Hi All
It has been one week since my first TAC Chemo which amongst others includes Taxotere…and I must say, I never expected it to be easy, but I have been feeling awful and just coming to the surface now…and from all your comments, sounds like I’ve only scratched the surface.
When I came home Wed afternoon I felt sick as a dog, a real mind over matter to not vomit so I could keep the anti sickness tablets down!
2 days later I felt like my head was going to explode (almost as when your head is full of cold). This was put down to coming off the steroids which goes with the TAC regime.
I now feel nearly human but starting to get the pain in joints and bones…sounds like this is normal then…
Indigestion, Heartburn, mouth ulcers have all appeared as well.
Lots of positive thinking needed. Keep telling myself why I am going through this and that I will come out the other end hopefully without a cancer cell in my body!!
1 done 5 treatments to go…the countdown has begun!!
lol Puk
Dear puk all normal side effects and they will pass promise!Take paracetamol and ibuprofen together for the pain and start taking it before the pain gets too bad.
hi puk yep u seem to have it all how lucky u are! i found the mouth ulcers the worst, and i didnt find any lelief, just time! i do wish u the best and stick with it it all gets better. pammi
Puk, i think the first Taxotere is the worse, it was for me because i was so scared. I threw up as it was going in and the onc couldnt believe it saying it was because i was so stressed and said he would give me somwthing to relax me before my next session. But after getting home and not feeling sick then i was fine on my next visit because i didnt expect to feel sick - if you see what i mean.
If the sickness is a problem for you, mine was cronic with FEC, if i looked at the packet of anti sickness pills i heaved, you can get anti sickness in a pessary !! problem solved. They worked quick and not having to swallow them was great.
Had my first taxotere on Monday. Wasn’t violently vomiting after like I did with FEC so hugely relieved about that. I did take a very strong anti emetic though just in case but was fine the next day even hungry which really surprised me.
My throat looks and feels red raw though - anyone else had this?
Elinda x
hi elinda,
i have jst finished my third and final tax on tuesday,my throat and tongue have been red raw. The best thing for the throat is to gargle and rinse twice a day with diflam,its worked realy well for me,i do this every day tho as i find it works better,not just chemo week. I also drink nearly 3 litres of perfectly clear still water a day which has helped unbelievably with all the side effects. Keep an eye on ur mouth, the roof of mine went like a charred grill pan i put it down to the tax and it was oral thrush which i always get when on antibiotics,so they gave me some more to combat that.
Keep up the good work everyone
sharon
xxxxx
Thanks Sharon I’ll try that. I’ve got lots of bottles of difflam. I’ve been really thirsty anyway so drinking lots of water is no problem.
elinda x
HI All
Ive got my 1st TAX tomorrow and im absolutely dreading it now, have been following the thread and think is it really worth it.
think id rather stay on the FEC as i wasnt too bad with it.
Sally
hope all goes well sally, will be thinking of you , let us know how it goes!!
i went on the london meet yesterday and lots said tax wasn’t as bad as they feared! one said to take vit b complex to help with numbness in fingers and toes!
love debs xxx
i had a lot of problems with generalised pain,( I felt I was getting the 'flu all the time) pins and needles and , in particular, muscle weakness in my legs- so much so that they did an urgent MRI thinking I may have developed Mets in my spinal cord(which I hadn’t fortuately)
This led to treatment being stopped but took couple months for pins and needles to go despite VitB6 although muscle power returned quickly.
I don’t think the exhaustion has ever realy gone away!
The good news is that even the few courses I had dropped my CA15 levels so it was worth it.
By the way - I find grinesotron and metaclopromide make me very constipated and my jaw go stiff so my oncologist has given me Levomepromazine a quarter of the 25mg dose- brilliant! and if you take it at night you get a great nights sleep!
Forgot to say (fuzzy brain syndrome??) but three of my friends sailed through Taxotere except for the pins and needles!
Morning ladies
Thinking of all of you
Sally I think Pineapple’s comment that the fear is the worst thing. I only started using the website regularly part way through Tax and found the advice really helped me.
Elinda Sharon’s advice about keeping an eye out for thrush is useful (not just roof of mouth can spread down back of throat which is better treated with amphotericin lozenges)
Hope this helps. Take care Crispy
Hi again all, Wow, I never thought I’d have this many comments to mine, thanks so much, it is SO nice knowing there are others out there in same situation.
Just want to tell you all that today (7 days after 1st treatment) I FEEL GREAT!! I have been shopping in town for making pancakes for the girls for tea and invited Grandad to come over!! (Perhaps it’s something in all the water I drink!)
Yesterday I dragged myself out for a walk and have done the same this morning and I do believe that gentle exercise is good too. And get those endorphines going!
I can manage the joint aches today as just feel a bit like bugs in my hips and back (tingly feeling)…very odd but kinda funny.
Really this has made me not fear the next treatment quite as much and anyway that is another 2 weeks away…
Thanks again all
Puk
Thanks Crispy, I will keep an eye on things to make sure it isn’t thrush.
Smiliineyes - I agree with you about Levomepromazine, that’s what I take and it works so well.
Interesting though that I didn’t have either metaclopramide or granistron and my jaw feels so stiff and tight that it’s hard to eat anything hard. All along my teeth I have pain. I think in my case it must be the chemo.
elinda x
Just had last tax also have tooth pain and sinus now plaining up also got earache not sure if its just me but if its effecting me like this its getting the beggers …
Lisa
Hi All
I suffered with oral thrush on the FEC so was given fluconazole and it worded a treat, have been given a months worth this time by onc, does she know something i dont know lol.
what are levomepromazine,grinesotron and metaclopromide…and what are they for, also i keeps hearing about mets, what are they too
still feeling very nervous about tomorrow…
Sally x
hi Sally
If you’ve already had thrush on FEC think that your onc is being very sensible keeping on top of a potential side effect as you are obviously susceptible. Fluconazole worked well for me as well and made the second and third cycles much easier (Wish i’d had the fluconazole first cycle).
Granisitron is the usual anti sickness medication given with FEC. It does have a tendency to make you constipated. Metacloperamide and levopromazine are other anti sickness medication. Not every centre uses the same medication so it’s worth discussing which you are on and how they can be juggled. Found both my onc and chemo nurse were prepared to discuss this.
It is a whole new ball game for you. You will feel better after tomorrow because then you will know how you react.
Thinking of you tomorrow.
Crispy
Mets are secondary breast cancer (when it has spread…) they are most common in the bones, liver, brain and lungs…
Theresa
thanks all
thanks everyone for your advice and hints… i feel quiet prepared now for it. still dreading it though…the cupboared is well stocked with prunes and boots anti constipation pills, pills incase i get trots, pain killers for the aches,and wheat bags too. anti sickness pills, thrush pills , indigestion pills. got eye drops now cos my eyes are getting dry along with the mouth, E45 for feet and hands, bloody ginger biscuits…right bring it on…lol
dont know why im laughing i need the trots pills already LOL…just my sence of houmor im afraid… its getting me through this.
have had a look at my anti sickness pills and i already have the Levopromazine but under a shorter name they were good.
thanks for the info on what mets are…ive had ct scan and bone thing and im all clear so far…
Starting to think we all must have been really bad people in a our former lives…its so unfair…ar well
thanks again everyone will keep you posted on how i fare tomorrow and good luck everyone else facing their 1st Tax tomorrow , will be thinking of you xxx
Sally xxx
good luck tomorrow sally, sounds like your going into battle, well i suppose you are in a way. Hope it’s kind to you, i will be thinking of you
Take care, luv Pauline xxx