I’m trying so hard to be positive but really struggling at the moment. My first cycle (docetaxel) was tough. I had just about every side effect going and the nausea was endless. I had new, awful symptoms all 21 days. The hardest bit was days 3-7 though, the pain from the wbc injections just finished me off. I have lots of other health conditions including m.e., fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis which all cause pain so everything combined was difficult. I’m in cycle two now, day 4 and feeling so low. I was given much stronger nausea meds this time and so far I don’t feel too bad with that but I am just totally wiped out, in pain, can’t focus on anything and feel just so ill. I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m also not sleeping well at all, again this first week seems worst. I’m not even out of bed yet. Not helped by the house being so cold.
I’m sorry to come in and moan.i just need to voice my feelings because it feels so alien and no one here can understand. I want to sob but I’m just too tired to do it. This is only cycle 2 of 7!
@Doris74 I had chemo at the end of last year and the beginning of this year and I found docetaxol the most challenging of the chemo drugs I had. They moved me off docetaxol and onto weekly paclitaxol in the end. That was slightly more tolerable, for me. Perhaps speak with your specialist nurse next week when you feel more up to it and ahead of your next treatment and give them a list of all the side effects you are having. Pain, breathlessness, dreadful fatigue, and really bad neuropathy on both my hands and my feet were the worst of it for me. I struggled to get out of bed, other than to get to the bathroom. Take care. X
I did four cycles of docetaxol and it does indeed stink to high heaven. The first two cycles I was okay but the last two wiped me out to the point that I was questioning all my life choices from birth onwards. I want to chime in to say that’s normal but considering you have other health issues you might want to speak to your oncologist about it. It may be that there is something they can give you that you might be able to tolerate better. I am glad the nausea isn’t so bad right now and if you can eat a lot of protein and drink loads of fluids it does help. Flush it out as quick as possible. I would drink probably at least two liters of water the day before, the day of, and the three days after. In between I would drink a lot, too, but I definitely upped it around my chemo days. If you can tolerate icing your hands and feet that will stop neuropathy from developing. It’s painful and I hated it but my hands and feet were fine during it and afterwards I’ve had no issues either. I hope this week brings you some relief soon.