AC+T SEs

I am on A/C every 3 weeks, next go round is April 16th.  So far so good, biggest SE right now is aversion to food.  I too am worried that the more rounds you go the more severe the SE's get.  I am feeling kinda lucky right now but keep in mind that it will prob get worse.  I am even thinking of taking leave from work, not that I need it now but just the anticipation of what's to come.  Everyone seems to be on different chemo's, I'd love to have this thread stick around for us A/C ers!

I did 4 DD A/C (every 2 weeks) neoadjuvant and it was not 'bad' at all and did not slow me down at all. My nose and eyes would sometimes start 'flowing' (like a spigot was turned on). I lost all appetite - no nausea, just never got hungery or thought about eating so Hubby would call me several times a day to remind me to eat something. I lost all sense of taste and smell - nothing tasted 'bad' just no taste/flavor at all. I had no problem drinking enough water as habit took over - I am a 'waterholic' and always have cold water at hand so it was not an issue.

12 weekly Taxol adjuvant amd it was nasty. I basically existed either in bed or on couch in front of TV completely and utterly exhausted. Eyes and nose continued to 'run', no appetite or sense of smell. Still no nausea even when I quite bothering to take the anti-nausea meds 1/2 way through. 1/2 way through, my K (potassium) levels 'tanked' and had to go on mega doses of K (I still have issues after 5 yrs keeping my K levels up in normal range). The good thing was that a week after last Taxol, the exhaustion started going away while I was on rads. It was about 1/2 way through Taxol that LE (LymphEdema) started.

There is no way to know what you will experience based on what other of us have experienced. We are each so unique and our bodies handle what they have to in different ways. Certainly there can be some similarities, but no guarantee as to what 'you' (anyone) will actually deal with (or won't).

Hi

If SEs are too much, perhaps your onc can do what mine did, - after one A/C she decided to break up the doses. My daughter's wedding was weeks away, so I after one A/C, I had 3 rounds of cytoxin and then 3 rounds of adriamycin. Although it extended the length of treatment, I got through the wedding feeling fine!

DD taxol was ok.

Sending wishes for an easy time for all here!

AJ, - i think the onc was extra cautious because I had an infection after my bmx, have a heart murmur and also had wedding for my daughter after what would have been my third A/C. You will be fine, - i think that the anticipation is worse than reality! Any side effects can be managed with adjusting meds, I assure you!

It is very do-able!! Try not to worry! and check back on these boards if you have any questions, - the people here are so wonderful!

I started March 31 with AC and so far have done very well. I have been able to walk several miles each day and have had very little nausea. I am thankful for the premeds and at home meds, which have done their job.

What premeds and at home meds was everyone given? I am given Aloxi, Emend, Dexamethasone, and Zantac premeds. For at home meds, I am taking 8mg Zofran every 8 hours. I have Compazine too, but have not needed it. MO als has me taking OTC stool softener, Zantac, and Claritan. So far, the combination is working. I am hoping that my good luck continues!

I know it is just day 3, but every good day is a blessing; I'll take all the good days I can get

Hi there! Feb 2012 chemo group here to offer encouragement! Just wanted to stop in and let you know that not everyone gets horrible side-effects from AC or T. We are all so different -- but I trusted my MO and my chemo nurse who told me that if I was getting nauseous at all then they would adjust my meds because it should not be happening. After my first AC we had a 45 minute drive home in Chicago area rush hour traffic. I was checking my phone and realized I was starting to feel a bit as I usually do if I read in traffic. It stopped. Then a friend from church brought my family dinner. It smelled soooo good - so, contrary to what I'd been told - I ate some mashed potatoes. Well it wasn't very much longer that I started to feel that urpy feeling - the kind where you just know you need to vomit but it isn't happening. That went on for a while (no urping however), but then I fell asleep and when I awoke an hour or so later - I was fine. And I was FINE thereafter. When I told my chemo nurse - she said let's have you take one of your anti-nausea meds an hour before you go home. That's what I did and again ... I never had another inkling of nausea. We still had rush hour traffic. I did choose broth as my first 'food' each evening thereafter. We even left Chicago for a trip to Florida - straight after my final AC infusion. I also did not have any bone pain from the shot which I actually gave myself the day after each AC. I did not take Claritin. I drank tons and tons of water before, during, and after my infusions. I also ate Minute Maid frozen lemondes during treatment. I am a runner (not fast but keep going) and was able to keep this up throughout chemo. I was 48. I did not work outside the home so you can factor that in and my youngest was a senior in High School (so there's that ;-) !

