Great advice @sat for all the ladies having so much pain with injections. 
Fingers crossed they get some respite from such an awful side effect. 
Hello girls, and welcome to the newcomersā¦.although we wish you didnāt have to be here for all the best of reasons!
Struggling, too, after the second dose of EC. No wonder itās called the āRed Devilā. Same as last time, fatigue, endless fatigue, plus the endlessly runny nose cos the nostril hairs have gone. Antihistamines help, definitely. Shame you canāt get boxes of tissues on the NHS, Iām getting through dozens!
So many of you seem to be struggling with bone pain with the filgrastim injections. Ive not had any of that, but a very weird reaction within 10 minutes of the first injection, after both cycles of chemo. A feeling of being totally drained and teetering on passing out. It only lasts about 15 minutes, and then fades away. The other 4 injections are fine, no reaction at all. Iāll mention it to the chemo team at my next cycle on June 24th because itās just plain peculiar, and very unpleasant. Not sure what I can suggest about the bone pain so many of you have, but I suppose good old paracetemol is the āgo-toā helper. And yes, antihistamine tablet, but check with your chemo team or BCN first.
I also was told by my oncologist that Paclitaxel was much ākinderā on the body, but having read some of your reactions to it Iām starting to get very worried. Iāve got 9 weekly doses of it to come, once the 4 cycles of EC are done. I swear if the cancer doesnāt finish me off, then the chemo will. But will I let it? Will I stuff!
Love to all you lovely courageous ladies. Stay strong, even if you feel anything but.
@poppy261 - hope the third chemo goes okay tomorrow.
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Hi @bea4 glad to hear you are surviving the Red Devil. 
The name definitely matches the impact doesnt it. Forget the colour association. And we willingly go and sit in that chair 
???.
The fatigue is my worst side effect like you. Its like having 1kg weights attached to every tissue in my body. 
. But rather than feeling im on a fitness regime I feel like the ground is sucking me up into it with all the weight 
. But Ive seen lots of films, dramas, documentaries on IPlayer, that I would never have time to watch, so iām feeling well stimulated on that front. 
. Often I fall asleep half way through 
, but the beauty of Iplayer is I just watch it again another time. 
I Treat myself to a McDonaldās Drive through yesterday. It was so excitingā
. All these things I took for granted, now they are real novelties.
PICC flushed today and bloods taken. So, here we go round 3 in the morning. 
Freezer is full, bought some puddings for treats this timeā¦
Ready for the marathon toilet run after all that fluid intake 
Have no idea how we do this, but we doā¦so we ARE strong ladies even though often we feel rather useless. But our strength is not in muscle, its in shere determination and an ability to get up in the morning even when we feel weāve had enough. And get to hospital for another round in that comfy chair (it is a comfy recliner). Surrounded by wonderful chemo Nurses, who work so hard to make us better.
That is true strength.
You keep smiling @bea4 . You are a true champion. 
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Ps @bea4 ..re your injections, I would ring 24/7 helpline well in advance of your next cycle. They may need to change the type/brand, or give you further advice. But they will need to know, before your next cycle, that it affects you so severely, even if its just for a few minutes.
Or they may just reassure you.
My Team insist I ring them for every tiny thing.
You make sure you look after No1.
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Thanks @poppy261 .
The only time I rung the 24/7 lot was just to check about the fatigue after my first chemo. They ran through all the stuff, temperature, sickness, pain , etc and found nothing of concern, but said someone would ring me back the following day to check up on me. They never did. Put me right off contacting them, to be frank.
Obviously I will, if thereās a need, but I find my BCN key worker and the ANP who rings me following each blood test to be of more use.
Thereās probably a wide discrepancy in the way different 24/7 regions are run and handled. Iām not in England.
But thank you, anyway! All the best for tomorrow!
Oh thats a shame @bea4 . Mine are really on the ball.
Sending you a hug and glad you are getting other support as well. BCN nurses are fantastic arent they.xxxx
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Hello!
Iām 30 years old and had my first round of chemotherapy 3 weeks ago with docetaxol/carboplatin/phesgo, 6 rounds every 3 weeks. Unfortunately I had a very difficult time with docetaxel and experienced some swelling/reactions and extremely painful mouth ulcers and inflammation.
