Starting cytoxan and taxotere January 2015

Dear Lindsincowtown, We are so sorry that you are dealing with breast cancer, chemo and the mom to 3 young children. We are glad that you reached out here as there is much good information and experiences shared. It sounds like you have a lot of worry and that is understandable with 3 young ones at home. We are thinking that you also may want to post on one of the topics in the forumYoung with Breast Cancer. There are a number of topics there that address dealing with breast cancer, treatment and having young children at home. You are in our thoughts. Keep posting and let us know how you are. The Mods

Hi!  I've just finished with 4 rounds of cytoxan and taxotere.  Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have and I will try to help you out.

My oncologist was very upfront with every side effect that could possibly occur.  Fortunately, for the most part any SE's were minimal and easily managed.  First off,  I did lose my hair.  But I was expecting it and when I knew it was imminent I called my hairdresser, she changed appts around and brought me right in and cut it all off for me.  Might not be what everyone wants, but it is what I wanted.  My scalp was very painful and irritated but once she started cutting it off the redness and tenderness was gone so it was a good choice there.  If your oncologist has told you that you may have hair loss, you may want to prepare by looking for some caps and/or head wear to have before hand.  I think the website I went to was TLC and it was pretty reasonably priced.

Welcome Lindsincowtown! and sorry that your a member of the club. I just started T/C January 2nd and have had a number of SE all VERY manageable. Reading peoples stories on this site really helped me prepare. Fear is reasonable but you will get through this. I was told that SEs were very similar cycle to cycle so hope this is true.

Remembering that each person is different - this was my experience. The steroids PUMPED ME UP! So day 1-3 I was somewhat tired but very functional- went to the gym, had a little shortness of breath but not bad. Day 3-4 were the worst in that I had increased muscle aches and fatigue- needed naps and a little (a very little) percocet and did well. I went to work and got through the day OK. day5 - good. Had a little hip pain on day 6- responded to ibuprofen. Now day 9- feeling good, cleaning the house and doing laundry! Overall, YES chemo kicks your butt BUT it is manageable.

I heard about using claritin with neulasta through this site and started claritin the day of my injection and for 7 days after. Did well.

Feel free to message and you are NOT alone!

Cubbieblue- totally understand what you are experiencing with the muscle aches. Ask you oncologist about pain control. Also I experienced constipation NOT diarrhea. I am managing this with daily colace and intermittent senekot at this point.

Luckily no sinus symptoms with the cytoxan.

Feel better.

To cubbieblue:  About two weeks after my first chemo treatment my entire scalp was very painful.  It was the first sign that hair loss was imminent.  I was able to just run my fingers through and had lots of hair in my hand.  I called my hairdresser who took me immediately and started cutting away.  Honestly, it was the best thing believe it or not!  As the hair dissappeared, so did the pain.  What I couldn't see, but my hairdresser could, was how red and irritated my scalp was.  As soon as the hair was gone the redness was gone also.  It felt soooo much better.  Of course, I had a dream last night that my hair grew back.....except it grew in as a Mohawk!!!  LOL

Thanks Dacre!  The irritation on my scalp has calmed down a little bit today, but the itching at my back hairline has now turned to red bumps.  I wonder if it is a reaction to the drugs.  I see the MO tomorrow so I will be sure to show him.  I'm Day 7 and so far no hair loss, but I'm thinking of taking the scissors to my head.  Your mohawk dream has me thinking...maybe I will have a little fun with it before it disappears. :-). 

Hey Linds,

I did 6x C/T, 3 weeks apart, for my first go-round with chemo. When I started, I was 43 yo and my daughter was 6. I am the primary breadwinner, so was very worried about being able to continue to function and work and interact.

I lost all of my hair before the 2nd treatment (c'est la vie). The week after treatment was always the hardest; I got constipated, fatigued but also had insomnia, had some nausea, and a bit foggy-brained. To help with the constipation, I drank LOTS of water before, during, and after every treatment. I started using a juicer, too, to get fruit and vegetables into my system without always having to eat a meal (sometimes you may not feel like eating, but you need the nutrition). My oncologist prescribed Compazine to help with the nausea and it made all the difference. Walking at least 20 minutes a day is also important and helps a lot. I also had dry mouth, which I hated, but I used Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash for that, and then switched to Orajel mouthwash when I started getting some mouth sores. In the two weeks between each treatment, I felt pretty good. My biggest battle was actually with the Neulasta as the white blood-cell booster, which caused a lot of bone pain for me. I would get my shot on Friday, and the pain would usually kick into high gear on Saturday night and then fade to flashes of pain on Monday. To deal with that, I used painkillers prescribed by my oncologist. I'm not a big fan of pills and medication, but those painkillers were my savior. The magic combo for me was a light breakfast, a painkiller, and then a cup of coffee (terrible, I know). That really helped me. And I was able to continue working, volunteering in my daughter's classroom once a week, running errands, etc.

My oncologist also prescribed anti-anxiety medication to help with the sleeplessness, but I didn't take it very often. I usually used it over the weekend, but not during the week unless I was desperate.

I had a second round of chemo (different type) after my surgery (actually, I had to have a surgery after my surgery because my abdominal wound didn't want to close). The chemo type was a lot stronger and threw me for a loop, but I had pretty much the same experience. There were a couple of days where I just wanted to rest, and then I could go about my business.

Everyone experiences chemo differently, but you're young and you've got your kids to give you a reason to fight. I won't say that chemo will be easy, and I don't know how it will be for you, but now you know how I did. I hope it gives you some relief. Listen to your body and give it what it needs, don't give in to the fear, cry when you want to, be mad at the world when you want to, and remember how many other women have been through what you have and that we're all pulling for you. And I bet you'll be functional.

hello Lindsincowtown. I just finished 4 rounds of C/T on Dec. 29. Everyone reacts differently, your mileage may vary. Check out the thread Tips for Chemotherapy which folks are kind enough to bump to the top from time to time.

My hair started falling out 13 days following first treatment. I had no scalp pain, tenderness, etc. it just started falling out. In MA insurance covers wigs, so I already had one, and the salon where I got the wig styled it and cut my hair for me when it started falling out. I work FT and continued to do so during treatment. I did have a few rough days though. I had me treatments on Fridays, and I usually started feeling bad on Mondays following. I had pretty severe diarrhea the first round, but was able to manage it with Immodium the rest of the rounds. My husband was very supportive, he did everything during the weeks tha I felt the worst. My boys are teenagers, and they helped quite a bit around the house as well. Worst thing for me was the taste changes. I found it very frustrating not to have the desire to eat anything. Luckily, it only lasted 1 1/2 weeks so I was able to enjoy food for a little while before the next treatment. I was also lucky that I had absolutely no nausea. They gave me something pre chemo that prevented nausea for three days, and that did the trick.

Good luck to you. Chemo is not fun, but it is survivable.