12 Weekly Taxol. No neuropathy. (did not take high dose Vitamin B based on some studying that I did - to each his/her own). I was still running. I lost 3 toe nails (2 big ones and the one to the immediate right of the big toe) .... which my oncologist attributed more to my running and I attributed to a combination of both. My toenails appeared purplish (as if bruised) but there was absolutely no pain, no oozing. And eventually they just lifted right up with slight regrowth already on the big toes. So ... I've given her the big toes from all my miles - but that other toenail did not grow back in the same way. It has a little ridge across it and a kind of thickened edge. So my nail people and I are more privy to that than anyone just casually looking down at my toes. Probably the most disconcerting thing that occurred while on Taxol was weight gain. I was running and running - 30 miles a week and each week the scale rose. This was extremely disconcerting. MO did not believe it was related to steroids because they were such a low dose and not for very long. She thought it had more to do with being thrown into chemopause immediately with the AC and my system just reacting in a possible expected (weight gain with menopause) but unwelcome way. When I look back at the pictures - I am still thrown by how fast the weight piled on in such a quick amount of time and kept on even with increased mileage. BUT .... the bottom line is that once the chemo started clearing my system ... I did start to lose the weight. It was harder to drop pounds after that ... takes longer for the same results .... but it will come off. I figure with chemopause and Tamoxifen working against me ... I'm doing pretty good. Oh, and at 51, (periods never returned btw), I'm still not fully menopausal/postmenopausal ... Estradiol is in postmenopausal range and FSH and LH are not even menopausal.

Everyone's body is different ... so our individual responses to these drugs will differ. Just know ... there are many people out there like me that had minimal to no side-effects.

Hope this helps!

Diana

Hi All,

I had my first AC on April 2, and I am just now able to function. Within 2 hours of leaving the infusion center I was nauseous...and within hours was up vomiting for 5 hours straight. After that, I had the next 7 days of dry heaves and extreme nausea...ugh. Needless to say - I am hoping some adjustment will be made for the next round...I lost 7 pounds in 7 days. I have my second infusion next week, the though of it makes me sick (and a bit weepy). I have never been nauseous like this before - it was awful. On a positive note- other than fatigue...nausea was the only SE I had....

Supernannymom I am so sorry you had this terrible experience.

For anyone in the future. If nausea starts immediately call your oncology office they will get you something to stop it. My MO told me this is not the time to be shy or worried about bothering someone. This is their job to minimize your discomfort.

Good advice on the aloxi! I will definitely ask about it next time!

With AC I had constipation and loss of taste. Then the night sweats started. Zyrtec kept the pain from the neulasta shot under control. With taxol it was all over body pain. So bad it kept me awake the first time. It lasted at least 2 days. After the first time I learned to take pain meds as soon add I got home and it made it bearable. The neuropathy from the taxol faded pretty quickly for me. Good luck and remember everyone is different.

well day three seems to be a little better...mild bone pain and upset stomach and burning tongue and constipation. Been pre loading with Claritin befor neulasta shot. At this point it's hard to figure out what's an SE from chemo and what's from the take home meds...is it sleepiness from the ativan for nausea, or fatigue beginning? Is the constipation from the AC or the Zofran, Compazine or the pepto? What does everyone do for constipation? Thanks!

Hi Bek!

I will ask about the patch for round 2. Just the though of infusion makes me nauseous...

I was told that the AC is harder than the Taxol...I am really hoping that is the case. Even now - I will have random breakthrough Nausea...sigh. Right now I am giving myself shots in the stomach every day as I have a nice sized blood clot in my vein where the catheter from the port was inserted.

This really is a journey - and each day has to be taken in stride and a grain of salt!!!

Thursday I head back to the AC bar for round 2.  I am already nervous! I did not have bad SE's with the first round so I am scared that this one is going to be different for some reason.  I don't know why... I guess I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop or something. I have had 2 really good weeks and I am dreading Thursday!

Trvler - My head really doesn't hurt too bad... but I didn't shave it.  I cut it just below my ears in length.  Don't have much but a little hangs out under a ball cap.  I am wearing a scull cap at night and it's not bothering me. Top of my head itches though.