1st chemo a breeze - what next?

muttnut · April 2008

muttnut · April 2008

I just had my first chemo treatment last week - DD A/C, and other than migraines, which may or may not have been related, I feel fine. Appetite not up to its usual standard, but no nausea or anything else. Should I expect to have more side effects as I get additional treatments, or do you think I'll breeze through? The neulasta shot was a piece of cake - no bone pain, aches, pains, etc. Is that unusual?

angie27 · April 2008

Hi, Muttnut

wow, I am so happy the way everything went for you, that is amazing, I hope I have the same luck as you tomorrow, 4/22, I have my first treatment AC, I am so scared about the s/e, so I know how you feel, please come over to the starting chemo in April, if you want and I love to continue to hear about your experience.

Regards, and stay well

mthomp2020 · April 2008

I did 6 DD A/C, with Nuelasta the following day. Outside of the hair loss, and my fingernails looking nasty, I did really well. I had a little nausea, more like a queasy stomach, after tx's 3-6, but eating or drinking something took care of it. The queasiness lasted a little longer with each tx. If you're only doing 4 tx's, it shouldn't be bad at all. I used Emend the 1st 3 days, and got Aloxi with the tx along with Decadron, so I felt really good for a couple of days. The Nuelasta never caused any problems for me. Never got any fatigue, either. So A/C wasn't bad at all for me.

myheidiscrapbooking · April 2008

Hi Muttnut, I am scheduled for my 3rd AC this Thrus. I was like you on my first - flying on air. THEN, (im telling you this so you can avoid it) I went for my second session of AC. When I got my blood result right before, they told me they were "very low" red blood count. I knew I had just had my period and that was my last day so I figured, now it will go up. WELL, thats not what happened. They did give me a blood booster shot however it wasn't suppose to kick in for 8-14 days!!! I went home and by the next day, I literally felt paralyzed - the 2nd chemo along with my low blood had be bedridden for 4 solid days. I actually wrote a post about it titled Anemia on chemo - I mean, I could barely lift my head. It was the most scary thing I've ever gone thru. I literally felt like I was ambushed because I was feeling SO good and this sucker punched me out cold. My husband called my dr. and told her and she said I had to get a blood transfusion since my blood had gone even lower due to the chemo and the booster had not set in yet. I did that and by day 5 felt 50% better and 75% on day 7. They also gave me iron pills and b12. Now that I am due to go on my 3rd this week, I am getting "iron-infused chemo" and also keeping on the pills. I'm telling you this incase you get surprised by a low red blood count on your next chemo. I apparently am anemic on chemo and some people are. Not all ofcourse. If you are, pls. pls. mention to the nurses that you need iron most of all and that booster. Today I feel back to normal - on day 12 and ofcourse am now so nervous about my 3rd. The first was literally a breeze and the 2nd was god-awful. Now you know if that happens and I hopefully can save you a terrible experience. Best of luck to you on your 2nd and Im so glad your having such an easy time.

Best,

Heidi

brena · April 2008

Muttnut,

Watch that 2-4 cycle they are a kicker, just when you think you can handle it it kicks you in the butt! Rest and listen to your body, eat healthy or at least as much as possible. Neulasta definitely helped me as I had no low counts, lucky that way. May you be as lucky.

Hang in there and try staying focused

brena

Deb61 · April 2008

I go for my first chemo tomarrow AC four times then Taxol x 12 am really worried about se. Anybody have advice what to take with me or what to wear? I have a port but am wondering how to dress to make access toit easier.

sftfemme65 · April 2008

Deb,

I did 4 DD A/C and now I just did my 8th of 12 weekly taxols today. I'm going to tell you the first A/C was fine, Second was tough, 3rd so so and that 4th one knocked me on my butt. The good news though is its just 4...only 4.....you just keep telling your self that and you will be ok. Honestly now that I'm done with the a/c I can say its doable it sucks but doable. For me, Taxol has been so much easier, but of course I have 4 more to go....only four....so if it starts getting a little tougher I'll be ok, because its doable.

Some advice I can give you is if you are really worried and prone to anxiety or panic attacks, ask them to give you ativan 1 mg right before the infusion of the adriamycin. For me the color of the adriamycin freaked me out, its red. I also take ativan with each weekly treatment of taxol because I was very nervous about an allergic reaction, which I didn't get. I sleep through most of my treatment its so great. really if you think you need it definitely get it.

