Day 3 of 1st docetaxel today and I know the side effects can be abit more delayed than EC with this one but I’ve so far felt 95% normal on it! Steroids gave me lots of energy for the past 3 days (took the last ones yesterday afternoon so let’s see what today brings as they wear off 
), so far so good though, no major hangover ec feeling thank god or nausea and I’ve still managed exercise, school drops/lick ups and playgroups with my youngest 
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Good luck today @foxgem and thank you everyone who has sent through tips, info and supporting messages. I’ve been a bit worried about the Docetaxel so it’s good to hear people’s experiences. I know the drugs aren’t exactly the same but in the same ballpark 
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I had my first EC yesterday and I was hoping for smooth sailing after being allergic to paclitaxel. Not my luck, unfortunately.
Epirubicin was fine, bolus went in ok and all tickety boo. Cyclophosphamide a different kettle of fish. Dry cough, breathlessness. Nurses reacted quickly & gave me a dose of piriton and hydrocortisone. It worked and they carried on with the last of it. The drugs wore off about 4 hours later & breathlessness was back, cough was back and I generally felt pants. Call to the urgent number and told to take different antihistamines. We’d bought an oximeter during one of my paclitaxel reactions so used that yesterday evening, which showed O2 levels of between 93% & 97%.
I’m going to call my nurse specialist today as I think my oncologist needs to raise it in the MDT. Apparently cyclophosphamide reactions aren’t as common as paclitaxel but I’ve reacted to both and my oncologist cut my paclitaxel short. I really really don’t want them to do the same with this as I’m only 1 cycle in and have 3 more to go.
Has anyone had cyclophosphamide but as a drip rather than being pushed in?
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Thank you everyone for the reassuring messages. I seem to have lost my strong can do attitude. Sitting in the waiting room a bit of a mess! But the messages here have helped.
Sorry your body isn’t playing ball @2kittens It might be rare but you wont be the first person to experience this. Make sure you advocate for yourself, keep making lots of noise so they hear you and can get you on the right meds
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Thanks @foxgem Both myself and my partner had a bit if a flat day yesterday. It was like a ‘here we go again’ once we got to the day unit. Normally we chat, do puzzles, watch something or he does Lego. But yesterday we both were just a bit meh about the whole thing and he read the news and scrolled social media stuff and I did a bit of both but also just sat people watching and chatted to the nurse whilst she gave the bolus. Deep breath, you can do it!
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I am so sorry that happened, would it be worth calling your oncologists secretary and letting them know what happened?
I did that after my second adverse reaction to ducataxel. Oncologist made time to see me within a couple of days. I was very shaken as both times I thought I was going to die. They then arranged for a last trial under the care of the ward sisters, extra steriods and antihistamines before and on hand and an absolute promise that the ward sister would not leave my side. If l did that and still had a sudden adverse reaction then they would take on the hospital ethics board to argue l needed to go straight to nab paxitaxel as paxitaxel has the same drug carrier and they were sure that was what l was reacting to. They also assured me that they did have alternative chemo drugs they could try. Hence why I am the only person on the chemo unit who has 100ml of nab paxitaxel delivered by courier.
I truly hope your oncologist can find a solution that your body does not object to.
My delayed skin reaction to nab that sets off severe eczema flares is helped by extra steroids and daily antihistamines. Hope something can be sorted to help you too.
Ps it’s okay to feel flat, l was sure l had failed at chemo after the second adverse reaction and l was beyond myself with stress. No one had told me they had alternative chemo drugs they could try. Did try a third time but reacted within 5ml again. Was surrounded by a group of ward sisters who stayed calm, stopped the drug and used the rescue drugs asap. Checked over by Dr and managed to give permission for the trainee chemo nurse to observe and makes notes ( Admittidly after rescue drugs) They also informed the oncologist who stayed on call to them during the third trial. Felt a lot safer that way.
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1 hour to go!!!
