Hi ladies
i am starting carboplatin next wk- had a picc line fitted today so I’m ready as I’ll ever be!! I’ve heard conflicting info about whether my hair will fall out so thought I’d ask u guys?? I only finished chemo for primary bc in June so my hair is quite short but I can’t face the thought of losing it again + faffing round with wigs etc. I no it’s a minor concern in the grand scheme of things but if ts gina go I want to prepare myself.
Please let me know ur experiences.
Thanks 
tina x
Hi Tina,
I have just (yesterday!) finished my 8 rounds of carboplatin/gemicitabine, and NO I definitely did not lose my hair. I think there were warnings that it may thin a little - mine is very thin to start with after losing it to EC/Tax 2 years ago, but I noticed no change during the carboplatin.
Best wishes,
Julie x
Thanks for ur reply julie congrats on getting thru 8 cycles (thought it was always 6 or 4?). Did u have good success with carbo? glad to hear uv kept ur hair here’s hoping I’m lucky in that respect.
How did u find it overall? Easier or worse than inital chemo regime for primary bc? I keep gettin told it’s quite do-able + much easier than tax. I’ve a 20 month old so I’m hoping I don’t feel too rough!
Thanks again+ sorry for the 20 questions!!
tina x
Hi Tina, thanks for your kind words! Yes, it worked very well for me - I had a CT scan on Monday which showed no progression in my bones (I have bone mets in several areas including hip, ribs and skull), and nothing in any soft organs.
My first chemo was 4 Epirubicin/Cyclophosphomide followed by 4 taxotere, and I found the taxotere increasingly difficult, and with quite long lasting side effects.
The Carboplatin I have just completed was in conjunction with Gemcitabine - I had both drugs on day 1, then just Gem on day 8 of the three week cycle.
In terms of side effects I found it very easy to deal with (there is a big but though, so read on!). No hair loss, only very minor taste changes, tiredness on day 5 but that was about it as far as I could tell.
The big but is that it is very heavy on blood counts. I felt fine through the first round, turned up for round 2 and had to wait another week as bloods too low. My onc gave me an extra week off between cycles 4 and 5 and again between 7 and 8, and over the complete course I’ve had to have blood transfusions 3 times and a platelet transfusion. I’ve been unlucky with colds and also swine flu at Christmas, so actually had to go to hospital a couple of times towards the end of the course too for transfusions and treatment. Please don’t be scared by this, I’m just relaying my personal experience, and you may react very differently - I’m guessing you are much younger and fitter than me if you have a 20 month old (I’m 51), and the blood transfusions really are magic, turning you from grey and sickly to pink and healthy right before your eyes!
Best of luck, and feel free to keep asking questions, or pm me if you like,
Julie x
HI Tina
I had a very similar experiemce to JUlie with Carboplatin and Gemcitabine. My Hair thinned a bit, but I have plenty so no one but me noticed. I did have problems with blood counts too and hardly had any of my day 8 Gemcitabine but it worked ok and really knocked the tumours down well. So, good luck with it.
Best wishes Sue x
Thanks so much for your reples ladies! It seems quite well tolerated but I must keep a close eye on my temp + prepare myself in case blood counts are low etc. Great to hear my hair should stick around
can I ask what dose of carboplatin + gem… U guys were on?? I’m a little worried as my onc wanted to only give me carbo when gem-carbo seems the more common option? I checked my dose today + I’m having 850 mg every 3wks- but a friend who is currently on gem-carbo for a similar triple negcrecurrence, is having 2000mg of carboplatin she thinks! I’m just panicking that they’re not throwing everything at this as I want to give myself the best poss results with this chemo + it won’t happen if I’m on a paltry dose!!
Thanks again for sharing your experiences + I’m so glad the treatment has gone well 4u ladies
tina x