I’ve recently been taken off Capcetabine as no longer working and had 3 cycles of Vinorelbine but unfortunately that hasnt worked either. I’m now due to start intravenous chemo again with Paclitaxel. My secondary is in my liver. I think my options are running out as I’ve already had chemo and a variety of chemo tablets. Just wondering what other chemo buddies have experienced with this drug.
Love Carolyn xx
Hi Carolyn
I’m sorry you’re in this situation. It must be incredibly distressing for you. I’ve been treated for primary bc but I had 9 weekly paclitaxels after 3 EC treatments. It’s meant to be better tolerated than docetaxel and there’s no chemo trough so you apparently can go on with daily life more easily. I was told I would definitely lose my hair by week 2 but it held out to the end with no cold capping! I did lose it everywhere else of course.
You have the same prep and then an hour for the treatment (so, if your hospital is like mine, that will be a minimum of 4 hours gone). You need a blood test no more than 24 hours before so, if you want to save time, try to get bloods done at your GP’s the day before. I experienced no nausea and my appetite improved a bit. By day 5, I usually was mobile and ready to face the world.
I’m sure you want honesty but I can’t say much more. I was told I was ‘one of the unfortunate ones who doesn’t respond well to chemotherapy.’ I was laid low most of the time, weak as a kitten, more like a zombie at times, but I believe that’s not the usual reaction. One of the risks is peripheral neuropathy, so this has to be monitored closely. I only have it mildly.
Hopefully someone else will add to this and put a more positive slant on it but I will say that it did its job, in conjunction with my other treatments. My MRI was clear 
I hope you have similar success.
Take good care of yourself,
Jan x
Hi Carolyn
All the very best with your treatment on paclitaxel. I managed 28 weeks of paclitaxel from June '18 to March this year! Have bone & liver mets. Worst side effect for me was peripheral neuropathy in my toes for first few weeks before a chemo nurse suggested resting my feet on a cold cap wrapped in a towel whilst I was having the IV. Amazing results! Neuropathy virtually cleared up! Otherwise I found paclitaxel pretty tolerable.
Currently on capecitabine having worked my way through 3 hormone therapies, docetaxel, eribulin(23 cycles), EC, paclitaxel, Herceptin and Kadcyla (when I was found to have changed to HER2+ & have now reverted to negative again - whole new story!) in nearly 7 years. Hoping for a good spell on cape as there aren’t many chemo options left available to me …
Keep us posted as to how you get on.
Helen x