Hi everyone, Im having first TAX on thursday, I have had 4 FEC now having 4 tax. Any tips for thursday from anyone please? My onc said be prepared on day 2/3, you will feel like you have been hit by a bus, his exact words! He said to take codeine, ibuprofen if needed. would appreciate and tips, thanks everyone, Ness xxx
Hi nessp
You may get some pins and needley type feelings in hands and feet. I have heard about ice mitts to help with those, haven’t tried that myself. I have very slight pins and needles, nothing that causes me too much bother as yet.
The usual things like drinking lots of water and resting. I have my stuff weekly so my Ses should not be too severe. There will be some other ladies along soon who can give you pointers.
How were you on FEC? My nurse today (Chemo day) said that she thought FEC was a lot harsher than Tax on the basis that FEC was 3 drugs. I hadn’t realised how tired FEC had made me until I stopped having it (Jan this year after 6 cycles)
x sarah
hi Sarah, thanks for the tips. I was terribly sick on FEC1, couldnt move from my bed for 48 hours and sick every half an hour, had to go to the GP for an antisickness injection in my leg. They changed my antisickness drugs so by the 3rd it was much better, yep tiredness but apart from that I feel I have got off lightly. oh yes, constipation, how can I forget that, crikey that was the worst thing I think! xxxx
Hiya, I had first TAX last Friday… and boy do I feel like I’ve been run over today! Was awake all last night with legs jiggling about violently, just could not get comfortable, and they actually hurt today… though I think it feels worse than it really is because I am sooooo tired. If I weren’t knackered, I think it would be more bearable. My back aches, my throat has been sore since half an hour after first dose, and I am not a happy bunny at the moment… but it’s not as bad as childbirth, all things considered…
Just praying I get some sleep tonight, or I’ll be on the phone to the chemo ward first thing to tell them that I don’t want to play anymore and can they stop the se’s right this minute before I start to get hysterical…lol. Haven’t really thrown dummy out of crib at them yet… but watch this space…
Still, one TAX down, only two more to go…we can do it… after all, the alternative isn’t great, is it?
Sophie xxxx
I’m a week post TAX 1 and still feel fairly rubbish, not really ill like some have been but really tired, thick in the head and numb in my nose, tip of tongue and tips of fingers. I’m clumsy picking up small things, and have been off food today, very unlike me.
I still haven’t ventured out the house in a week, really going to try tomorrow, but I said that yesterday.
What worries me most is that my ONC wants to give me another 5 of these as EPI didn’t work at all for me. I’m still not convinced this will either. I need somthing to restore my belief.
I’m day 7 now post Tax2 and I know exactly how you’re feeling Sophie with the leg pain - drives me mad as can’t keep them still. It’s nerve pain I think and for me it was constant for about 2 days and then went to short sharp spasms that just popped up anywhere in either leg. OH not impressed with the sudden leg shooting in air followed by a shrill “OW!” every 10 minutes whilst watching the news!
I’m glad to say they’ve subsided today only to be replaced with …let’s just says, frequent and sudden visits to the loo! This happened to me on Tax1 and lasted for about 4 days. I lost a lot of weight (11 lbs) but was reeeally poorly at the time. I’m keeping strength up this time (and importantly potassium levels) not so much with food (as don’t fancy it) but with Dioralyte! I guess today it’s hitting the liver and digestive bits. Throat is sore but not as bad as last time (i.e. no thrush). No getting away from it - Tax se’s can be CRAP (literally)!
Hopefully in a few days I’ll feel more like me again…just before tax3 is due (last one - yipee)!
Hope se’s are as kind as they can be
love
Barneypaws (Debbie) xx
Thanks Debbie, hopefully I won’t have too much longer of this leg crap to put up with… I think what’s making me neurotic about it is I have seven lots of jabs post each TAX (not sure why I’m lucky enough to get SEVEN… ) and I have almost convinced myself that the pain won’t go til the jabs stop, and the jabs won’t stop until next weekend… Hopefully I’m getting myself into a state over nothing. But chemo nurse told me that she was sure it was the jabs that caused the pain… Ugh.
