your last one I know it will take a while before you are 100%.  When I finished my last one on December 20 it took me until the end of January or first part of February before I felt some difference, and was really feeling good when I started it again April 4.  Happy Mothers Day to everyone!  Hope you all have a great weekend. 

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and I'm hoping I can get some answers/advice.

My mom was diagnosed with ILC on 2/15.

She is supposed to start chemo on the 29th and I'm so scared for her. I've read a lot of your comments and suggestions to ease side effects, what to watch for, etc.

I'm concerned because I live with my mom and work in a dental office. I am often in contact with germs on a daily basis. Just yesterday a patient came in with hepatitis. Do you recommend me taking a shower before going anywhere around my mom? I work in the front office, but the back office touches patient's charts with gloves, I touch the charts...you get where I'm going.

Any advice?

Thank you!

Hi Chelsea, I am also a Dental Assistant and my Oncologist said no working during Chemo in fact he wants me to wait before I go back, I was done with treatment about 3 weeks ago.  As far as you bringing home germs to your mom, as long as you glove and mask up it should be fine.  You know the routine wash your hands..  I would recommend taking off your scrubs as soon as you get home and showering is a great idea. 

You have come to the right place to ask questions and for support.

Welcome,

Carla

I have the same thing going on with my legs. I am finally feeling like myself but my legs ache, mine feels like muscle pain.  Sore stiffness like I ran 10 miles.  My oncologist says it's the Taxotere, movement is supposed to help.  I use Arnica cream at night and first thing in the morining, you can get it a any health food store, I get mine at Sprouts.  It helps.  Also, Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg a day.. I'm thinking you might be right about the Glucosamine it sure couldn't hurt. 

I would think the Arinca would help even if yours is caused by the Herceptin.

Keep me posted...

Jeanie, Blondie how are you two?? You've been quiet.

Ladies, my oncologist told me no glucosamine while on chemo, so maybe just check with your MO, as I know each one has different feelings about supplements. I know my MO warned me that taxotere causes bone pain-boy she wasnt kidding! She gave me morphine plls, but I found they didn't help any more than Tylenol extra strength, so I took those. I am 3 weeks past final chemo and am just starting to feel better. I'm actually able to do 15 minutes on treadmill- which is an accomplishment for me considering I would get out of breath from just bending over! It does get better ( with a little push )

car well that explains the cramping and the hurting of the legs....taxotere...the poison....have all of those symptoms thanks for sharing it....I am fine, it is my week off, the SE continue but whatever.....thanks for asking.

hey Ms. how r u?

Siv....3 weeks, that is be here quickly, so excited for you.

me don't exercise, get out of breath quickly...and tired....

Carla - Somehow I managed to delete this site from my favorites and I would get on, look at my favorites and would think, hmm, no one is posting on the Taxotere website, well tonight I looked and it was not on my favorites anywhere so I had to go hunting for it and now I have added it again,, sometimes I wonder about myself.  At my last appointment on May 16, my tumor markers had gone up again and that was after my 3rd round of Tax, so he increased it a little to see if that would help.  The PA said that sometimes it can take 3 treatments before the markers go down and that is why they give 3 of whatever they are giving you.  I had scans today and will go tomorrow to see what the plan is.  If there is progression and the markers have gone up again I will be switching to something else.  I am not sure I want to switch, I do have a terrible reaction to this Tax but I keep thinking I at least know what to expect and if I have to try something else it could be worse, but on the other hand it could be better so I will just go with whatever my onco suggests.  I pray that the markers will be down and the scans show some improvement but will be excited if they have stayed the same.  My markers have always been good indicators of what is going on and I know that not everyones are reliable.  How are things going with you?  I hope things are getting better, the pain from the Tax bothered me also when I had my break from it and I finally figured that it was the taxotere causing it, I wonder if it could be like detoxing?

vogafan - I had issues with my toenails also.  I had treatment from September until the end of December and both of my big toenails turned black and I kept thinking they would fall off.  In February they still were black and one had started to ooze a little fluid tinged with blood so I made an appointment with a podiatrist and he said they were impacted and he had to remove them.  He said they would not have come off on their own and I am glad I did go.  Yours may be totally different but it might not hurt to at least get an opinion on them.  I was told it would take a year for them to grow back but since I had to start Taxotere again in April I am not sure if and when they will ever come back but it does not bother me. 

They are all the ones I have and 2 days after chemo (mine is wednesday also) so today is my bad day....acid reflux is a SE of tax...I take medication for it now, prescribed by my oncologist...tell her to hang in there....i self talk..."i will be ok, i will get through it".....over and over again....tomorrow will be better for me....I get 3 weeks on 1 off and my 3rd week is the worst.....HUGS TO YOUR MOM!!

