Triple Negative treated with Taxoter and Carboplatinum

Cefinkc,

I had taxotere and carboplatin. I was originally diagnosed as HER2 positive. My invasive ductal carcinoma was right around 2 cm - 1.9 cm to be exact. My original treatment was taxotere, carboplatin, Herceptin and Perjeta. After my July 23, 2018 double mastectomy, the pathologists were able to do extensive tests. Now, the doctors believe my tumor is HER2 positive and triple negative. So, the medical team wants me to take Xeloda- another chemotherapy type drug - but it is oral.

Anyway, I digressed. You wanted to know about taxotere and carboplatin effects. Taxotere caused more side effects than carboplatin. My biggest problem was fluid retention and anemia. The fluid retention is because taxotere makes your capillaries “leaky". This means the water in your plasma leaves your capillaries, your smallest blood vessels, and sits in the surrounding tissues. I gained twenty pounds of fluid. I don't want to scare you. It is a common side effect. I took Lasix and elevated my legs to manage my water weight. Please know that my retention went away two months after my last taxotere treatment. As for anemia, my hemoglobin dropped to 8. That is low and I was very symptomatic. If your hemoglobin or red blood cell count or MCHC begins to drop, ask your doctor to suggest prophylactic steps to counteract exacerbation. For instance, possibly take an iron supplement? Increase vitamin C? Increase vitamin B? Increase protein intake?

My best. Giveityourall

I am on taxotere and carboplatin too. They have me down for 6 rounds. (Are your 4 treatments "dose dense"?) I have had 2 so far. No fluid problems for me either.

w/ Taxotere: do ice your feet and hands during infusion, to avoid neuropathy.

The main side effects I have had are 1. total cancellation of my digestive tract for several days (zero appetite, constipation), 2. Mental fogginess, and 3. flu-like fatigue. I took zofran every 8 hours for the first 3 days (prophylactically) and have avoided nausea. The first time, I felt very weird and polluted - throughout my body - but it was not a terrible feeling, just a weird feeling. My eyes were also stingy. I used saline eyedrops and that was enough to solve it.

The second round, I went in for a nutritional IV the day after chemo. That helped me a lot... maybe even just the extra fluids helped. I did not get stining in my eyes, my fatigue was less, and my overall polluted feeling was less. I am on day 5 now and back to feeling pretty good.

I think I have been very fortunate re side effects. Am also really careful on nutrition, supplements, and other things within my control.

Mine are are every three weeks too. I think there can be 4 stronger doses or 6 weaker doses? Not sure but it sounds like other than that we're on the same path. I hope you feel good very soon. :-)

Yellow dog lady I love to see posts from people like you who are doing well years later!!!

My First Trip of a Lifetime was a cruise through the Panama Canal a few months after ringing the bell at the end of radiation therapy. Awesome, and not too strenuous. Having something amazing to look forward to really did help pass that sucky time during treatment.

There are many, many triple negative survivors out there who are just fine. We just don't stop by here very often because we're out living our lives and savoring every moment. I pop in every now and then because I remember that scary time well and figure that folks in that place need to hear that not all TNBC news is grim. Yes, TNBC is aggressive and needs to be addressed strongly and asap. But it is more responsive to chemotherapy than its hormone positive cousins. And once you hit that five year mark, you are pretty much good to go.

The key is to stick with the program as best you possibly can, keep up your strength as best you can, and hang on to a positive attitude. Forget the little stuff just now. The world will keep spinning. Let people be helpful. My sisters (not local) sent a big box of frozen gourmet meals so I could feed myself by sticking little trays in the microwave. I loved it, though the selection was really heavy on their favorites rather than mine (about 1/3 were chocolate deserts). But hey, if caring manifests itself as chocolate, I'm good. In short, do only what you truly need to do when you don't have the energy. Cut yourselves a whole lot of slack right now. You can make up for slacking later when you've finished this chore and had some time to recover. Right now, you've got a job to do.

Most of all, be kind to yourselves.

Just so you guys feel better, I was Stage IIB, and lost 4 axillary lymph nodes out of the 14 taken. You CAN DO THIS! Be mighty, and stay mighty. Life is better on the backside of all of that hassle. You just need to get there. Use everything in your arsenal to get through and beyond.