Hi familyvernon. Sorry to hear after all that rubbish chemo that it’s not worked for you. I agree totally TAX has really messed with my head and I’ve been fed up, miserable, short tempered and very down. Good luck with your mx and new plan … sending postive thoughts your way.
Has anyone experienced sore feet? I’ve got red heels with blisters on - anyone got a remedy to stop me walking around on my tip toes. It’s very annoying. This tax does some really weird stuff to your body …
Rachel. I’ve got sore feet. They feel hot like blisters and a night out in bad shoes! fat chance lol. I’m walking around in my crocs at the moment. Still red tingly hands. Mouth OK.
This is day 13 and I’ve got muzzy headache. contemplating a couple of paracetomol but feel my body has had enough painkillers lately. I’ve cheered myself up by buying some new headgear on annabandana. Very reasonable prices.
Good luck family vernon. Let’s hope some new treatment will do the trick.
janipi.
Good description, exactly how my feet feel. No idea why tax does this. I’m day 9 and got that muzzy head thing going on - unable to concentrate much and feel spaced out. Apparently my chemo nurse said tax affets your cognitive ability to function properly. I said it affects my ability to function much at all.
Rachel.
Hiya everyone, day 6 post tax 2, my fingertips are sensitive today but aches and pains not as bad as tax 1. Just tired all the time, it does help having some lovely sunshine though. Mouth still strange, why does everything taste like cardboard?! The difflam doesnt seem to make much difference. You are right Rachel tax does some weird stuff to out bodies, hugs to everyone, Ness xx
have missed the updates with the site being down. I’ve come to the end of the run of 3TAX and start on 3FEC this Friday. My last TAX was a reduced dose of 20% due to the sore/tender fingers… glad it was reduced as I’ve had nothing but pins and needles, numb and swollen fingers ever since (dread to think what they would have been like with a full dose?!!) Some days couldn’t even hold knife and fork to cut my food up and typing… ouch!! I rang the Onc unit and they said nothing they could do about it, just wait for the feeling to come back to normal it is a side effect. It has slightly started to get better but I’ve had it for 3 weeks and it really is getting me down. Apparently FEC doesn’t have this SE so just had to wait for it all to wear off.
TAX3 was my worst for feeling really down… by day 4 I was all for having no more chemo as fed up with the rollercoaster of emotions and feeling crap and then a week of good before being hit with feeling crap again… but I’ve come out the otherside of my downer and as the Onc Dr said to me before last TAX there are no awards for bravery, it is difficult and if you need help/painkillers then you need to take them… nobody said it was going to be easy.
TAX is hard going but it is doable… can anybody say the same for FEC as I’m dreading it (going into the ‘unknown’ with chemo again can’t said I’m looking forward to it)… off to check threads for any advice on FEC.
Sunshine is helping this week so love and hugs to you all and hang in there
Hi Liz. Well done on trudging through TAX! I’ve had 3 FEC and 2 Tax just one more Tax to go - thank goodness. TAX has been rubbish … aching, sore mouth, sore feet, feeling downright miserable etc etc.
My advice for FEC is take your anti sickness meds and do not suffer in silence if you don’t get relief. Some people don’t suffer at all with nausea or sickness but for me, it was horrendous until I had Emend and then it stopped. I had no pains or sore bits with FEC, that’s one good thing!
Hello everyone, hugs to all those suffering.
Day 6 post Tax 3 - sooo tired and lacking energy, eyes a bit sore and red Skin round the eyes that is, still a bit achy.
Welcome Poly1. It was good to read your first post. I so agree - oncs don’t tell you half of the possible side effects - I wonder if they really know what they all are - I think they just read what’s on the leaflet. I’ve got nearly all my info from this site.
I think it takes a few weeks to get energy back properly after TAX - I’m missing my dancing - not likely to be doing that anytime soon. I do try to walk everyday though - even if only a slow walk round the block for first few post tax days.
Try the frozen peas or similar to help stave off the neuropathy and nail problems - it might not stop it altogether, but should minimise it.
