Chemo side effects

For me, I had no problems on neoadjuvant A/C. It did not slow me down at all. Adjuvant Taxol was different - was completely and UTTERLY EXHAUSTED the entire 12 weeks. We are all unique as are our experiences. No way to know ahead of time what we will/won't experince.

I've had two treatments now. It's so unpredictable. I felt pretty good the day after then fatigue and nausea. The first round I had mouth sores (canker sores and felt like I'd drank scalding hot coffee or something so it hurt all inside my mouth) but didn't really experience that as severe this second time around. My hair started coming out A LOT when I brushed it or showered at day 14. It's hard to lose hair and experience all the other 'yucky' symptoms, but I try to look at it as short term thing and a year from now it'll all be in the past. It sucks...hang in there and I pray your symptoms are minimal.

I began to feel sick about 3 hours after my first chemo cycle. The nausea was so bad I didn't sleep at all that night. By morning I was vomiting so badly my MO sent me to the ER. Now I get admitted for my chemo infusions. Cycle 2 I was admitted for 4 days. My hair all fell out on day 14. The fatigue during chemo is pretty extreme, some days I can barely stand up long enough to brush my teeth. 

It sounds like we all have unique experiences. I hope you did well and it's not too hard on you. (((Hugs)))

mltdd, which chemo did you have? Makes a difference in the types of SEs.

I had Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. For me with the T and C, the side effects would start on the 4th or 5th day.

Danielle,

I am not able to answer your question, however I am seeking out the same answers... I start chemo next week and I would love to know what others share with you.

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this! It is so much information, emotionally, and physically exhausting. God Bless you in this process!

Elizabeth

Vanilla ice cream may have been the only thing that tasted 'normal' may have been true for someone else and you BUT that is not true for everyone. Vanilla ice cream did not taste any different than very hot horseraddish - just no taste at all. Just because one person says that a particular food tastes 'normal' to them (and you found it did for you also) does not mean that it is true for all. Each of us are unique and there are absolutely no 'absolutes' with what will happen to/be experienced by everyone. It's great to share what we have experienced (and gain input from others) but there is no certainty that any of us, individually, will have the exact same experiences "you" may have had.

I'll be going for my 4th chemo on February 9th. The first time I had chemo seemed pretty easy for the first and second day. The main problem I had was on the 3rd day the anti-nausea med Zofran made me vomit,so I stopped taking it. I could not drink regular water,it taste terrible. I have had a very hard time trying to find anything to drink that tastes right. Anything with sugar tastes sickening sweet. Fruit juices gave me heartburn.

Other side effects were diarrhea,anything I ate went right through me for a week. I also had a very sore nose and had nosebleeds really easily. My other two chemo's I expected to be the same,but instead of reacting the 3rd day,it was the very next day. Side effects are getting more annoying.

Ladies, let your MO know what is going on! There is Magic Mouthwash s/he can rx. Quite common to loose your taste. Even water had no taste to me. DO NOT try to eat your favorite foods now. You won't be able to eat it later. 3 years later I still can't look at Activa yogurt in the grocery without gagging. Eat what sounds good when you can. It may change daily. That's ok. Do try to stay hydrated, again, what sounds good, and will go down.

hi anyone hand to deal with itching hands and feet while going through taxol. How do I get relieve?

Bajan- this is from another lady (Chambro in the "starting chemo in February" group:

Still haven't got it resolved myself, but some things are working better than others. Antihistamine (like Claritin or Zyrtec) plus a Pepcid AC taken together will settle the itch down to a bareable level for 4-5 hours. The problem is you can only take Pepcid AC 2x in 24 hours...so I reserve the cocktail for right before work and about 1/2 hour before bed for my calmer skin time. Topically, so far the best help has come from any creme that has lidocaine in it (I had some LMX left over from a procedure a year or so ago). I put a dab of it on and a dab of Cortizone 10 and lightly rub it in. After a few minutes, the worst of the itch settles down and I can function again. When it is super bad, nothing feels better than an ice pack or frozen peas to take the fire itch away. I've been doing a ton of research - it happens to people getting chemo in the taxane family (Taxol, Taxotere, etc) about 20% of the time. It usually starts on the thumb and first finger and then spreads out. but stops at the wrist. Some say it is just mild hand/foot syndrome but settling on the top of hands instead of palms - others think it is "dermal toxicity" that settles into the hands because cells turn over there faster than just about anywhere else, so lots of chemo circulates through them. Most the research suggest icing hands during infustions to help cut down on the itch. I'm definitely doing that next week! That's all I know so far...please share if you come up with something that makes the dreaded itch go completely away...my poor hands could use it.