My oncology team have recommended to move me on to a weekly smaller dose of paclitaxel (taxol) instead of docetaxol for the remaining 15 weeks, with the plan being that the change in drugs and smaller doses will mean side effects are less intense.
I feel keen to try anything to make it easier to get through but Iām still very anxious - has anyone had an easier time with a weekly course/with paclitaxel they can share?
Thank you!
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Welcome to the May 2026 chemo starters @weeluch . Really pleased you have come along to share your experiences as they unfold. There is a wealth of sharing on this site. And if one Post resonates especially with you, then feel free to list that person in posts so they can be prompted you are wanting some information.
We are all at different stages of chemo now, and sometimes we have recovery days. So may not check Posts as often. So please dont feel answers are slow coming, its just that some members may only access Posts when they have a good day.
So sorry to hear you had a bad reaction to Docetaxel. That must have been tough and scary for you.
There are a number of ladies who have had bad reactions like yours. Feel free to read through the posts to get a good overview of experiences.
I start Pac in 4 weeks but mine will be fortnightly. I was told Pac was a lot easier on our bodies compared to EC, (another chemo combination that I am on). But there have been mixed experiences as we are all different. With different sensitivities.
I spoke to a lady today who had 12 weekly Pac. She said she had minimal problems. That although it is still chemo, and fatigue was tough at times, she never had any rashes or extreme reactions.
My thought would be if it is a smaller dose for the reasoning of making it easier for you, then I would hold on to that. And discuss any concerns with your Oncology Team. And Breast Cancer Now Nurses who can explain your Teams reasoning to you.
Average side effects for chemo are nausea, horrid fatigue, ulcers, loss of taste, metallic taste, hair loss. They seem quite standard. But vary in severity.
Some of us have been floored by fatigue. Whilst some people breeze through chemo, without many issues, I would say most ladies on this forum have had to knuckle down to an uncomfortable first week, that gets better as the days go by.
Im hoping your Oncology Team gave you appropriate Mouthwashes and advice, as Pac can still create sore mouths. A number of us have had problems with sore mouths. I put my Oncologists advice in post 373/374/375. Its helped me a lot. I still get flare ups but not as bad as I do a lot of preventative mouth care now.
But have a skim through the Posts to get a gist as to whoās had what.
Sending you strength as you go through this process. Chemo is tough. But we are all surviving.
Feel free to have a good grumble anytime. We encourage good, bad and anything inbetween re experiences and feelings.
Ps @weeluch
Breast Cancer Now have Volunteers ā¦.Someone Like Me.
They match you up to someone going through similar treatments/or have had similar side effects etc. they will ring you and chat for around an hour.
They may contact you once, or they may give more time over a number of weeks.
So if you struggle to find others on weekly Pac,( although Im sure ive seen a few on weekly) also get intouch with Someone Like Me BCN.
But jump on here anytime.
Hi, @weeluch , and Welcome! Hope your chemo team can sort out the Pac issues for you.
@poppy261, best of luck for todayās ārelaxingā sit in The Chair! Are you having 4 x EC cycles? Think so, but my brain isnāt up to remembering just now. Hope it goes as well as can be expected.
Thanks so much @bea4 .
Yes third of 4 ECs. In two weeks time I will have the last one, then onto Pac. For 4 cycles every 2weeks.
Its a comfy recliner chair 
. Just have to not look what is next to it. Hiding in the background. 
Two weeks seem manageable. It will go very quick as all I do is sleep for a week after treatment. . So thats one week down already
Hope you have a good weekend lovely lady. Xxx
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Almost the same ācocktailā as mine, @poppy261 ā¦..cheers! My Pac will be one a week for 9 weeks, if I can hack it, once the 4 cycles of EC are done.
How is everyone else managing to navigate their way through the days? Not heard from quite a few of them for a while, but sending all my best wishes to them all.
Thanks @bea4 just got back after an early start.
the yeuk begins.
