Dear All, I had my first round of Docetaxel Chemo last week and it has been quite a shock to the system as no issues with the previous chemo they gave me. I ache all over, feel exhausted and lots of sharp needle like pains everywhere. My nails and tips of fingers are painful. Please do any of you lovely ladies have any tips on how to deal with the side effects of Docetaxel chemo even though I am totally drained I am not getting any sleep as feel so rough. Thank you so much xxx
I had doxetaxel after ec and found it a lot harder to cope with. I havent found anything to make it easier. I am having to listen to my body and rest a lot more. I even found my balance isnt great so have to walk around very slowly for week after doxitaxal.
Sorry i couldnt be any help.
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Hi,
I finished my last lot of Docetaxel last week before I move on to EC,
I found that I was quite tired for the week following,And also had global body aching along with muscle spasms at times which were worst during the evening when I was trying to sleep.
Iām not sure if it was the Docetaxel or the Filstragrim injections that caused this.
I found a hotwater bottle helpful on the areas that were giving me the most discomfort and even though I felt tired I tried to go on a walk most days even if it was just for 5mins to try and help with the fatigue as it helped me to sleep slightly better.
I used a lot of handcream to try and soothe the soreness around my nail beds as they were quite dry and my cuticles became non-extistant!It did help a little bit
Hope your side effects improve for you over the next few days 
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I had my oncologist appt today prior to my 4th EC on Thursday. I had a lot of concern because of my swollen hands since last week at the end she was not concerned about it. I also told her that Iām feeling a lot of sharp pain on my right breast since last week, she had a looked again today and re assured me that the lump is getting smaller. She tried her very best to re assure me.
But deep inside am just exhausted, Iāve spoken with the CNS after
And they made me realise that am halfway my chemo and it is what it is, that I will be getting more tired now. I always want to take a nap every afternoon now.
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Be kind to yourself, having chemo isnāt easy, it takes a lot out of your whole body. Rest when you need to and accept help from others. Itās nice to know that they believe the lump is shrinking which means the chemo is working.
You have done half of your chemos and now you will have less to do than you have done. I found counting down from halfway good for my mind. ( I did 12 weekly Paclitaxel with a 3 week break due to infection and hospital stay, so it was 15 weeks in total).
You are doing great.
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Morning you Lovely Lot,
I had an ultrasound scan yesterday to see if the tumour was responding to treatment.
I was really anxious waiting to go in,All the what-ifs etc were whirling through my mind!
The original tumour was 23mm and it has now shrunk to 6mm!
I have an appointment with the ongologist next week so will know more from then,And I still have 3 rounds of chemo left to go so it blasts it even more.
I feel much more reassured now that everything I am putting my body through is worth it/paying off
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@rainbowbrite10 wishing you all the best for next week. xx
For those of you struggling with side effects, sending you hugs xx
My chemo journey is not going to plan at the moment as still not had my 3rd EC which I should have had 28th March, due to my damn liver not cooperating.
Iām having another u/s scan and some tests tomorrow to investigate further. I was told that if my ALT levels are still too high they may put me straight on to Docetaxel.
I wonāt find out until more bloods are taken on Monday whether I will finally have my 3rd treatment on Tuesday.
Iām so so nervous about Docetaxel as Iāve heard it can be a harsh one , and with my liver the way it is , Iām frightened that Iām going to end up in hospital. Oncologist says we just have to wait and see how my liver reacts. 
Feel like a guinea pig. 
This isnāt doing my mental health much good as I feel as the weeks go on Iām falling further and further behind. This having an impact on my sons 21st birthday approaching , my two week holiday in Cornwall , and a festival in August Iāve had booked since January. All the things Iād looked forward to, after finishing chemo.
Jeez this is tough! 
Thank you for reading xx
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So I finally had my last EC today.
But itās a very long day, I was there from 10am -5 pm.
3 hours delay to get the drugs ready then I have to cold cap, so sometimes itās a really battle in my mind if I can continue to cold cap with the amount of time am in there.
Itās even becoming worst everytime I come in, it used to be 2 hours waiting time and now itās 3 hours.
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Good morning everyone, its been a while since Iāve updated yet been trying to keep up with the posts and am sorry for all the rubbish delays and side effects youāve all been enduring 
Yesterday was my last weekly paclitaxel and the end of cylce 4 with Carboplatin. I start EC next week for 4 21 day cycles and continue with the Pembrolizumab and feeling so apprehensive and fearing the unknown almost like being back at the beginning not half way through. Cold cap is still working as I still have an even cover of about 50% of my hair albeit my parting is looking very wide and sparse, Iāve a haircut today and think this may be the last ānormalā one as one of the cancer care nurses said EC can be pretty harsh on our hair? anyone had the same cycles as me and have experience of this?
That seems to be my good bits, now for all the rubbish!
Had to have an ILR (internal loop recorder) for my heart as I have a left bundle breach block that was identified last year before my cancer diagnosis but they now seem to be taking more seriously. It sits under my skin (like a contraceptive implant) and gets monitored to determine if I need a pacemaker which will have to be on my right side due to the cancer in my left breast needing radiotherapy after surgery later in the year, was extremely painful for a couple of weeks as the healing took ages. Like some of you Iāve had a persistent cough and breathlessness since week 3 but it has become more severe over the past few weeks, I was in A&E having tests for 5 hours to be sent home with nothing and Chemo the next day! I have since been prescribed with an inhaler that hasnāt really done anything. Luckily I had a scheduled appt with my Oncologist on Wednesday and he has referred me to the respiratory team so today I am having a lung capacity analysis to see the any of the drugs are scaring my lungs, if they are I will need a review of my next cycle happening.
