Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013

Thank you Rebecca:) Hope you are well:)

day 4 post TC was yesterday and I was pretty good besides some bone pain from neulasta. Today my stomach is in knots and I'm disolving a zofran in my mouth (after compazine) right now. Assuming the final anti-nausea pre-med that was to last for five days is going away and thus here I am but I really thought I was in the upswing. So frustrated!

Gook luck with your first round. Hope all goes okay.

I just saw my oncologist and this is what we are doing for Round #4 (last one) - Day before chemo - 2 steroids, Day of chemo - 1 steroid (more given with chemo), Day after chemo - 2 steroids, then 1 and 1.

So maybe this will allow me to get some sleep AND feel good.

Octogirl - I definitely prefer feeling good and sleep deprived over feeling crummy

Good luck to all the new and not so new chemo ladies this week. Hoping most SEs are managed and you feel OK!

I take Clariten for 10 days starting with day of shot. I have never had any side effects from Neulasta shot.

I had Neulasta after each chemo, I did not take Clarin and had no problems with it.

Good luck to all.

Claritin was WONDERFUL! No one told me about it until my 2nd Neulasta shot but it made a world of difference. My onc nurse said 5 days but I took it for longer after reading here.

day two post first round and first neulasta shot. Took a clariten for the shot. Have slept for at least half a day. Appetite not so much. headache from the steroids I think. Glad they are done. Glad to have it behind me. Know things will get tougher but 25% through. Thanks for all the sharing and caring here

day 9 post 1st TC: appetite back!!!! Hooray! It does return. Grateful for those simple things

Mommadigs, 25% done...yeah!! Good luck with the rest, take care and be well.


Glad you are feeling better Jabe. My appetite came back but unfortunately taste was 'off' and I craved salt... anything salty - Chinese food, McDonalds, chips, etc., etc.. Salad tasted horrible (and I like salad!). The consequence was I gained about 6lbs by the end of chemo !!! I was not happy, I was at least hoping having to do chemo would help me lose weight.....sigh... BC couldn't even throw me a bone and help me lose weight, I'm back to having to do it the hard way...starvation and exercise....arghh!!! Hahahaha!!! Be well Jabe!!!

Jabe - I read you had stomach issues. I get Emend in a drip to combat nausea, and it's wonderful. I've had zero stomach issues. I haven't taken any meds by pill form (except an antibiotic). They cut my stetoid in half and I felt like nausea might have been on the horizon, but I was fine. I have treatment #3 tomorrow. Ask for drip Emend. Are u doing IV, or do you have a port?

Suzanne - I'm doing rads in Nov, too. In Aug chemo thread you mentioned your reasons, and they are similar to mine. I'm 50 and the doc said the studies support rads. I'm having some issues with my arm. It's not swollen nor numb nor painful, just weird feeling. If it's neuropathy or lymphedema, I worry that radiation will make it worse.

for those of you craving salt, have you gotten your potassium, sodium and magnesium levels checked? Craving salt could be an electrolyte imbalance. These three substances need to be at good levels. Also, try to stick with sea salt if you can, a much better form of salt

Jabe, I also had a "very very bubbly tummy", i think it was a reaction to the steroid Decadron I was also taking. My MO prescribed pills for me to take to settle my stomach - pantoloc. I took one pill daily while I was taking Decadron and that seemed to work.

Hi everyone. Thought I would share my first round ( because I will likely forget it like everything else thes days!):  first treatment last Tuesday, 9/22. I had steroids day before, with treatment, and day after. Neulasta shot on Wednesday 9/23. Took Claritin day of and two days following shot. 

Tuesday through Saturday felt like I had a flu. Low temp 99 - 99.5, very tired, a little achy, little appetite , constant annoying headache.  No nauseous or stomach issues. Saturday evening my first ever case of heartburn but tums got under control. Appetite started to return but taste was leaving. A little scaly feeling starting to develop in mouth.  In general I'd describe the week as not enjoyable, but manageable. 

Sunday was hungry, less tired more achy.  Monday I woke up and knew I had a temp and body aches were hitting in full force.  Temp hovered around 100 but felt like someone was hitting my lower back with a baseball bat.  Called the onc when it stayed at 100.4 and had to go in for bloodwork. 

Long story short, two of my counts were below acceptable low so I was admitted to be safe. Got antibiotics and no sleep. . Good news my counts were on the way back up in the morning and I was discharged Tuesday afternoon. Went home, showered ate and slept. 

I woke up today and slowly realized through the course of the day I was doing things without hitting the recliner after every task.  Tonight I told my daughter I almost feel normal. 

So that's it so far.  I see my onc on Friday for bloodwork and round 2 is on target for 10/13 so I'll let you know how rest of this round goes if things change. I'm hoping it continues like today.