Hope it’s all going ok well done for getting the first tax done. Had a sleepless night thanks to the steroids last dose this morning so I’m expecting se’s to start kicking shortly after - the nurses said from Sunday onwards. My mouth tastes grotty but otherwise ok. I’ve been having the neulasta jabs from the word go after each dose and just had slight back ache so I hope you find it kinder than the 5 daily doses.
Got my massage at the hospice this morning then off to get nail varnish sorted.
Great tips here. I’m finding out whether I will be put on Tax or stay on FEC next week, so all these posts really help.my
Re: taste - mine was so disgusting that I was retching when I put anything in my mouth. I asked everyone (professionals etc) and got tips on what to eat for taste - but that didn’t help as every single taste turned to rancid fat in my mouth. It was suggested that I drank ‘Complan’ as it would pass through my mouth quickly.
Anyway, I found some research about lack of zinc affecting taste (also lack of B6,B12,A). By looking at my very limited diet, it seemed to be that the lack of zinc was worth a try, as my intake of the rest was pretty good. I hate taking anything I don’t need, but I wasn’t taking in the right nutrition.
As Zinc is water-soluable it would pass through me if I didn’t need it, so I thought I’d just try for a couple of days. I took a vitamin C/Zinc combination and though it may be co-incidence, it worked. I still have an unpleasant taste, but I am able to put food in my mouth.
It sounds such a minor complaint, but I said to my OH that if I had to contend with the rancid fat thing for the rest of my life, I would end it. I cleaned my teeth and mouthwashed hourly; I drank 3 litres of water a day - nothing worked.
So, I will stop taking it now and see what happens.
Hi everyone,
Barneypaws -how did you get on with the Neulasta injection?
Thought I was all prepared for the se of C+Tax, but having had the first dose on Friday and feeling woozy but not too bad yesterday, I wasn’t ready for the horrendous, throbbing between the eyes, migraine type headache with waves of nausea that hit me at 10pm. Paracetamol had no effect so at 5am I rang the after hours who advised more paracetamol. Eventually it eased off by 9am, but is still lingering and I can’t walk in a straight line. Don’t know if it’s the C+Tax or the Neulasta. Any one else experienced this? With no sleep after the steroids and none last night, I’m on my knees!
loula
Hi all
Well hope everyone is doing alright this week and those who have had a dose recently are not suffering too much. I had my second tax yesterday and feel a little heady today and of course a little cherry face from the steroids. I also saw my oncologist and rattled off all my side effects from the first dose and it seems all of them are typical - great! Trying to do some little housework today, just ironing and dusting, so will see what the weekend brings.Oh, and my OH shaved of my hair on Sunday as it was falling out everwhere, will have to give the wig a try later in the week, just making do with my buffwear at the moment.
Fran - hope you are not suffering too much with the thrush, I have been given some tablets to start on Saturday with my antibiotics.
Loula - hope the head feels better this week.
Annie - did you get your answer re Tax or Fec?
Think I will try some nail varnish this week, my friend bought me a couple of nice dark colours, thats if I havent bitten them off by then!
Sorry for jumping in but just read the bits about nails and wondered if my experience reflects anyone elses. I finished docetaxel 6 weeks ago and my nails are still in a terrible state. In fact, if anything they seem to be getting worse. They are dry and brittle, mostly opaque and seem to be coming away from the skin to the extent that I can stick a nail file most of the way down. (I wouldn’t recommend this but I just had to try it, don’t ask me why.) They have patches of red underneath them which look like blood blisters and the finger ends are so sensitive it makes typing or doing fiddly work, or even just opening packets or doing up buttons difficult. I’m starting to wonder if it will get better.
Ah that sounds familiar…been using frozen peas and nails not looking bad however now had dose reduced again to 60% for tomorrow as have the finger problems and they think is peripheral neuropathy! the ends of my fingers are v sensitive and sore and numb and tingly all at the same time…its a bit like having spilt glue and then got it on ur fingers…feels really odd…tried to pick up some small screws and couldn’t urmm!..I too hope it will go away!
I have had really swollen legs and ankles too…ho hum!
I finished chemo (tax) in September,finger nails still look a mess but healthy nail growth is now showing so am confident in 6 months or so they will be back to normal.
My toe nails have been very thickened and when I tried to cut them last week 3 lifted off completely!OH had to calm hysterical wife down!
Hopefully they will grow back normally soon.
It reinforces how dreadful this form of chemo is on the rest of our bodies!
Traceyx
Evening all,
Oh dear, oh dear, son is getting married in September (having finally got around to it at 38)and was hoping to look half way glam. Will have lovely wig but sounds as if I’ll have to hide nails. Had a panic in hosp when looked at nails and under the magenta varnish saw lots of dark streaks. Cleaned off one nail when got home and it was fine,realised I just hadn’t shaken the bottle of varnish!