I had my last Tax 4 weeks ago (out of 3 x FEC/3 x Tax) and have found Tax so difficult to cope with. I expected to feel tired after finishing chemo but have been left with bad water retention. (This started a few weeks before cycle 5). The docs say that it will resolve itself and do not want to give me anything to help but it is so difficult to cope with. It is affecting the whole of my legs, thighs being the worst but also calves, ankles and feet. They are swollen but it is the pain and muscle tightness that is the worst thing to contend with. It makes it very difficult to walk and feels like the muscles are being ‘pulled’ with every movement.
I have read a lot of the threads on Tax but cannot find anyone else mentioning this (I know another lady at the hospital who is suffering the same). Has anyone else had this?? Any advice?
I know that Tax is meant to be effective but boy, does it have some horrible s/e’s. About to lose my thumbnail too!! Great stuff!
I had my tax 3 on Friday before I move onto 3 x FEC
Over the last week, my whole leg, including thigh, calves, ankles and feet have ballooned to 3 times normal size and are absolutely driving me insane.
My BCN noticed immediately at Chemo on Friday and called the Doctor who gave me 10 x 20 mg frosemide (SP, but not keen to do so as my BP is on the low side.
Desperately waiting for an improvement but none as yet. I do sympathise with you and no, you are definately not alone.
3rd TAX tomorrow, and hopefully my last chemo session. Still not sure if my PICC line will unblock with their magic anti coag stuff. Hope so.
If I have to be canulated am def not looking forward to it. Not that I am a woss with needles, but the consultant anaethetist took 3 attempts with ultra sound location for my PICC, and for my mx surgery they took an hour to get 2 lines in and several attempts. To be frank then I gave up counting, I was worried enough about the mx op.
My TAX se’s kicks in straight away, headache and brain gone to mush within minutes. Starting this chemo with cold scores but have started aciclovir (sorry if spelling wrong) so hope will lessen them.
Good luck to everyone else on TAX these next few weeks and your se’s.
Oh dear, I was going to have a moan, but sounds like all the TAX effects are just normal! Only had one so far, (a week ago after 3 Fec),aches and pains everywhere, but boy oh boy I feel so miserable and sooooo down; keep bursting into tears and feel a complete failure.
FEC was ok once the sickness was under control - don’t wait to feel sick, just take the tablets and don’t stop too soon. Some people take laxatives beforehand as Fec tends to bung you up too.
Hope you all get relief from the water retention soon. P xxx
Hi girls I too have fluid retention, my legs arn’t too bad but my stomach is soooooo bloated. In the morning my eyes are swollen and the blanket creases take till afternoon to go. Can’t have frusemide as BP low and having dizzy spells. Due second Tax on Thursday but dose will be reduced presumably I will still feel dreadful for a few days but hey ho fun all round.
Pat
Hooray - another one through to the end of this bit of treatment. I know there are still the SEs to get through - I’m suffering them now, but at least we don’t have to go through it again.
Hope you don’t suffer too much.
so pleased for those of you crosssing the chemo finish line!!
best wishes for those of you TAXing and maybe FEC ing this week - i really feel the achess and pains have stayed for the whole of 3 weeks since TAX 2 which worries me - will they ever go away?
trying very hard to be upbeat especially with those around me not in the cancer bubble, getting excited and telling me i should be positive - “after this one you only have one chemo left” but i feel so low and feel unwell some of the time, that is not always easy as you will understand.
I’m having lack of sleep too, had such a lovely day out forgot steroids till 4 pm. Sleep seems a million miles away and need to be up for Tax 2 tomorrow.
Hope intake of red wine will not destroy liver function blood tests as already having dose reduction due to Tax poisoning side effects, hey ho ain’t this all a trial!
Little Angel - quite understand. When you’re feeling c**p, being told ‘only one more to go’ is not very comforting.
Also those steroids - I had no sleep with them unless I had a sleeping tablet and then only managed 3/4 hours - my sympathies to you both, LA and Patty.
