That’s less of an invitation than a request for shared experiences!
I was wondering how many of you girls have had/are having paclitaxel rather than docetaxel?
I’m due to start two-weekly paclitaxel next Tuesday and have just been reading about the differences between the two taxanes. It seems on a three-week schedule, docetaxel is the most effective, but if given every week, paclitaxel is better than docetaxel. Not sure why I’m having it every two weeks. I also read that side effects such as nerve damage, muscle and bone pain are worse on paclitaxel.
So who’s had paclitaxel rather than docetaxel, whatever schedule, and what were the SEs for you?
I had it fortnightly alongside gemcitabine as part of a trial 3 years ago. Can’t say which side effects were related to which drug but I did have bone and muscle ache and lost feeling in fingers and toes at the ends. Don’t panic though cos that gradually came back!! I was also having a neulasta injection each time to boost my immune system as it had crashed after my first lot of EC a few months earlier and this caused bone ache too.
I certainly found it was doable and apart from these effects and getting more and more tired, was ok (mind you I wasn’t working and don’t have kids!!).
Although I have bone mets and have had since diagnosis, I’m still here to tell the tale and the chemo shrank the tumours enough for me to have surgery.
I am away Mon to Fri next week but if I can be of any help with things, just shout. It’s a long time ago now but some things may jog my memory !!