Hi guys. I was diagnosed 13th June this year. My first treatment was FEC. I was extremly tired and sick with this and the symptoms lasted for exactly a week. (oh and I lost all of my hair by about week 2). I am now having Taxotate…OMG its like someone is restraining me, I have zero energy, pain everywhere (like someone is stabbing me with a pencile) my nails hurt, I have ulcers on my tounge, my eyes water, I have now lost my eye lashes and eye brows, I cant stop crying and my symptoms are lasting about 10 days. I have just had my second lot of tax and I have only one more to go thank god. Is there anyone out there that is going through the same on tax?
Hi flygirl - there’s a lot of it about! I, too, am having Taxotere (5th out of 6 scheduled for next week) and find it’s effects much more longlasting and debilitating than those of FEC.
If you look on the chemotherapy board at the thread 'Portacath, Taxotere and Swelling, we have a good discussion going about all sorts of side effects of Taxotere. Feel free to join in.
You are not alone!
X
S
I was diagnosed in April of this year and had 4 FEC treatments with minimal (by chemotherapy standards!) side effects. I have now had 2 lots of Herceptin and Docetaxel (taxotere) and have found it an entirely different experience. The healthy ‘glow’ I had with FEC has long gone to be replaced by papery, yellowish skin with outbreaks of spots not even experienced in my teenage years. Having managed to carry on relatively normally, I now spend all day at home building up what little energy I have to pick up my kids from school. I have so little energy it’s frightening, aches and pains, constant banging headache, swollen fingers (swollen body really, having gained 11lbs since treatment began) … the list is endless. However, I’m having my last chemo next Friday and my tumour has shrunk from 7.5cm at diagnosis to 1.5cm, so now I can hopefully have a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy. It’s tough but you’re coping and it will all end. You are not alone and I’m sure our eyelashes and hair will grow back just beautifully!!
Oh flygirl you sound just like me but 4 months ago. My symptoms were very similar to yours and i know its hard but it worth it. Im feel i’m still recovering from the tax as my grip is still poor and fingers still hurt. Your two down now so not long to go now and you can do it.
take care
sukes
I wont go into details but my taxotere side effects were horrendous and very long lasting.I just hope its as good as they say it is.I finished it May 2007.
Love Vx
Hello Flygirl
I, like Bahons have had 5 taxotere, my 6th is due next week too. I’m not sure if I will be having 6 or 8, but naturally hope it is just 6.
You are not alone, some days I feel very sorry for myself, like everyone, we all experience different SE but generally most are the same.
I do have to say that sickness and vomiting hasn’t been a problem for me on tax and the anti emetics are very good at staving off nausea.
I think we all agree, whilst we have a winge about how bad we feel, the drug is excellent for most of us at doing what it is there to do, so just remember that, it does help me to get through it.
Good luck, time will fly and we’ll all soon be over it
xx
Had an easy time on tax but its left me BALD.
Hi
I’m another one experiencing tax! I find I’m completely exhausted from day 3 after chemo to day 7, I really don’t have energy to do anything and have just slept or lay in bed not even wanting to read. Though I have to say I mananaged enough energy to get my body from bed to sofa to watch XFactor!!! I’ve also found everything tastes weird and I’ve had tingling in hand and feet and some aches in joints. Some
people on here seem to refer to it as the ‘gold seal’ and I’ve heard it referred to as the’domestos’ of chemos so if we are getting all these SE’s lets hope its doing its stuff!
Smiler
x
I had a very hard time on this last year, in bed for 18 days out of every cycle. I had 4 and ended up in hospital after the last one. It also left me out of breath and I was really unfit as I was so fatigued and inactive. I still have pains in my knees despite being about 15 months beyond it.
Hi guys. Thanks for all of your comments. Its day 10 now after my Tax and I actually feel normal today. ( other than the fact that I feel like I have been smashed over the fingers with a hammer). Pinapple… I cant believe you had an easy time with it, you were so lucky. and yes I was told by my chemo nurse that my hair should start to grow back, but the reverse has happened, I do not have one tiny little hair left on my body!!!
Well, when i say easy i really mean easier than FEC which was unbearable for me. Went in for the 3rd just to say i am not having it but he dragged my down the corridor into my own bedroom and brought the nurse into me and stayed there while she stuck needle in! he promised me tax would be better for me and it was, no nausea so that was a relief in itself but did have side effects including permanant baldness.
It seems to be that if you have it bad with one the next isnt so bad or visa versa.Lost all nails, bad stomach, tiredness etc but that was a breeze to how ill i felt on FEC. The last tax i had i was so elated from finishing chemo i didnt even go to bed.
I found Taxotere easier than AC - no nausea. Had 2 out of 4 and number 3 tommorrow. After the first one I felt like I couldnt breathe. Day after I felt fine but then after a few days the terrible aches and pains started - knees, back etc, and fatigue. Eyes a bit blurry for a while too.
Weight gain and really bloated… and nose bleeds when I blow my nose - but think this maybe the antibiotics that they have given me to take. Chemo team think the pains are due to the Granocyte injections - but I’ve been having those since May with the AC and not had problems.
Mouth ulcers for about 2 weeks but antibiotics and mouthwash for those. What I would give to sleep through the night instead of bouncing around like tigger for hours on end.
Mood swings are awful and I have turned into the incredible hulk and get very angry, aggressive and short tempered when provoked (not like me at all). Chemo team haven’t had anyone report this before…trust me eh!
