Iwas dianognose with BC in 2007 masectomy, chemo, rads tamoxofen & herceptin…
Was told in Mar 2011 it was back in liver, left lung, lymph nodes in soft chest area and bones…
I am currently on Abraxane ( had a reaction to Pacitacel) Zometa & Herceptin…
I remain positive but it is so hard with this tough regime of treatment… 2 more chemos to go but boy its tough…
Anyone else out there been on this please tell me it gets better… can’t remember chemo as tough first time round…xxxx
Sorry, I don’t have any experience of Abraxane chemo but just wanted to bump this up so someone else can help.
Good Luck and hope SE’s improve.
Nicky x
hi Dudley,
i am on abraxane too (and zometa, but no herceptin for me), although I’ve only had 2 doses to date, and am having five weeks between dose 2 and 3 as I’ve had to have urgent surgery in the meantime.
So far, I haven’t found it too hard to cope with - I’m having it in conjunction with Xeloda. The worst side effect to date has been sore and achy legs. What problems have you been experiencing? And have you any useful tips for how to cope? The oncologist increased my steroids for the second round to help combat the achy legs, and I relied on pain killers for the rest.
I’m glad you are nearing the end, although if you are finding it so hard then 2 more must still sound very daunting.
With all best wishes,
Jx
Hi J
I suffered with achy joints and legs like you, its the neuropathy that I have suffered from the most… I have been finished chemo for 4 weeks and although still fatiqued the numbess is so bad in hands feet, feet and face ( my voice was effected) have been told it could tak up to 3 months so heres hoping…
(I also had 2 weekly stays in hospital due to infection but over that now too )
My secondries are in lung liver , soft chest area & bones i was told after CT scan that lung almost gone, also chest area still in liver but responding so I’m guessing it;s good stuff after all…
Hope it goes the same for you …
HEather x
Hi everyone (I’m a bit new to this so bear with me please …)
Have just started on Abraxane (my 7th chemo over the past 7 years). Have had Taxotere in the past but am finding Abraxane a lot tougher. Still early days as I only started the treatment last week but have already experienced dreadful pains in my arms/hands and legs (particularly knees) and feet. I have some residual neuropathy in my toes from my Taxotere days but, this time, my feet are really suffering and, for the first time, I’m experiencing numbness in my fingers Heartburn and constipation is beginning to be an issue and, of course, I’ve yet to cope with the hair loss, but at the present time it’s the pains in my muscles and joints and the numbness which is distressing me the most. Would be really grateful for any thought or tips on how to cope with these side effects.
Thanks …
JB
Hi JB,
Sorry to hear of the problems you are facing with Abraxane. If it is any comfort, I have found that the cycles do vary - side effects that seem really bad one time are not necessarily as bad next time.
I can definitely empathise with the sore legs, as you say especially the knees. My oncologist gave me steroids for the first four rounds to try to combat the aches, but this time I have relied on regular ibuprofen and ignored the steroids (on Onc’s advice) and feel my legs are slightly better, plus I feel much better in myself without the steroids. My legs do get very tired after a very modest amount of exercise - just walking through the house or going upstairs leave me needing to sit down, but it does improve for me so that the last week of the cycle I feel fine.
I’m painting my nails dark again like for taxotere to hopefully help prevent any nail problems, but I don’t really know what to do re the peripheral neuropathy. I read somewhere that massage helps - worth a try?
Re the hair loss, I tried the cold cap for the first time on cycles 1 and 2, but found that my hair was coming out anyway, plus the remaining hair looked such a mess, so I abandoned t and clippered my hair short. Interestingly, although I must have lost probably 80% of my hair, the bit that has remained seemed quite firmly attached and is actually growing now!
Not sure how much help that is, but happy to keep in touch as we go through this. Must add though that the persistent pains I have been having in my ribs for several months now have completely gone since the start of cycle 4, so I’m convinced it is working!
