Bit of background, dx in March, lymph node involvement, triple negative, left mastectomy followed by 4 FEC then 4 Taxotere, just started my 20 days of r/t today.
Had a really, really hard time on the Taxotere. Got a great deal of pain usually 2 days post treatment, to the point of having to take co-codamol and morphine to get me through the 3 or 4 days it was bad then went down to ibruprofen / aspirin. Plus the very weak, couldn’t hardly walk part too.
The joint and bone pain did not get noticably worse each time, but the effect began to last longer and longer afterward each subsequent treatment. I am now almost 4 weeks after my last dose and still unable to get up the stairs or walk very far, pain in legs still there most of the time and very weak, got the numb feet / sore nails as well but that is not so much of a issue.
I just want to know there is light at the end of this tunnel really and when I might start to get some strength back. I have always been pretty tough and strong for a wee girl, this is really getting me down that I can’t even get up a step half the time and feel as weak as a kitten 4 weeks down the line. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
I’m so glad you posted this, because I had the same treatment as you and finished the Tax on 1st November. You have described everything I am still experiencing! I am having great difficulty climbing the stairs as I don’t seem to have any strength in my leg muscles, and I can’t even walk my dog round the block. I am going for rads planning 4th December in London, and I’m not sure how I am going to manage getting there every day.
Like you my feet are numb, and my toenails hurt also my hands and fingernails. Yesterday I developed big scarlet patches on my feet which are beginning to crack and are very painful. I’ve even had a few tears today because I feel as if I will never be “normal” again.
Hugs to you, hun, and let’s hope it all soon passes.
Hi Nikki
Just finished my fourth Tax and it was a relief to read your post as I have been experiencing awlful pains in my knees and legs. Have been having trouble getting around today. Lets hope it clears soon.
Best wishes Alison x
It’s a relief to know I am not the only one (although of course I knew I wasn’t really!!) so we are in the same boat it seems. I have red patches under my toe-nails, am hoping they will go away on their own. I am driving to my rads, not a problem at the moment, it’s the walk from the car to the unit that is hard, have to stop every couple hundred yards. First visit I parked in the wrong car park, nearly collapsed after the walk to the onc unit and had to ask for a porter to take me back to the exit nearest where I had parked the car!!
With you on the tears part, I just get so damned frustrated at having to crawl up the last couple of steps, or can’t bend down to pick something up from the floor, can’t lift anything and having 3 dogs they have not had any walks for weeks now (other than when my boyfriend takes them for me)
Guess we are normal, just for this stage of our treatment our bodies are busy fixing us from the inside and it’s taking some time. Lets hope not too much longer for both of us eh.
Take care and let me know when you start to feel better
hope you don’t mind me joining in. I finished Tax in August and there is light at the end of the tunnel, the aches and pains do go. you can get some cream for the red patches, one of the ladies on Breastcancercare helpline suggested Diprobase for the red patches, I had red patches on my face, they have gone, the one on my side is still there apparently it will go eventually. I also used Aquesous cream for moisturiser and to wash with as it has no perfumes and it seemed to help. I used the Aquesous on my boob when I was having rads. It might be worth asking your BCN whether it would be any use to you. My ONC said to use a nail harder, which I did, don’t know if it helped me but I did use it. I was lucky I did have someone taking me every day to have my rads.
Have to admit I have just started work last week, a phased return doing 2 to 3 days and I am still getting tired, but not sure if that is tamoxofen as some ladies on this forum have said it makes them tired. My stamina is not what it was but it’s a slow process, I will get stronger.
Hi greenbean, sorry to hear you are struggling with this too.
Only thing I am hanging on to is that this will get better in the coming weeks, just wish I knew when hence the post to see if anyone else had advice, although it’s a massive relief to know I am not alone!! thanks for posting
Hi Sue, thanks, it’s nice to know it wont last too much longer!
I am using the aqueus cream on my scar and all the area which they are zapping me with, have very sensitive skin so hope it helps! Did get those red patches during Taxotere, on my face but luckily they cleared up with some antihistimine cream.
Have been working when I can throughout treatments, only half days but a couple a week, it’s only since my very last tax that I have felt I am better off getting better than pushing myself to much so have stopped. Looking forward to going back in the new year however
I still ache from August (course of 8 Tax). I really hate feeling like 80 year old woman at 38! I have to lift my leg over a stile whilst walking the dog - god knows what I’d be like if I didn’t do exercise!?