Itās a lot to take in especially as I have been so tired and emotional with the breathlessness, I hardly seem to get out the house other than for medical appointments or the very occasional 5 minuite dog walk.
Sorry to be so negative, seems this is the only place I can offload and feel like you know what its like, my husband, bless him, just wants to fix everything which just seems impossible right now. Its almost like you have to change who you are, I am usually such a doer and love to get into the sun and see friends/family and work but none of that can happen or even seem to be on the horizon. Its so looooong 
I know I should be grateful that it has a good prognosis in comparison to some people we meet on treatment day, just need to pull these Tena big girl pants on (cough is making me pee a little) and keep on keeping on. Love and Hugs Z x 
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@tigertot Thank you for sharing how tough this is and how treatment is not always smooth. Itās horrible when you have plans and especially special occasions like your sonās 21st. Having something nice to look forward to can be nice but for me I just wanted to get through treatment. I didnāt plan anything until my chemo finished and I had a couple of delays and a hospital stay. All I can say is that the things you have been planning could may be rearranged or you can do it next year. Itās not ideal, I get it. Take the time to get yourself well and cancer free.
You are doing your best.
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@zoemac I had done 4 x EC with cold capping that I almost gave up yesterday because my hair has thinned a lot so itās much more painful, yup itās harsher. My oncologist said once I move to paclitaxel x 12 cycles she doesnāt expect much more hair loss that Iām having now.
But yesterday when I almost gave up a much older lady was sat next to me and she was cold capping and it hits me so hard why am complaining so much when the one next to me is braving the cold capping and Iām much younger than her.
I also post a lot here when I just needed to vent. Just feels better after.
Take care
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Have you tried paracetamol before the cap? I take half an hour before and was told that when your hair has thinned a lot or non existent to try a surgical cap before to protect your scalp, good to hear you have some left after EC. Good luck with the Pacli will you be having it weekly? Iāve just finished and found upset tum was the main initial side effect, I take Mebeverine 20 mins before food 3 times a day and it has been fine since
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@zoemac I even take 2 paracetamol (2 x 500) I did put the surgical cap yesterday it gave a little relief from it. I will be having paclitaxel every week for 12 weeks with phesgo every 3 weeks. I already ask the nurse yesterday and they told me phesgo is given subcutaneous on the thigh 
another injection. Was meberine given to you via prescription? I will try to ask my oncologist on my next appt.
Iāll have an ultrasound scan and scan on my heart before starting pac, so Iām praying that I responded with EC because until now Iām not feeling that my lump has shrink a lot because when I feel itās still firm and this is me even though the oncologist told me on the last appt that it has gone smaller.
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Thank you all so much for your replies, I ended up in hospital with sepsis and came home yesterday. Thankfully I am feeling much better. I have been told they may also lower the dose of Docetaxel next time as with the side effects of that as well it has been quite a week. Sending love and healing hugs to you all xxx
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I feel the same at timesā¦ especially when side effects hit hard. I have a friend that unfergoing chemo to keep her alive due to pancreatic cancer. And hers is terminal. But than many of my frie friends remind me that my and in this case our feeligs do matter too. Its on to feel frustrated. I did for past 2 days. Cried more than whole last 3 weeks. Its ok to give yourself time to be frustrated to feel ok after.
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Hello evenryone.
Been a few weeks since last update.
Chest infection cleared up. They moved my chemo day from Monday to Tuesday which helped with my work, as in trying to work as much as possible. Cause redundancy sucks. And I have staff that relies on me to organise eork for them to do.
Had my first paclitaxel on Tuesday this week, all went well, except quite painful few moments when they started the drip, but eventually sorted it out with some hot compress.
Felt absolutely fine on Wednesday, but had my pelgraz injection om thursday and *uck my life not sure if its side effects from injection or paclitaxel, but my joins and bones past my hips down to my toes are in agony. I barely slept yesterday and only reason I think I slept was a walm last night before bed. I literally spend 2h in hot bath yesterday during the day as it was only thing to make it better.
Good things, im not as nauseas as I was woth EC, but I could manage the nausea with meds, this is different, paracetamol doesnt help and im not sure how long I will be able to take this. My knees are the worst.
And if with EC I used to get flashes of pain along side my spine that I could se stars from but only for couple of seconds, yesterday I had one but felt like it was the whole spine.
Nurses said Paclitaxel is easier than EC, but Iām not convinced.
Trying to concentrate on good things: my huge tumor that looked literary like half the boob is shrinking and my oncologist showed me scans on Tuesday too and I only have 3 more bi-weekly paclitaxel left.
But still hard to be positive when I can sleep already due to severe hot flashes and now its aching bones too. Literally had to go to bed in pj, woolen socks and jumper, and had to take everything off mid of the night. I just want to sleep for a night 
. And not to wake up millions of times.
Ok. Rant finished.
Work is waiting. Have a great weekend everyone. Hope everyone is as good as itās possible right now.
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Yes I got Mebeverine on prescription after buying Buscopan, which is very expensive if taking 3 times a day. Good luck with the scan and hope the Pacli goes ok 
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I feel like this some days with the cold cap. My pembro/paclitaxel/carbo days were usually a minimum of 7 hours, often 9 with blood/dr delays! But for me itās worked well so far so Iām persevering. The ward was so hot this week I was glad of it!
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@tigertot - sorry to read of your delays. Itās so frustrating. I recently had my first docetaxel treatment and found it very different to the ec.
I started treatment in Feb and have been burying my head in the sand thinking I could do this alone. I canāt. Iāve just started to reach out and thought I should join this group now.
X
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Hello @sparkleandshine - may I ask what your side effects are / were with the docetaxel?