Been using cold cap since AC hair now quite thin but no need as yet for wig/scarves (hope it stays as it is for the last 2 treatments), and I think that is is growing again ( can see a few sticky-up hairs) as is underarm hair, leg hair & hair down below, eyebrows extremely thin as are lashes. Nails a bit thin but I keep putting almond oil or wheat germ oil on them at night which seems to have helped a bit.
Just hang on in there everyone and good luck to you all. This time next year we will all have beautiful hair and strong nails.
pineapple… did you lose your nails??? eeeeek!!!
OMG hasnt your hair come back. double eeek!!!
Thanks for this thread. I won’t start Taxotere for a couple of months yet but better prepared for what may happen.
Hi folks,
had my 3 of 4 ac (didnt have 4th as bc lump not shrinking).
onc put me on my 1st tax instead last friday so 7th day today.
ok til 3rd day then yuck, downhill, no energy, taste not happy. difficult to eat n drink.
last 3/4 days in bed being totally lazy, but couldnt care less!!!
Day 3, developed a white covering on my tongue, thrush… phoned bc unit who advised me to go to the docs which I did.
Now have daktarin and nystan to apply to mouth several times daily and after 3 days can see a pinkish tongue again, will still apply meds tho for few more days. Hope this wont be the case after every tax.
Few general aches around my body but not too bad. have a red, swolen pad on my l hand but onc said not to worry, just to watch it, make sure it doesnt get too bad. Temp ok.
Not too sure what will happen with my hair, am bald but for 3" whispy covering all over that I didnt cut off when I lost my hair so watch this space…
Hopefully just!!! 3 more tax to go, if onc doesnt make me have an extra one to make up for shortfall in ac.
good luck everyone, lets go get this done n dusted>>>>>>>>
Chris x
flygirl dont panic. The nail thing is common and sounds worse than it is. Its not the same as a nail being ripped off, by the time the nail comes off there is a new one starting and the skin is healed, just doesnt look very nice. I was walking around with micro pore tape on all nails because of the flappin about (ouch) so i looked like i had some terrible nail condition, people wouldnt take money out of my hands and made me put money on the counter.lol
They used to stick my fingers in buckets of ice while having my tax sessions but they still went brittle and came off.Some people say put dark nailvarnish on but then i also lost a big toe nail as well. Two teeth also dropped out a bout 2 weeks after chemo finished, but i still have the roots in! leaving well alone.
The hair, yes the bloody hair, if you search for hair in after treatments you will find loads of my whinging posts about it -all very borning now. I tried to get some money out of the makers of tax but they were having non of it. I might try again in a years time. My ‘team’ had to report it and they said yes it does happen sometimes. I had an email from my onc the other day and he said that since he has declared it (dont know where he means ) there are other oncs from around the world that have also declared this happening.But i am sure it wont happen to you. Dont think so any way.So if your onc or BCN says it always grows back you can say you know someone that it hasnt and they can contact my onc if they wont to for conformation! Next Jan it will be 3 years since finishing tax.
I have to keep the nail on my wedding finger cut to the quick as it wants to split up the middle. It is very ridged and never seems to get any better no matter what I use. The same nail used to lift at the edges all the time during Tax.
Hi flygirl and all,
My heart goes out to you all, I was dx inJuly 07 and had 4 EC and 4 tax, I lost all my hair on EC but it started to come back when I was on the tax, but my eye lashes and brows all fell out, I think that upset me more than loosing my hair. After my first tax thought I had been hit by a bus or had 10 rounds with muhammed Ali, my joints ached, mouth was awful, so so tired etc etc but, you will get there I did and I have had 3 ops and 30 rads and am now on tamoxifen. I have had a clear mammogram and do not have to go to hospital again until Jan to see the onc and April to see breast surgeon. Yipee !!! My hair is now very different to how it was, it was fair and straight and now it is dark and curly, it was very grey when it first came throught but that is cut off now. But its hair and I now feel fine ( well mostly),
I wanted to let you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you will get there too.
Take care
Lv Dawn X
Ok girls here is my taxotere story-bear in mind I would do it again knowing what I do because it has the reputation as prime cancer zapper.
First day each time fine no sickness not even nausea.
First tax: day 3 to day 7 horrific pains in back,legs,neck-never had this with rest of tax chemos.
From day 2 every time increasing weakness,breathlessness,diarrhoea;barely able to walk to bathroom!
Painted nails,fingers and toes before first tax and kept them painted.Lost big toe nails kept all rest though they all developed ridges.
Hair did not grow back till 3months post tax,still no eyebrows and eyelashes short and thin.
Numbness in fingers and toes began about 2 weeks after first tax,took longer to go each time.Never went after last tax and still there now ,though not disabling it is a constant reminder.
Dry sore eyes treated with Clarymist[excellent]
Had Neulasta after each tax but still developed neutropenia after last one and was in hospital on itravenous abx for 3 days.
Sucked ice lollies during each treatment no ulcers but taste was compromised.
By the end I could not get up from a chair unaided.walk across a room or get in or out of the bath.
My last taxotere was May 2007 and I still catch every virus going have limited stamina,numbness and no eyebrows.I just hope and pray that I also have no cancer but only time will tell.
I wish you all so much luck,take the tax and zappit I say.Love from Valxx