Everyone is different in side effects. I had Adriamycin and Cytoxan my first 4 rounds then Taxotere on it's own. I'm pretty sure I've seen a thread here titled Cytoxan and Taxotere. I know Adriamycin is brutal, they call it the red devel cuz it's very harsh and can have a bad effect on your heart. Since I had both back to back for 4 rounds, I can't sort it out well but I know A was worse than C. On that, nausea was my biggest issue. Take your nausea meds on schedule even if you feel ok for the first few days after. And on any chemo, drink tons of water the first 48-72 hours after chemo as that's the time for it to leave your system. Don't let yourself get to hunger or nausea could get worse. If you can't eat, have chicken broth or protein drinks. Protein is important to keep up with for energy. If they are going to give you Neulasta shot the next day to help keep you wbc from dropping to much, take Claritin the day or the shot and for 3-5 days later. Relieves bone pain for many that shot can cause.

Taxotere has been easier on me, almost like no chemo. Taste buds by now are shot so nothing tastes right or good. Have to keep up with eating small portions frequently and hydration.

But again, everyone is different. I did way better than many of my sisters of the month I started. I anticipated the worse and mistakenly wasted so much money on all kinds of otc remedies for it I get this or that. If you're tight on money, don't do that. I did fine all on my own with 0 help. How you think going in and through it is important too. Think good positive thoughts. Find that thread. Also join the March 2016 chemo group so you can all support each other and share. good luck

I had FEC chemo, the E being epirubicin, which is similar to adriamycin, AKA The Red Devil. The docs were all concerned about the red devil, and kept assuring me that the taxotere they were going to give me after (4XFEC, then 4XTaxotere) would be a cakewalk in comparison. Thing is, I did not have a terrible problem with the FEC. I would have a few days of intestinal problems, extreme fatigue and mild thrush, but then I would feel ok for the rest of the cycle. It did affect my sense of smell. It started suddenly during the second infusion. Basically I constantly had the smell of burnt rubber in my nose, but it went away eventually.

The taxotere completely destroyed my tastebuds for the entire 12 weeks. It drove me nuts. I was so hungry, starving basically, but almost no matter what I tried to eat, it was like trying to chow down sawdust. Eventually, I worked out that tex-mex was perfect - mildly spiced, carby and soft. Guacamole also worked well. The taxotere also gave me a lot of inflammation and that went on for several months after treatment was done. It was whole-body inflammation of the muscles, which made it very difficult to walk, for example. I kept walking, but I had to move slowly and take breaks.

The best advice I have is to keep the oncs informed. I did not want to bother them, and would only tell them when we met for the next treatment what I had gone through. That is stupid. Tell them right away, because they may have some tricks to help you out. Also, I was afraid to take any OTC meds at all during chemo, and then I would find out weeks after a horrible inflammation bout, for example, that it would have been OK for me to take some ibuprofen for the pain and to get the inflammation down. Second piece of advice: get outside, get some fresh air and some exercise, even if it is just a slow shuffle around the block. Keep moving. It helps.

Make friends with your chemo nurses. They are rock stars and can help you out a lot. Tell them everything. I kept a journal of my treatment which was helpful in knowing what to expect and when from treatment to treatment. My mo appreciated it too. I was terrified my first infusion. Once you get past that one you will relax some. Chemo is no fun but it is doable. I agree about reporting issues immediately. Your treatment staff will be quite helpful about even the smallest things. Take whatever drugs they give you. Eat small meals, drink lots (LOTS) of water. Eat what tastes good to you. I lived on chicken noodle soup and caramel cheese popcorn. Go figure. Don't expect to get every side effect. The worst part for me was the hair loss. It bothered me way more than I thought it would. Exercise as much as you can. It really helps. Most of all, you can do this.