Taxol treatments.......I'm terrified

My experience with Taxol...

I lost my hair on AC; it started to grow back at about week 6 of Taxol.

My fingernails...no problems at all.  Toenails?  My baby toenails got yellow and thick, but now they're normal again, if a little short.  All the others are all aces.

Neuropathy...none.  Try 10mg a day of glutamine powder; recommended by my MO pharmacist and it worked.

Blood cell counts WERE low throughout and I had to take Neupogen shots...not fun, but really no way around it.

The worst part of Taxol for me was the Dex (steroids).  I had a horrible time sleeping the night before infusions because I had to take it then.

Overall, though, take it one day at a time and don't borrow trouble. ((((hugs)))))  

Warrior70 

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I did 12 weekly taxols and first the postiive--I had the most beautiful skin ever!  I was dry, but I used lotion and I felt like a runway model (only 110 lbs heavier tee hee).  I could eat, no bad taste.  No mouth sores although I chewed on ice during the 1/2 hour infusion.

The bad--lots of diarrhea, lots for me, but you can be very different.  Neuropathy in my hands and feet around treatment 6 ish.  They kept dose reducing me, and most of it has resolved.  I'm taking a lot of B complex vitamins.  I had horrible hemorrhoids, but again, you may be different.  And because of them, I was losing blood, so I needed a red cell transfusion.  Afterwards, I lost my eyelashes twice and my toenails once.  It didn't hurt to lose the toenails at all which I found weird and they came back fast.  Finger nails looked pretty bad for about 5 months.  Other than that, I ate what tasted good, took the anti-emetics even if I felt fine, went to work, did a-ok.

I think you are through the worst of it.  Lots of love, you'll be fine!

Everyone has different experiences with taxol and AC. 

I just finished my 11th taxol today. I have one more to go. I started working after week 3 of taxol. I felt the most fatigue weeks 5-9. I managed to work 3 of the 5 days on those weeks. I have some nail darkening near the nail beds on my fingers. My right thumb is almost completely dark. I don't have any neuropathy. I lost weight on AC and gained some back on taxol. My taste buds are off. Food tastes funny and bland. But the steroids make me hungry. My regular weight before BC was 110 - 112 lbs. I am 5'3". I went down to 100 lbs on AC and now I weigh 105lbs. The steroids I take the day before, the day of and day after taxol keep me up at night. Usually the day of taxol I feel okay. I need to take a nap in the afternoon. My taxol is on Friday morning at 8 am. Saturday I am full of energy. It's my most productive day of the week. I get a lot of stuff done around the house. Sunday I feel a bit tired as I am coming off the steroids. I take it a bit easy. Monday is a bit tiring too. Tuesday my energy starts coming back, 

I didn't have any problems with WBC until a few weeks ago. So far I had to take neupogen shots for two of the weeks. It's likely I will have to take the shot next week my last week as my WBC is on the low side this week, My haemoglobin is also a bit low. It has ranged from 7.9 - 9.4. I started eating some red meat and that has helped. I try to eat a lot of it on rich foods. It's the low haemoglobin that causes fatigue, I also got delayed two weeks. The first time after the week 3, I got shingles. Then two weeks ago my WBC count was very low and I was getting fevers. My haemoglobin was really low, I took an antibiotic for a week. My MO had me take a break that week.

I did  loose my eyebrows and eyelashes around week 6. I use Anastasia eyebrow products to fill it in. My  hair started growing about 3 weeks. It's just hair fuzz right now. 

But the last two weeks I have been feeling quite good. The fatigue has become much better. I have a 9 year old son who still needs my attention for homework etc, I have been able  to manage the best I can.

You can do this. Just listen to your body. I go to bed early every night. 

Good Luck!

Toby, did you have someone with you for your treatment? If not that May be why the nurse sat with you.  I'm sure you already know there is a chance of allergic reaction to Taxol.... an anaphylactic reaction can come on quickly and can be fatal.  You're always closely monitored during the first treatment, and I had the blood pressure cuff on at all times through all my treatments.  My  husband stayed with me for my treatments but I was checked on often.  The nurse showed good care sitting with you, usually they are too busy to do that.....there's a thread on here where someone lost a loved one from a reaction to taxol, the infusion centers need to be really vigilant.

I too was scared by reading all the possible side effects.  I had asked my oncologist about icing to prevent nail loss and neuropathy and she said absolutely not, it's possible to develop mets to your hands and feet and the chemo needs to circulate everywhere....some doctors think it's ok to do but do ask before you consider doing anything along those lines as each persons case is different.  A lost nail can always grow back.  A few of my nails darkened at the end but I wore nail hardener and dark polish, no one could tell.  The slight neuropathy I had is gone now a few months after end of treatment.  My eyebrows and eyelashes grew back so quickly I would up returning the makeup I bought to redraw them in.  Like other posters, my skin looks great and hair is growing back.  My onco did let me take 1000 of Biotin while on taxol which I feel helped my nails and hair.