Best wishes,
Julie
p.s. I’m on my 5th cycle just now, and for the past two I’ve had red,dry blotches on the backs of my hands - have you experienced this too?
I am not on this chemo. However a friend who suffered dreadfully with pn. On tax took tablets which helped her symptoms. Not very helpful, but if you are interested I will ask her what they were. They take a while to get into the system and didn’t relieve symptoms altogether.
X Sarah
Thanks everyone for your supportive and much appreciated advice. Yes please, Sarah, I would be interested in the tablets your friend took for PN. Might be worth a try.
Spoke to my Oncology Nurse today and she said that it appears that I have had a severe reaction to Abraxane and possibly might not be able to continue with it. Will be seeing my Oncologist on Monday to discuss the situation. My understanding is that PN is a chronic condition, i.e. toxicity which builds up over a period of time such as nearing the end of a chemotherapy regime. Therefore, apart from the fact that this is my 7th chemotherapy in 7 years, I can’t really understand why the PN started 48 hours after the beginning of my first dose of Abraxane. I’m beginning to think that, whatever the Oncologist says on Monday, I really don’t want to risk this getting any worse and therefore Abraxane might not be a feasible option for me at this time. All very depressing because I believe that I’ve already been through the complete armoury of drugs.
Anyone else experienced PN after Taxotere or Taxol, perhaps?
JB
Interested in reading posts about Abraxane as not a very common chemo, think due to the costs. Hope you don’t mind me joining in.
Been on Abraxane since June and my experience is very similar to those mentioned.This is my 7th course of chemo - previously I’ve had Taxotere and Xeloda together. First Abraxane I had left me really ill and ended up in Hospital for a week. My Oncologist had told me that this chemo was much easier to tolerate!! I now get it weekly. 3 weeks of chemo and then a week off. I agree that the side effects seemm to be different each time, constipation being a problem, though that could be the steroids. Joint pain, especially ,my knees and feet and hands are always sore and freezing. This is my week off so looking forward to feeling a bit better and hopefully catching up with friends for wee glass or two of wine.
I was initially diagnosed in December 1997, and had mastectomy, chemo and 5 years of tamoxifen. Secondary on my ovary in March 2005. On and off chemo since then. I’m a widow and live beside my daughter. They have a 3 year old daughter and she is just a joy to have around - keeps me going.
Cammie I found abraxane really hard going as well and my oncologist said the same. I had previously had chemo in 2005[FEC] after my original diagnosis and although i had my off days in general it wasn’t too bad. For 3 or 4 days after every treatment of abraxane i had really sore legs and i still have numb feet, i dont know if i will ever get the feeling back, i also felt absolutely knackered the whole time although i suppose some of that might be progression of the cancer as i now have bone, lung and liver secondaries. I am about to start more chemo tomorrow (Vinorelbine) but if i feel as bad with that then i wont persist with it. Fingers crossed. Good luck with your ongoing treatment.
Regards…Trish
Trish - all the best with this new treatment. Hope it is easier on you than the Abraxane has been. I’m having 6th next week but don’t know how many in total I’ve to get. Could do with a wee break, even just till Christmas. I’ve now got cataracts which are a side effect of the steroids so they should be done in next few weeks. Would like to be off chemo when this is done. They don’t tell you about these things.
Let’s know how you get on with this new chemo.
Sheila
Abraxine is my third chemo in 4 years. Red Devil was my first in 2013. Red as heck, burned going in, bald, skinny and what I call white girl cickle cell. Second chemo when I was told I have bone, lung cancer was a breeze. Kept hair, kept wait, kept taste. It failed after 1.5 years. Now abraxine is evil. Hair gone after 1 dose, diarrhea, hit by a mac truck pain all the time. I can no longer run 8 miles a day with my dog. The joint pain. Every treatment is the same sx. I feel like neulasta makes it worse. I get the body shot next day I am in so much pain. 7th day nadir I can barely get out of bed. But if I do not it hurts worse. I have been winning this battle but I feel like abraxane is slowly destroying my body. 8’'(