Teresa

eak2863 · April 2008

Hi sftfemme65,

eak2863 · April 2008

Hi sftfemme65,

eak2863 · April 2008

Hi sftfemme65, I have the same diagnosis as you are. I am starting chemo on May 5th - 4 ACs every two weeks followed by 12 weeks of Taxol. I am worried for anticipation of unknown. Is ativan a sleeping drug ? Can you drive after sleeping thru the treatment ? DId you need to take any medication against nausea and fatique the day and the morning before chemo ? You said second AC was tough. What was tought ? I am happy this stage is over for you.

eak2863 · April 2008

Hi Angie27, I am starting chemo on May 5th. How did your 1st AC go ? Did you need to take any medication the day and the morning before chemo ? How do you feel a week after ? Pelase write.

angie27 · April 2008

Hi, Eak

Well here it goes, for me the chemo itself was not to bad, except for the fact that I was so scared to death, I was a nervous when the Adrymiacyn was being injected, it just felt weer, like lightheaded, subsecuent to that, I suffer the most severe constipation, anyone coould ever imagine, I had purchase stuff for constipation as well as diahrrea, but since I did not know which way it was going to go, I could not prepare myself for outcome, well finally today after 8 days from my first 1tx, I was able to relief myself, my advice to anyone is that if they constipate easy, to take something prior to the first infusion to keep things smoothly, I also felt like I tired more easy than before, so besides feeling so nasty from the constipation, I have to say that I felt ok. If I can be of any other help, please let me know.

My next tx#2 is 5/13

angie27 · April 2008

Hi, Teresa

I have a question for you, Did you feel that the taxol was the same or harder or with more s/e than the AC, and is it true that the Ac accumulates, or did it feel the same as the first.

Would love to hear about your experience.

Thanks

Sassa · April 2008

Angie,

AC accumulates.

Each dose will make you more fatigued and will take you longer to bounce back.

Remember, you already ate a quarter of the pie. You might as well have the rest. Wink

angie27 · April 2008

Hi Sassa

(Lol) I like the way you put it, Is this a correct statement for everyone?, or does it varies according to person?,

Sassa · April 2008

I think it is true for most of us. I have read statement on here from some women that they breezed through chemo with AC.

All I can say is, I wish I had the drugs they had.

I didn't want to scare you before your first chemo, you were upset enough.

By the way, you mentioned on another thread you had some queasiness after your first treatment. I said before, tell your chemo nurse at your next treatment.

I had queasiness after my first treatment and didn't say anything at my second treatment but just used the same anti-nausea meds as the first time. They didn't work for round 2.

My meds were changed for round 3 and I had no problems. Round 4, I was queasy again but since that was my last chemo, I made it through.

I was told by the chemo nurses that if the anti-nausea medication is correct, you shouldn't feel any nausea.

LorenaB · May 2008

Muttnut, I hope it continues to be a breeze for you! Before I started chemo, my onc told me that about 25% of patients sail through with minimal side effects, about 50% have some problems but are basically ok, and the other 25% experience serious nausea or other issues.

So far I've had 3 out of 4 A/C tx, and I think I fall into the middle category. I had some queasiness the first time but nothing serious, then I was switched from Zofran pills to Aloxi drip (b/c of constipation) and since then it's been better. As for the Neulasta -- I had bad leg cramps the first time, much less the second. For some reason it's been much worse the third time around, achiness all over my body. And I finally got what they say today about the fatigue being cumulative. Yesterday was Day 6 but I still almost fell asleep with my head on my desk at work. Today I felt better most of the day but a short walk (under 15 minutes) left me exhausted. I had to leave work early and come home to lie down before I went to pick my son up at school.

Can't wait for this to be over!

muttnut · May 2008

I just had the second AC treatment on Weds (today is Fri), and so far, so good. Took a long nap when I got home, but Weds. and Thurs. had no problems. Looks like the lack of appetite has kicked in today, though. I lost 5 lbs the first week, then gained back 2 the next. I'm going for acupuncture the day after chemo, so maybe that's why I haven't had any real problems. Even the Neulasta shot has been a breeze. No side effects from that at all, that I can tell. My hair is starting to come out, though. I'm hoping it'll make it until next Tuesday, when a friend is coming from Canada. I'm planning a hair cutting party!