Hi Jeanie,

Thank you so much for your reply and advice/experience. Today has been good and bad. She feels better and then says she feels like she is going to die. It's so hard.

I will definitely mention to her oncologist all of her symptoms - what makes me mad is he isn't quick to prescribe. Getting something out of him is like pulling teeth.

I do have a question: what can you do about a sore tongue and throat? She says she feels like her whole mouth is cut up. Is there anything to get that to heal quickly? Or relieve it? Her tongue is white like thrush and very swollen.

Also... She is terribly constipated. I know that's how you get rid of toxins and she can't go. I had her take a stool softener and drink some Citrusell (sp?)

So far... Nothing

Tell me symptoms will ease soon?!

ChelseaAshley - I do not have any remedy for the sore tongue, and yes, mine does turn white like thrush also, I was told to rinse with 1/2 tsp of baking soda to a glass of water two or three times a day.  I don't know if it helped but I think it made me feel better.  I also know this can be a sign of dehydration, that is what the nurse told me when I went in for my counts the week after my first treatment.  The soreness will ease as time goes on, and yes it feels like you have sucked on hard candy all day and your tongue is all cut up.  I just drink lots of water, that is about all I can stand, although I can do Gatorade.  I always get diarrhea from my treatment so I am always using Imodium.  I do not know what to tell you about the constipation, but I think what you gave her should be good, if she should get diarrhea I was told to take Imodium at the first sign of it.  I usually do not start that until about Monday or Tuesday and I get my treatment on Thursday.  As each day goes by she will start to feel a tiny bit more human and it just keeps getting better from there.  I have a very understanding onco and he is always right there to get me whatever I need, I also never hesitate to call and talk to the onco nurses.  I called them the first week everyday with something and they were always willling to help me with whatever I needed and they can be a good source of information also.  I hope tomorrow will be a better day and tell her to hang in there, it will get better, I think she should be over the very "worst" day, of course that could be different for everyone.  I have kept a journal of how I have felt everyday from treatment and sometimes it just helps me to go back and say, ah, yes, tomorrow I will feel like this.  All of my days have been the same from the first treatment so I can just about plan what I can or cannot do.  I also think the first treatment was the worst, not that they get a lot better but I think we are so taken by surprise that we do not know what to expect.  I had chemo 21 years ago and I never, ever felt this bad with what I took then.  I was also told I am just highly sensitive to this particular drug, that most people tolerate it well, but reading here there are lots of us that are sensitive to it.  I wish there was something I could do to help her, but I think only time will do that.  You hang in there also, it will get better for both of you, it is actually harder on the one watching than the one going through it, I have been on both sides of the coin, you are a wonderful daughter to be right there and help with whatever you can, that will make her feel better just having you there.  Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that we are doing this to save our lives and it will be well worth it down the road, I remind myself a lot, I can do anything for a day, then just try and get through one day at a time.  I have been told that Taxotere is a great drug and works well.

CherlseaAshley - I am so glad you were there to take your mom to the ER.  I was wondering if she was getting dehydrated because I know that can do terrible things to a person, I am just so glad you took her and that the ER doctor had a talk with her onc.  I hope that helps when she goes to see him again.  I feel so bad for her to have this reaction right off the bat.  I know the thrush can be bad also, glad she got something to help with all of it.  It is amazing to me what dehydration can do to a person.  I am glad she is feeling better and hopefully the onco can lower the dose, or give her IV fluids the day or two after, or at least give her something for the nausea to try and keep her from getting so bad.  Tell her to keep feeling better and keep me updated on how she is doing and what they say when she goes to the doctor for her next appointment.  I will be praying and hoping that all goes well from here on out.  Hugs to both of you.

chelsea....you also should have a conversation with the dr. also..IMO he should have known better...I get fluids along with my chemo...no anti nausea medications, there is a protocol with tax (well that is what they told me) and benedryl is part of it...firstly I get steroids, then 2 anti nausea medications, then benedryl then tax.....along with the tax I get 500liters of fluids, now I do cause I am not a drinker and also cause I am nauseous alot....I am so sorry that your mother is going through this and she is lucky that you are there with her....wish my kids were so involved...

he also gives me medication for acid reflux which is a side effect of tax (he told my supporter that is why I have it cause I never did before) and medication for my bone pain and 2 anti nausea medications for me to have at home which I can take at the same time...

I in the last year have had to go to the ER to get fluids because i was dehydrated....and lots of people go the day after to get extra fluids.....

good luck!!!

Sandy

they told me that the benedryl was required by the company that made tax to prevent side effects of the tax.....i get decadron also...zofran and compezine (sp) for nausea, as I said they told me I could take it together....sometimes the illegal stuff comes in IF the others don't work....I got zometa last wednesday and for 1000liter, 500 along with the tax and 500 with the zometa.........