Have decided that instead of tossing and turning in bed and cursing lack of sleep I shall simply stay wrapped up in duvet on sofa until I pass out… Not working yet, but the night is young… 
Sophie xxx
Would quite like to lose 11lbs… have def. noticed marked decrease in appetite but unfortunately Ben & Jerrys going down well still and helping with sore throat, so weight loss as an se, though desirable in my case (as have put on stone and a half), is not too likely. Roll on April, that’s all I can say…
Hope you’re feeling 100% improved tomorrow…
Sophie xx
good idea Sophie - keep well wrapped up on the sofa, I’m under a fleecy blanket on mine. Only kicked the coffee table twice with spasms so they are definately subsiding!
7 injections does seem a lot, I did 5 following 3 x FEC and I must admit the bone pains started the night I took the first injection. Onc decided to change it to the one injection when I went onto Tax and said it was stronger and gave longer protection (working on building white cells up quicker). It was also more expensive and so they normally didn’t offer it out straight away. I find now that the bone pains start day 2 following the injection - (I think it is the injection that starts the pain as onc. said it’s the bone marrow working hard to produce white cells). Perhaps your 7 are the same strength as my 1 (called Neulastin?) and it might be worth asking your onc about it.
Gotta try and climb the stairs in a minute which is a marathon - legs just don’t want to hold me so I go up on all fours alongside my very confused labrador!
Hope you get some sleep tonight
Debbie xx
11 lb loss was definately a boost - put 5 back on inbetween and now loosing it again. Needed to lose it as piled on weight after going through early menopause at 40 (I’m 46 now) - just hope I don’t pile it on again when this is all over! x
Hi there
I am well down the line now as it 2yrs since I finished chemo of which I had 3 fec and 3 tax but can remember the problems all too well. I also had injections to take to stimulate my bone marrow and had 7 each cycle and the pain they caused was as bad as the chemo. I had all the side effects of joint pain, sore raw mouth no taste finger nails and toe nails went black and fell off and had a neuropathy in my toes. I’m glad to say that the side effects disappeared failrly quickly though i do still have numb big toes and my toe nails are still discoloured ridged and are brittle. they just dont seem to grow proberly at all. I still have joint pain which the omc says is wear and tare but im sure the taxotere hasnt helped in the slightest. I can sympathise with everyone going through it now and i send love and hugs to you all. Keep your spirits up
Gail xxx
Pleased I found this thread! Day6 post Tax/Herceptin 1 (and the 7 day injection regime). Taste gone, bad/constant period-like pain, legs jiggling and back-ache. Why won’t the sun come out - I can’t stand living in this underworld of nothing. Apparently we had 41% less sun in January than average and I’m sure this doesn’t help the mood. Going to walk slowly to Tesco - I may be some time!
Annie
Walk to Tesco, Annie?? I’m taking half an hour to get upstairs! I suppose I’m day 6 now, if dose was Friday… I always get muddled with it. Get home safely, please!!
Debbie - I will speak firmly to onc. re jabs, and see how I get on. I know I should be ‘grateful’ that my NHS trust actually prescribes them before we run into problems with neutropenic sepsis, I know that’s not always the case, but it IS hard to feel grateful for something that hurts so much!!! My post mx meds def. helped last night, I managed to doze for an hour or so here and there, but annoyingly, kept needing to get up and wee - which I don’t think is fair at all!!
Just that tiny bit of shut eye and ‘rest’ has made a big diff, and I feel much brighter and less desperate this morning, but can’t promise that I won’t have dissolved into the pits of itsnotfair by this evening!
I am also tackling stairs on all fours… and now and again have to confess to crawling into the bedroom once I’m at the top <grin>… Hope you’re feeling more comfortable today, too.</grin>
Gail - thank you xxx
Sophie x
Hi All,
So sorry that side effects from tax are not abating fast enough. I had a really hard time with the first one but 2nd and now 3rd have been better. I found that by day 8 I felt more human after no 1 and was back to my usual soon after.