NancyD · May 2008

Deb, as for what to wear, wear something comfortable. Elastic waist pants or loose jeans, a shirt that buttons up so they have easy access to your port, and also be able to roll up your sleeve in case they want to do the blood work from your arm vein (My treatment nurses prefer accessing the port only for the chemo meds), comfy shoes that are easy to slip in and out of (because they weigh you each appointment, LOL). They also cleanse the port area with betadine, so don't wear anything that can't be washed. My nurses are pretty careful about guarding clothing with papertowels, but it can till soak through in spots.

If you go back the next day for your Neulasta shot, wear a short sleeved shirt as they usually like to give it to you in your upper arm. If you've had a bilateral, they will give it to you in your stomach or thigh, so again, plan on something that will give them easy access.

tiff2008 · May 2008

Muttnut,

What kind of acupuncture are you getting? I've never done acupuncture so I was wondering what to ask for?

I probably fall into the middle catagory as well. Besides the nauseau the first 3 days I've not had any other se's. I had Zofran for my anti-nauseau drugs, it didn't work! I'm hoping next time they try something else!

Keep on keepin on---------

angie27 · May 2008

Hey, Eak

Just wondering how you doing, and how was your first treatment, please let me know.

eak2863 · May 2008

Hi Angie,

Everything is happening by the book. I arrived at the hospital at 11 am. Lab work, followed by the appt with a Doctor, waiting for a treatment, and getting a treatment - took about 4:5 hrs.

Thanks to my sister, who insisted I don't go alone. I am glad I listened - my husband went with me. He gave me strenghts and a great support. I will take him every time. But it is me - with a weak stomach. Most of the women go for treatments alone.

S/E are by the book. I took Emend right before the treatment. Decodone and Alaxi were given intravenously. Then I got A (about 15 minutes) followed by Cytoxan (30 minutes). More blood was taken.

I felt light-headed the rest of the day. My face was pale. Other than that - I was OK. Need to drink a lot of water to flush all those chemicals out. The urine comes out red from Adriamycin - so do not get scared. Decodone can make you restless/sleepless.

Today is the second day. Took 1 Emend and 2 Decodone. Felt light-headed most of the day. Again, all s/e are by the book. I also had an accupanture appt this morning. I was told it helps to relieve common symptoms. The time will show. Accu is not covered by most of the insurances, so this an out of pocket expence.

I worked from home today. I am glad it is one of the benefits I have. My mind was busy, and working helped get thru the day.

angie27 · May 2008

HI, Eak

Well, I am glad you ok, and everything you have described is exactly right, just like me, except for my severe constipation that I had, you got to stay on top of it, well now I know what to do for tx#2, coming up on 5/13, hoping that you stay well, please keep posting, and yes working does help a lot.

please take care

muttnut · May 2008

So far, so good still. I went for AC #3 this past Wednesday, and haven't had much in the way of side effects. I get Dexamethasone and Axiol drips beforehand for nausea prevention, and take Emend the day of, and dex for 3 days after, and that seems to help. The white blood count has been fine with the neulasta, but the nurse told me that the red blood cell count is going down, and I might have to get a shot for that next time. I've started taking iron pills, and have stocked up on iron rich foods, hoping to avoid that shot. So far, other than having a stomach that's not interested in food, I feel pretty much normal. The dex has a tendency to make me wake up wide eyed and bushy tailed between 3 and 4 AM, but I take 2 Benadryl at bedtime, and that helps me sleep until 5 or 6, my normal wake-up time. I'm even happy about my hair. When it started to come out, I cut it first to chin length, then cut it into a pixie cut about 10 days ago, and I don't seem to have lost a lot since. I've got enough I can pull it forward under a hat or scarf and have some bangs and wisps. I'm hoping it'll stay that way. One more AC to go in 10 days, then 4 rounds of Taxol, which most seem to feel is easier to handle. For me, so far, it's been smooth sailing! It may be the acupuncture I get the day after chemo. She puts in some anti-nausea needles, as well as some needles for energy. She's working on migraine prevention, too. I don't know if I would feel worse without it or not - nothing to compare it to. I just know that I feel good almost all the time. Hope the same is true for most of you.

EyesOTex · May 2008

muttnutt, and others getting acupuncture...