Sleep well everyone.
loula
Hi hope you dont mind me jumping in here, im to have chemo though as yet dont know what type but have read alot about nails, i had assumed the chemo would make them brittle and break but keep reading about people painting them dark - do they go discoloured and lift completely off your finger,
oh my goodness, please advise…Shar xx
I’ve just spent about half an hour reading through all your posts and am so glad that I have. I had my 1st Tax 3 weeks ago, with my next one this Fri and had an awful time after the 1st. I thought I was going to lose my mind. The pain was awful from my pelvis to tips of my toes, I couldn’t sleep for 2 days, none of my painkillers helped, so in the end I rang the hospital & they told me to go in and they gave me Oromorph and stong codeine; relief and sleep at last. I’ve also had a lot of the other se’s many of you’ve mentioned and a week ago I thought I couldn’t have another treatment, but looks like I will be. It does help to know that I’m not alone. Start the steroids tomorrow morning… Here I go. Also armed with my list of se’s for onc appt tomorrow. Take care everyone.
Puff that sounds terrible!..ask if they would consider a dose reduction?
Apparently some folks are a lot more sensitive to it than others and doses of 100% 75% and 60% are all ok…I will have had one of each!
Hi LIF, I did ask if they’d reduce the dose and initially they said that they might, but I was told on Monday that they won’t be, they think I’ll be able to take the full dose. They said they believe my sensitivity is not to the tax, but the granocyte. At least if I have the right pain relief I can manage that better which should help enormously. I’m really struggling with my fluid intake as water tastes really ‘soapy’, adding lemon or orange squash hasn’t helped, any ideas anyone?! I’ve resorted to drinking Fanta, and yes I know that’s not good for me…!
Hi Puff
Sorry you are having a hard time. I got some stronger painkillers for tax 2 but found I didn’t need them. It was the white cell injection that caused the pain and it wasn’t as bad this time round.
Soapy water is the pits isn’t it? I find cold black earl grey helps a bit also cold green tea. I’ve been using manuka honey as well as fluconazole and difflam for mucositis and find this helps too.
Best of luck,
Sue
black tea,weakish with lemon is good
I found the pain wasnt so bad for tax2 but the neulasta jabs did give me pain in jaw area[?lymphs]
My peripheral neuropathy seems permanent but my nails were ok after keeping them painted throughout treatment[I used a dark bronze polish]
Good Luck all of you
Hello all, thank you for your helpful advice re alternative drinks etc, sadly I’ve never drunk tea. See, I’m just so difficult! Maybe I just need to persevere with the ‘soapy’ tasting water…! I’ll ask about the fluconazole Sue and will take more difflam, which does help. I’ve just been for a lovely aromatherapy massage and feel less wound up. I do find the 8 steroids a day for 3 days before & during chemo play havoc with my emotions, just horrible. Off to see the onc now. Take care everyone and thank you all for your helpful advice. Deryn xx
Well am all set for second Tax tomorrow with frozen peas at the ready. Am now on the pre-chemo steroid high and have been cleaning house and sorting out all day - almost welcome the thought of a sit down tomorrow for the treatment. When I saw the onc yesterday and long list of side effects - thrush, ringworm, drippy nose with some blood in it and pain in scalp he felt it was all normal and not too bad - probably not compared with what some of you are experiencing so my thoughts go out to you. I was told that I must contact the hospital if any blood in drippy nose as it could indicate low platelet count but since it lasted about two weeks last time and has been ok this week they are not too worried.
take care all and thanks for sharing - you will not doubt hear of my next saga soon!!
Fran
I too saw my onc today and she said that my se’s were normal, what joy… so my tax remains the same. Hopefully your nosebleeds will lessen with the 2nd treatment Fran.
Emmbee - thank you for your tips on drinks. I have also been able to enjoy tonic water and the odd hot chocolate. The healthiness will have to return once I’m through the otherside. That’s my promise to myself.
Good luck everyone who’s about to have their next tax. I start herceptin too tomorrow, so have a long day on the ward. Will be back soon. Deryn
Evening everyone,
My se’s after c-Tax and Neulasta seem like yours Deryn. I was hospitalised for a night this week and when the onc came round the next morning and said he’d see me in two and a half weeks for the next round, I told him he’d be lucky. However, he will probably reduce the Tax and try five separate jabs instead of the Neulasta.
Am feeling more human today , although have severe backache. I know I look dreadful but still wasn’t prepared for the look of shock horror on a friend’s face when she popped in today.
I’ve gone off tea and coffee but enjoy elderflower cordial in fizzy water and blackcurrant drinks, as well as tonic, but am drinking them through a straw to try to protect teeth.
Dietician in hosp told me to forget usual low fat/sugar diet and eat what ever I felt like to keep up muscle mass.
Sleep well everyone.
I’m sorry to hear you were hospitalised the other night. I can really understand you saying that to him! The aromatherapist today said to keep my lower back warm with microwavable heat pads or a hotty bottle (with cover, no burns!). Is the Neulasta your GCSF mine is called Granocyte (granulacyte colony stimulating factor - or so the onc told me today). They prescribed 5 daily injections the 1st tax, but because of my reaction (acute pain) to it they ‘let me off’ one. I’m going to try less this time and hope I can manage the pain at onset, but at the same time hope I don’t compromise my health. Thanks for tips on the drinks too and the dietician’s remarks! Take care. Deryn