I had just one neuralasta jab each time and managed the pain with nurofen and paractetemol alternate doses by the clock ( plus hot water bottle). My long bones still ache ( I am now day 6) but it is manageable. Sophie, my oncologist promised me that my body would not react to the jab as much on TAX 2 and 3 and she was right- it’s not much consolation now for you but you may find the next two easier.
You could ask for one jab rather than many.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Sue
Sorry you are all feeling so rough…you have my utmost sympathy…
I wasn’t offered the jabs so didn’t have the side effects of them to contend with on top of everything else.
I still get the restless legs esp at night nearly 3 weeks after last tax. It drives me mad and keeps me awake so only sleep for a few hours. How long before it goes away?
I can report that hair is growing, mouth slowly recovering taste buds…AND I can taste difference between wine, beer, cider and vinegar!
Barney paws - sorry you were unwell, although welcome to lose 11 lbs it is a lot in one go, so I’m pleased you’re eating again and putting it back on.
LIF - that must be so good to be able to distinguish between wine etc and vinegar. Just to be able to tell the difference between two different things would be nice all I know is that everything tastes of lard, all greasy and horrible.
Tend to eat because I know I should rather than any enjoyment, stomach also feeling ready bloated - at some point it will all come out which might make me a walking natural disaster area.
It’s been a week since the second tax and although the side effects have been the same it does seem more manageable, wonder how much is just knowing that the mouth will eventually stop feeling like the bottom of a parrots cage and taking the painkillers straight away rather than ‘coping’. I’ve been automatically given neulasta after every dose, it seems different areas/onc have different regimes.
Sophie I was told if I found myself crawling had to contact hospital so you take care.
Take care all
Reeb x
Hello everyone
Sorry to hear that the se’s are plaguing so many. I’m due to have my 3rd (and hopefully final)tax on Friday.
I just wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced the skin peeling off their feet? Tips of my toes and balls of my feet, it just keeps on peeling off. I haven’t read about this anywhere. It seems to occur when my feet have begun hurting again. My feet hate the slightest pressure on them even a quilt is too much.
I’m very impressed with Annie being able to walk to the shops! Walking further than the loo during that first week is as far as I can manage.
Take care everyone. I’m so glad I’m not alone with all of this.
Deryn
Hi everyone,
Sophie, Debbie, Deryn, Reeb and everyone else suffering, I have all the same symptoms -have spent last three days in bed after Tax on Friday and only eaten two small meals since Sunday. And boy am I irritable -bawled out long suffering OH because he left the kitchen door open when preparing his meal last night and I can’t stand the smell of cooking and terrified the cat by shouting, when he tried to drink my water - he’s already been totally spooked by the sight of me in a turban!
After Tax1 I was given a single Neulasta jab but had an over reaction, too great a rise in white blood cells, lots of pain, temperature and spent a night in hosp. So onc has put me on 5 separate injections this time, which he says should be “a more gentle approach”. Yesterday’s wasn’t too bad, we’ll see what the others bring…
Let’s hope we all have a better day tomorrow - I’ve heard the sun’s going to shine!
Love to all,
loula
Hi loula, good to know that the seperate jabs have been easier for you so far… but poo in another way cos it looks like I may be on the ‘gentle’ regime and making a big old fuss! I was feeling brighter through most of today, but so very tired now that it’s all getting on top of me again, feel like snivelling into my pillow. Hey ho, onwards and upwards, day seven tomorrow… could that be a turning point?! hang on in there, we can do this (just keep swimming, just keep swimming, think I need a finding nemo fix)
Sophie xx
Deryn - I haven’t encountered this personally (still a bit early in my TAX journey!), but I have heard of other people with peeling skin on feet and hands, so it is def. an se. I can’t think what might help, other than continuously moisturising to try to keep on top of it? Even lashing loads on at night, then putting a pair of cotton socks on top, that might help? Hope it’s not painful… I am dreading the thought of poss. losing fingernails or toe nails… but have painted them all a rather fetching dark purple… not very well, admittedly, but they are done!
Sophie xx