I just got approved by insurance to get acupuncture. I didn't ask for it the last go round, but you're sure making me wish I had. (I had dd ACT x 6 in 2006)

I've just had 2 treatments of Cisplatin/Gemzar, 1 week apart; I get this week off and then 1 more. I'll do 4 cycles of that, if I can.

My acupuncture appointment (the first one) is on Monday and I have my next treatment on Friday. What should I ask for or expect from acupuncturist? I guess I should "read up" but I'm lazy. Should I ask for acupuncture AFTER instead of before or both or what?

Thanks,

Eyes

Oh...I can no longer blame waking up at 2 or 3 am on the Dex. So what is up with that? I mean, EVERY morning, and I am queasy then.

muttnut · May 2008

My acupuncturist recommended coming the day after chemo. Might not be a bad idea to go before the first time, and then again after, and then go after each from now on.

As to the dex, I gather from a nurse friend that it is cumulative, so could affect you even a week or more after you stopped taking it. The first time it lasted 4 nights. The second time, it lasted 10 nights. Now I just take Benadryl.

EyesOTex · May 2008

wow, you are a fount of information. I just realized my chemo is on Fridays (ding!-lightbulb moment!) so it may not be possible to do it after, but I will ask.

I definitely didn't know that about the dex. *sigh* I had been taking Xanax to sleep but obviously that isn't working and I don't want to take any more after the ones to put me to sleep. Last chemo ambien gave me weird dreams. Benadryl, here I come, I guess, although it really doesn't make me very sleepy. Does it keep you asleep all night?

Thanks again for the good info

Eyes

muttnut · May 2008

My acupuncturist takes Saturday appointments. Maybe yours will, too. If not, try it the day ahead of chemo. As to the sleeping part, talk to your oncologist or one of the nurses. It was a nurse that suggested the Benadryl. She said to try that before trying a prescription to help me sleep. I still wake up in the wee hours, but am able to go right back to sleep with the Benadryl. Not sure how long I'll keep taking it after chemo, but the 2nd chemo treatment, I was getting up and staying up between 3 and 4 each night for 10 nights before I could sleep through the night. After the first, it only lasted 4 nights. Now that I've had 3, it may just stay that way from treatment to treatment. With the Benadryl, I'm getting up at my normal time, so I'll just keep taking it at bedtime. It DOES make me sleepy, as I found when I took it one morning a couple of years ago because I had a couple of mosquito bites that were driving me nuts! Made them stop itching, but I also took a LOOOONNNNGGG morning nap! No more Benadryl during the day for me!

Leeayn · May 2008

ok, now I'm worried. My first Chemo (

Adriamycin

Cytoxan

5FU

Anti-nausea drugs in my IV:

Alozi

Dexamethesone (steriod)

kicked my butt for about 8 days. My stomach hurt the entire time, I felt like I had drank battery acid my entire stomach burned so bad and I was fatiqued. I could walk around the house and in the yard, but not much more than that.

Now I'm reading that #2 is worse? OH MY! My second chemo is this Thursday, 5/22, if my counts are doing ok. Last week (10 day mark) they were a little low, but still within range.

My side effects were pretty "normal", if there is such a thing.

Anyone else on my chemo cocktail?

Fighting Cancer with Dignity and Grace

<>< Keeping the Faith <><

www.caringbridge.org/visit/leeaynbyrd

muttnut · May 2008

Leeayn,

I am on the same chemo regimen as you, and it's been much easier than I expected. I'm sorry you've had such problems. I don't have an appetite for anywhere for 4 days to 10 days after treatment, and sometimes feel a bit blah, but other than that, I've felt fine. I go for acupuncture the day after treatment. Maybe that's why I've felt so good. In addition to the meds I get with chemo, I have prescriptions for Emend, which I take after the blood work and before the chemo, and for two days afterwards, and dexamethasone twice a day starting the day after for two days, then 1 time the following day, and compazine as needed starting the day after. I get a neulasta shot the day after, and that makes my ribs and the back of my neck sore for a day or two, but Aleve takes care of that really well. I actually finished the AC part yesterday - halfway through! I start 4 rounds of Taxol next. It's supposed to be easier for most people. Call your oncologist's office and see if there's anything they can change or prescribe to make you feel better. I think they've got a bag of tricks up their sleeves of things that can help if they know there are problems. Hope it's getting easier.

1st chemo a breeze - what next?

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