I was asking about Pac today. They said as a general overview it is less brutal on the body compared to EC. But some ladies are more sensitive to it. Normally Pac is coated with solvents. And its mainly the solvents that create the reaction. If that happens they can move patients onto another type of Pac that does not have solvents.
She said those who react, normally react within seconds of Pac being administered. So you know very quickly and the Nurses are quickly there to sort it out. Swelling, whole body redness, rash, shortness of breath. So they say to tell the Nurses as soon as you feel anything. Not to sit and wait.
She said, rarely ladies had to move off Pac, normally reactions settle down quickly with modifications.
She said weekly Pac was given in smaller doses so was less of a problem. Ladies were only in for 1.5hrs compared to 2/3weekly that were over 5hrs.
So jury is out, as the only time we know about reactions is when we have it.
Off to bed now
Sending love to all you lovely ladies going through this.
Stay strong but make sure you rest. Xxx
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I had my third EC today too @poppy261
I went to bed last night and got up this morning feeling dread as I know whatās coming for the next 10 days because of the injections mainly.
Thing is, Itās the injections that make everything feel worse! I do mine at night, about 8.30 so that I sleep the first part off (ish)
Does anyone do theirs in the morning? If so, how do you manage? Iām thinking of swapping to the morning so that the side effects stop earlier at the other end of the cycle.
Welcome to any new faces since I was last on, this little group is truly a lifeline for shared experiences and feeling less lonely on a very lonely path 
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Those side effects sound awful @alannah172 . My heart really goes out to you.
Im on pegfilgrastim . The once only injection. Its more expensive but some argue they equalise themselves out over a week. So really the cost is almost the same. So may be worth discussing with oncology. They know filgrastim creates a bigger surge of pain as it forces the body to make white blood cells.
Most advise painkillers prior to taking it.
At any time they could move me off pegfilgrastim if they feel its not working though. My white bloods were down this week. So I am not complacent by any means.
You are one brave lady. I would be nervous as days got nearer to the DDay. I was actually already nervous just knowing chemo was happening today. But I took treats and the Nurses were lovely. So that helped.
I mean, who would not be nervous when you know the outcome. 
Thinking of you and sending lots of love.
Ive been asleep until now . Cant believe its 8.30pm. well thats one day done and dusted.
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I slept a few hours this afternoon too, Iām really tired!
Luckily I only have to do the injections while Iām doing EC, which Iām doing 4 rounds, so Iām starting the count down to the end of my nemesis 
I was recommended to take paracetamol for the whole day before the first injection and keep taking them regularly throughout.
Weāre all very very strong women to be doing this, I think weāre all pretty bloody fantastic 
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We have become Poppy Pill Poppers havent we @alannah172 . Something I vowed I would never be.
But then I never imagined I would get cancer. Its not in my family anywhere. My mum lasted till 96yrs old. My dad had a heart attack. So I was ready for a long life, or a sudden Heart Problem. 
.
Yes we are unbelievably strong ladies. And we rarely grumble. We fight through it. We put on that āFaceā , looking positive, makeup on, wig in place (people still think mine is real hair ā¦funny) glamorous (sadly not meā), we do the businessā¦.. then we throw our wigs and hats off, and crumble when we get home. I think thats true strength. Even the crumbling bit.
Im drinking like a fish, so no doubt a night of toilet trips. But I was shocked Id slept for 5 hrs before, without a toilet trip. 
ā¦Embrace those gems.
As well as a PICC they should have given me a wee catheter as well . Then I could sleep a full night. .
I tend to do short heavy sleeps, but wake in between. So I do a day of sleeping thats mainly disjointed/napping. Then the necessary eating, drinking mixed with TV, text /ring friends, house/garden stuff, but it gets me through the days of that first awful week. I cant drive as I feel too yeuk. I get too drained too fast. I find, not driving, hard. I love trips out, 
, thats a huge loss for me.
Sharing moment here :-
One of my main Chemo Sleeping Aids/ Strategies Is ā¦..
When im dozing I listen to programmes on Bbc Sounds then I can listen to good programmes designed for no watching, and amazingly I find Ive nodded off again. Great thing is I can listen to a programme 20x and I still hear something new because Iā ve fallen asleep so many times whilst listening to it.