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Yayyyy not long now and then you can tick another one off 
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Morning all, much less nausea woohoo but THE reddest face ever at the moment. I look like ive been slapped on the cheeks in the night. Thank you for all your support yesterday
I just popped over to the Feb March Chemo thread and they had a lovely conversation about hair growth. I know today it feels like we will look this way forever but these ladies started in Feb and already some have an inch or 2 of regrowth! I found it very inspiring this morning as I read. Our hair will grow back different for a while but it will grow back 
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Good to hear you’re doing ok @foxgem - we’re all allowed our wobble days aren’t we - this is bloody hard ! I know they come out of the blue for me and being in this group really helps to know you aren’t alone in this mad process. Seems like a red face is what happens the next day doesn’t it. Hope it calms down and good to hear the nausea at least has left the party xxx
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Sorry to hear about your experience @2kittens. I hope they can sort it for you xxx
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@foxgem red face is definitely a taxol thing. It goes after a day or two. I started 6 February and am finished now and got a good 1-2cm of hair on hard. It’s fluey old lady hair atm but it’s hair!
Well done on surviving your first paclitaxel - always the worst!
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Must be such a feeling to have finished @sam1204 - do you have further treatment to come or is it recovery mode ?
@clarabelle1 I’m not too excited as I still have 5 herceptin/trastuzumab injections to have over the next 3 months, plus appointment with oncologist next week to discuss hormone blocker. But yes it is a good feeling to be done with chemo and all its unpleasant side effects 
.
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That’s a bit of a halfway house isn’t it. Glad that the chemo done but not at journeys end - although with all the afterwards meds I wonder if we’ll feel like that for a long time
I’ve spoken to the acute oncology nurse this morning who I sent photos to, plus all my obs. Does anyone else have a literal hospital set up with thermometer, oximeter, blood pressure machine?!
The nurse showed my oncologist the photos and she agrees it’s a steroid reaction not chemo. I’m sooo relieved I can’t tell you! I can cope with mid treatment reactions which they fix, but the thought of a chemo allergy did worry me. I’m going to ask about having the other half of my last paclitaxel too. My specialist nurse is calling me today so I’ll raise it then. Because it was presumed this reaction was the chemo before but now isn’t I’m really hoping they’ll give it to me as I think I’ll just worry that missing the last bit might let the cancer come back at some point. If it does I’ll always worry what if.
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No more steroids and plenty of antihistamines
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Glad it was ok. The red face is definitely something! Homeward straight with the chemo now.
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I have. Digital thermometer, oxipulseomiter and blood pressure reader too. I think it’s usual if you have had a severe reaction to anything drug like that they use as it can help give a bigger picture to the 24/7 helpline at hospital than ‘I have a rash and my lips feel very weird’. Steroids are not your friend by the sounds of it.
Hope the antihistamines work well for you instead.
It may be you have very slow infusions if you cannot have steroids and may need to hang around for a while after just to make sure you do not have a slightly delayed reaction and might need an adrenaline injection. My first two nab paxitaxel infusions post repeated adverse reactions to ducataxel took most of the day.
SIL SiL has gone away to foreign so we had MiL duties so she could take a break. MIL currently in hospital in A&E and DH has gone to see if they have admitted her yet. HE was there early this morning and so far she has been stuck for the past 18 hours.Spent today in my happy place as DD did not mince her words about how verminous A&E is for the germ of your choice and I was not to risk a chemo weakened immune system. DH agreed. Mothballed the veg beds for this year. I may have a GP who keeps offering to sign me off sick thanks to chemo side effects on my guts and walking far from a loo is not wise but hey I can do a bit rest a bit whilst gardening, get drinks and the loo is within racing distance.
On the plus side what I had initially worried might be the start of Chemotheraphy neuropathy has turned out to be my sewing callus giving way under the onslaught of extra skin emollients. Most of my art commissions are for bespoke hand embroidered church vestments and risking needle stabs over a slate frame and trestles on chemotheraphy seemed unwise.
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