Taxol & AC

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Lauraleigh16
Lauraleigh16 Member Posts: 25
edited March 2016 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hey everyone, I just finished my 12th week of Taxol chemotherapy & start the AC next week on March 24th. AC will be givin every other week. Any advice anyone can give me on how to handle it, side effects, sickness? I have heard horrible things about AC the days after you complete treatment. I am so nervous. I did fine with the taxol no sickness just tiredness and hair loss. Thank you. 

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited March 2016

    Hi! I did dense dose AC before my 12 weeks of Taxol. I had my infusions on Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday were OK. But, by Saturday, the steroids had worn off and I'd feel pretty zoned and lethargic. Some other side effects: heartburn (a few days the first week), chemo brain (had to type all of my class lectures out), and lack of appetite. I'd be better by Monday. My advice to anyone doing AC would just be to pace yourself. Set yourself small goals, and give yourself the time to finish them. For example, it would take me 20 minutes to fill my sons' lunch boxes, (about 10 minutes longer than usual), but I got them done. Furthermore, if some tasks didn't get done, they didn't get done. I just didn't dust my house while on AC. We all survived.

    Will you be getting Neulasta after your AC doses? Some women have a worse reaction to that shot than to the AC itself. Some take Claritin to avoid ill-effects from Neulasta

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited March 2016

    I did my 4 DD A/C (every 2 weeks) neoadjuvant and it did not slow me down at all. The only issues (if you can call them that) was that I lost all sense of taste and appetite. It wasn't that anything tasted bad - there was just not taste/flavor to anything. Appetite - it wasn't that I couldn't/didn't want to eat - just that I never thought about eating or got hungery, Hubby called me several times a day to remind me to eat 'something' so I would. Also lost sense of smell. The only 'problem' I had with my Neulasta shots was that almost to the minute, 2 hrs after the injection I would go to sleep for 2 hrs. Of course - hair did go away.

    The 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant was not so 'nice'. I started it 5 weeks after last DD A/C (2 weeks to UMX and 3 weeks after UMX). I was completely and utterly EXHAUSTED the entire time time I was on it - basically I existed either in bed or on the couch watching TV. As tired as I was sleeping did not come unless I took Ambient. The taste, appetite and sense of smell did not come back till months after laplummeted My blood work stayed good throughout with the exception of my K (potassium) level - 1/2 way through Taxol, my K levels plummeted so had to go on mega doses to keep it in normal range - keeping my K level up 6 yrs post Taxol is still a problem but not as bad as during Taxol.

    I did not have any issues with nausea with either A/C or Taxol. No 'Chemo brain'. Didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do as Hubby took over all house and cooking chores along with the dogs and my bunny; adult Son took over all my barn/horse chores so I only did what I wanted to or felt like I wanted to do.

    That's about all I can think of now.

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  • Lauraleigh16
    Lauraleigh16 Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2016

    Thank you guys for the Information.

    I will be getting the shot Neulasta 24 hours after I am finished with AC, With taxol I haven't got sick any just very very tired.. And my hair started falling out at week 3. My energy level I haven't noticed now is very little, doing normal things is tired for me. Is that normal also with being on taxol? I can't even walk very far or garden outside without having to sit down to catch my breath from being so tired. For the last 2-3 weeks I have been wide awake at night having trouble falling asleep and waking up 7- 8 times a night having to go pee then can't fall asleep. I finally told my doctor about it and she gave me ambient to help me sleep, I haven't tried it yet, I need something for sleep just don't want to feel dizzy or tired the next day or when I first wake up.


    Sorry for all the questions all of this is so new to me, and I am a 30 year old not sure what the heck I am doing and pretty nervous about the AC

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  • blamoms
    blamoms Member Posts: 113
    edited March 2016

    I am doing AC right now. I go every other week. My hair fell out last week. I find the first 5 days are the worst. Feels like the flu. My legs feel like lead,achy,nausea,tired. I find after 5 days I am back to normal. Eat every few hours and drink lots

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited March 2016

    Laura,

    My doctor prescribed Ativan for sleep for me. I just take it on those nights where I've been tossing and turning for an hour or so, and know that I have to get up early the next day (for work or to drive my daughter to school early). I feel refreshed on Ativan mornings, not groggy.

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  • Lauraleigh16
    Lauraleigh16 Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2016

    Hello there, Thank you so much for the answers. I am starting the Ativan tonight, for the last 2 weeks I have been tossing and turning every night for hours on end. Waking up 6-7 times a night so fingers crossed I get a good nights sleep. I feel like my body is so out of energy right now & my emotionally I am just drained and physically.

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  • Lauraleigh16
    Lauraleigh16 Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2016

    Hey there, That's what I heard about the AC feeling like the flu the first few days, I am hoping I don't throw up but I have a feeling it isn't gonna be good. Maybe I'll be the lucky one that doesn't get sick. After my 4 treatments of AC I'll be finished with chemo & on to radiation. One step closer to be finished.

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  • Veronica31
    Veronica31 Member Posts: 97
    edited March 2016

    I think you'll just have to wait and see. Everyone gets so anxious about SE of new drugs (myself included) but everyone reacts differently. I only had mild nausea for a few days each time and I only had chemo brain after the first infusion. I never had taste changes and my appetite was exactly the same if not hungrier.

    Hope you have an easy time with it!!

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