A good programme, for me, is Rare Earth. Im no good with excitable onesā¦they keep me awake (yet my friend is better with talking books, comedy and music). But if I choose more gentle science ones, they are great. They lull me to sleep whilst I learn something new.
If I get into Rare Earths Podcast list, and choose a programme more than 4 down from the top of the list, my Freely TV just keeps rolling through the same list. 
Thatās the height of my Tech knowledge.
But I learn Interesting facts. They make my boring, yeuk day tolerable .
eg. Wait for it, dont get too excited ā¦.
I never knew that high strength concrete is so strong, you could pile up 80 elephants onto one tiny house brick and it wont break 
Who would ever have thought a programme on concrete could serve as a sleeping drug and a brain expander ?? 
.
My other āchemo brain sleeping aidā interesting fact is:
If one person sent a post on Instagram, which then went viral across the Globeā¦.you could heat 10 households for a year on the energy it consumes. .
Lets keep learning, sleeping, coping and never forgetting how strong we are to cope with the cruel card of Cancer and chemo.
Make sure we all find those hidden gems 
in a day, no matter how small, and accept some days are c..p, but thats OK too. We are human and our bodies need to rest and recharge.
Be kind to ourselves. 
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Morning all.
Third cycle tomorrow and no hair loss yet. When do people start noticing this? I know its likely to be soon. Have noticed nail changes this week just hoping none fall of 
.
Hope everyone is well x
Morning @jordx90 . Hope you are doing OK.
Am I right in thinking you are on Pac first?
That may have something to do with hair loss taking its time.
EC tends to make hair fall out within 14-16 days. Im on EC. My hair lost condition the second week after the first EC. It became very Limp. Looked as if it hadnt been washed, even after Id just washed it. So I knew something was happening.
Then day 16 it started to shed. So I cut it to 3/8inch, which made it easier to manage. I then used lint rollers throughout the day to catch the hairs. It fell out pretty quickly, but I had so many fine hairs it actually managed to keep shedding over two weeks bit by bit. Had no idea I had so many hairs. !!!
I used a satin bonnet for bed and around the house during that time to catch hairs. It was a life saver. Made the shedding so much easier. Along with rollers.
Im left with an all over fine fuzz now. Not sure if that will stay or go.
I was told Pac does create hair loss, but EC was the main one out of the two. So Im wondering if Pac may not always make hair fall out for some ladies. Or effects may be slower perhaps. If you start EC, then it definitely will go.
Re nails. Ive been using Vitamin E oil on mine. And coat with Protein boost. To date they have been fine. But again Im on EC and Ive heard Pac can be worse for nails. So im never complacent.
Some ladies have bought an expensive oil off Amazon. Not sure of the name. Chemo brain fog hereā. Its about Ā£40. I will check later.
Theres been mixed advice re nails. Mixed experiences. One lady was told to use dark nail polish. I was told to use this clear coating polish. Advice is not to use anything with alcohol in it as it dries the nails too much. So be careful with nail varnish removers, even the ones that say they dont contain anything harsh, still can have alcohol in them. Sneaky.
But general advice is moisturise daily/ as much as possible. File with a glass nail file as they are kinder to delicate nails..rather than cut. Although i have cut mine as they have grown a lot. And been strong enough to do that. If Pac weakens them Ive bought a glass file ready.
I hope you managed to get something better for your nose, and you are coping OK.
Make sure you rest when you feel tired.
I had my third EC on Friday. Ive mainly slept and pottered at home since then. Drinking gallons to wash out the chemo.
Sending you strength and positive vibes. Xxxx
Hey!
Yes pac first I did wonder if thats why. Ec in August!
Yes my mum brought me the nail stuff! Polybalm haha just need to start being more consistent with it.
Im ok listening ti myself when I do need to rest but then making the most of energy bursts following that lol!
Yeh iv cut mine short and had them painted dark however removed it last night as was so chipped. Thinking il just do clear varnish for now. Im going to order a glass file I didnāt know about that!
Hope your resting? Im nervous about ec starts right in the middle of summer holidays typical x