Nails are still lifting and quite sore but I keep them painted so what you can see can’t hurt! (well its worth a try)
What a relief! I am four weeks from my last taxotere (only three - how have some of you managed?) and my legs are killing me. Funnly enough they didn’t while I was actually having the treatment. And I am losing nails finger and toe), my feet are pretty numb and I feel lethargic. It is such a help to know others are the same. Lovely to have confirmation that it will get better!
Thank you all. Off to radiotherapy planning today, which shold take my mind off it nicely!
I finished tax 14 September, and would say it took about a month for the aching thighs to go away. I have to say that as I run, I forced myself out as usual, but often had to resort to walking. I am convinced that keeping up with the exercise, and pushing myself, helped.
For anyone with numbness in their feet - when did it stop getting worse for you, as two months on the numbness is still increasing for me. I have asked my onc who just said ‘sooner rather than later’ which wasn’t a lot of help. I am scared that if it continues getting worse much longer it will start to be disabling rather than just an irritating nuisance.
To finish on a positive note - my nails no longer hurt. They look pretty horrible as all the discoloured patched have turned yellow, but I don’t care as they are on the mend.
RoadRunner - we both finished tax in Sept. and I still have numb toes, mainly one foot, which does seem to be getting worse. I’m seeing my onc tomorrow and will ask about it - see if he’s more helpful, don’t hold your breath!
I so envy your fitness, but thankfully I am getting there, just been for a half hour’s power walk and am still breathing. Mind you, I did have trouble about 3 weeks after my last tax when my ankles became very swollen, I was breathless, had very rapid weight gain (4lbs overnight) and I’ve been put on tablets due to my heart being affected by the chemo - I believe this is pretty rare so don’t panic everybody - and its correctable so I’m told.
Hows everyone’s hair?? Mines started to grow back - white fluffy but very patchy - no longer “Uncle Fester” but “Daffy Duck” to the family!
My hair is coming back, perhaps about 3mm long now, but as you say, patchy. It’s very soft and dark - my usual colour is brown but it seems to be coming back so dark it’s almost black. I’ve also got a noticeable swathe of grey across the front which wasn’t there before.
Wow Roadrunner, most of the time I can barely walk, let alone run! You must be very fit (or young) well done to you!
I had my last Tax on 1 Nov, and my feet get more numb by the day. Sore toenail beds mean I can’t wear shoes as the pressure on them increases the pain, and my fingernails are the same. The ONC says the numbness is called peripheral neuropathy - something to do with nerve damage from the chemo. It also seems to have affected my lower legs as I have muscle weakness.
My ankles are also swollen and I feel so tired and pathetic.
Does anyone else have streaming eyes??
And there was I thinking I would be about ready to paint the town red by now! Grrrrrrr.
Yes, I had streaming eyes - it used to come on very suddenly in the morning and tail off as the day wore on. When I was driving to work it felt like I had someone peeling onions sitting in the passenger seat beside me.
Can’t remember when it stopped, but it didn’t last too long - less than a month I think.
I’ve had streaming eyes - have to carry tissues around with me otherwise it looks like I’m crying it’s worse in this cold weather, when the wind blows and first thing in the morning - weird. The moral of the story is make sure you are wearing waterproof eye make up or no eye make up otherwise you look rather silly!
I had constantly streaming eyes too and also a streaming nose (I should have shares in Kleenex the number of boxes I went through!). It started with one eye towards the end of the 4 EC’s and then while I had 4 Tax it started in the other too.I finished chemo on 3 August and it only started to clear up at the end of September - but it stopped as quickly as it had started. It was such a relief. When I attended appointments people used to think I was upset and I was constantly explaining “No, I’m not crying - it’s just a horrible side effect of the chemo”. I can remember lying on the table thing during my radiotherapy sessions with tears running out of my eyes down into my wig and the radiographer lady wiping them as I wasn’t allowed to move.
Thanks for your replies RebzAmy and Jibby, at least I now know it’s to do with the chemo. The cold weather does make mine worse, and I am blinded with tears if I step out of the door! Trouble is also, with no eyelashes or brows, I need a bit of eye makeup to look anywhere near “normal”, so its a real nuisance. I’ve tried dark glasses as well as my normal specs, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the watering.
I had 4 FEC and 4 Tax…but this has only started since the Tax.
