Hi
I’m starting docetaxol on Wednesday 8th Dec. What side effects has anyone had? Did you get a quick response to it? I have stomach mets and need something to work quickly as hardly eating.
Thanks
Lynne
Hi Lynn
I am on 3rd dose of doxetaxol(taxotere).I found the first one the worst but only for 3 days.Nausea which I am easily affected with ,heartburn and diarrhoea.I took the dexamethasone prior to starting the dose and thereafter for 3 days.I was bit tired but considering sleeping is always difficult at night I think I dose due to that during the day.I have now resigned to feel bit yuk day 5 to day 7 then much better.Sometimes mouth sore but keep on top of it with corsodyl and I get occasional joint pain.Iam on this for lymph secs with a spot on liver and lung and I am due a ct scan nxt week to see effects.Hope this sounds ok I found this mich easier than epirubicin but unfortunately at that time I thought I was cured.x teresa
Hi Lynne
I’m on Paclitaxel which is similar and side effects listed are more or less the same - I’m on day 3 of my first cycle.
So far, day 2 was absolutely fine and normal but today I feel rather vague and rough. I’m tingling a lot - pins and needles in my lips and I have a headache. I’m waiting for the flu symptoms to kick in but hoping they won’t.
Good luck.
xx Jane
Hi
Thanks for the replies. I was on epirubicin this time last year. I t was a weekly dose and wasn’t too bad luckily. Hope this goes just as well. I was told about the aches in joints and pins and needles hope they aren,t too bad.
I’m already on dexamethasone for stomach have hardly slept for two weeks since taking them, hoping to come off them soon as possible but understand have to take them during chemo as Teresa mentioned.
Jane hope flu symptoms don’t kick in and good luck at your scan Teresa
take care x
Hi Lynne
Ive just had 2nd dose of doxetaxol yesterday. Ive had a bad reaction with both but both went a head after a a short break and puriton and antihistamine. I found the first one really harsh,my mouth felf like it had been burnt everytime i tried to eat something,taste went and i had the mother of all mouth ulcers! Then i had flu like symptoms and generally feeling rough from day 3 to day 10. Had 10 half decent days. So im hoping the 2nd isnt as bad but only had it yesterday. I had the same dose of dexamethadsone as yourself and not sleeping to great either. Ive got one more left to go!!!
Im sorry to hear of your secs,hope all goes well with your ct scan.Will be thinking of you and will save this discussion to see how your getting on.
Keep well
Claire
x
Hi Lynne,
firstly sorry bout your sec dx. I was on Taxere last year. The sore mouth got worse with the tax as I had 3 fec/tax before. I went to the doctors and they prescribed oral anti biotics which I took four times a day for a week and had it everytime I had the tax which hepled.
Like Claire I had to have piriton as the tax burnt me inside out. After a couple of days my trunk/arms and hands were extremely red and I looked like I’d been burnt. I took the piriton for a week before treatment and that helped.
I didn’t have any trouble with the Dexamethasone steriods just looked like a lollipop (very red one) chemo nurse use to say you can also tell the good ladies from the ones that hadn’t taken theirs.
Felt fine the day of the chemo, but in the evening the I started to wane and then I felt like I’d been hit by a high a speed train and probably slept for 44 hours out of 48. I had to had FSG injections 3 days after the chemo for 5 days to help with my white blood count, that was difficult and I suppose made me feel unwell.
Then there was light at the end of the tunnel and I had 10 reasonable good days.
I suppose the fatigue for me was hard but I set myself small achievable task and reading and sleep for me were important. I made sure I creamed myself with E45 and used Udderly cream for my feet/hands. Painted my nails black and use almond oil for the nails to. I did lose my finger nails after the chemo, but not my toes nails.
Be kind to your self make sure you drink plenty of water (I used bottled still do) drank fennel tea. There lots of good info on treatment which I found very useful. Good luck and I hope you get excellant results.
I was told Taxere was the Gold standard of chemo’s its kept me stable for a year although I do have a small nodule growing on my lung so waiting for a scan to see if the change in hormonal meds have worked.
Take good care of yourself
Chris
xx
Hi Lynn
Thanks for good wishes.Another couple things to mention or to be prepared.Heartburn noted for day2 to day 8 and occ beyond.I got losec and take every day at this time.After my hair came out my scalp had bit of a rash but diprobase made a huge difference(prescription).I assume you always take your last steroid before 6pm just thought I would mention as,as a nurse I found people were often unaware of this and forgot to mention that they were up half /all of the night.I seem to have this frequently whether on or off steroids but am managing some sleep! I find with this whole thing I just feel I don’t know what to do with myself like having flu, then comes the days like ystday and today where I am motivated and feel like tackling anything!Weird but good.Hope goes ok on wed let me know how you get on. Teresa x
Thanks everyone, will keep in touch.
I’ve been taking steriods in morning as told, still not sleeping that well, but hopefully off them soon. Just been reading a thread about taxotere and loss of fingernails, sounds horrendous. Just keep everything crossed don’t suffer too many side effects.
Take care x
Hi Ladies, I start Docetaxol on the 9th. Had a central line put in yesterday as veins aren’t holding up too well, so hopefully it’ll help. I also start Herceptin on the 8th. Not a great week. I’m quite nervous about the Docetaxol . Is loosing fingernails a common side effect then??? Did the side effects happen quickly?
Hoping we’ll be well enough to enjoy Christmas!
Hope it goes well for you on Wednesday Lynni.
Karen xx
Hello Lynne and ladies
Lynne, I’ve pm’d you. But for the benefit of others too, I had taxotere in the second half of 2008. For me, the side effects individually weren’t as bad as side effects for combo chemo that I’d had for primary bc in 2003. However, I had lots of niggly side effects - like heartburn, headaches, joint pains and numbness of extremities - that between them seemed to make me feel rough for longer than I had with the primary chemo, which felt like a massive hangover for a few days but then at least you would wake up on day six or whatever and feel normal again. With tax I tended to feel generally unwell right through till next cycle. So never really got a break. I never lost fingernails, but the tax did affect the condition of my nails a lot, and it took well over a year for them to improve. I still have problems with splitting fingertips (skin, not nails) and poor circulation in hands and feet. Last winter I got chillblains for first time ever, am not looking forward to same this year. But at least I was never sick with tax.
Good luck to everyone who is going through it.
Best wishes to all,
Alison x
Hi Lynne
I haven’t pm’d you cos I can’t get into my profile. There’s something weird happening when I log in and try to move around the site.
Just wanted to say how sorry I am that you’ve got stomach mets, this must be new since the summer. I hope the tax does the trick. Thinking of you, love Alison xx
Hi Alison Lynne
I start Tax on the 15th along side Herceptin , was told not as bad as FEC but have since heard makes you more tired. Will have to wait and see as no turning back now, but dreading Monday.
Maggie x
Hi
Thought i’d let you know so far so good, early days i know. Had to take extra steriods so goodness knows if get any sleep at all tonight.BCN says it’ll be Fri/Sat may feel achy!
Alison thanks for good wishes, didn’t get pm as you suspected. I had the same mets this time last year. Had op on stomach and epirubicin which knocked things back for a year anyway, symptons started again 4 weeks ago, recognised them so treatment started quickly this time.
Maggie good luck for Monday. I was dreading today as well but it went ok.
Blueyegirl loosing fingernails isn’t a common side effect according to leaflet i was given though they may change colour, i know i’m abit concerned about this too, but fingers crossed (with fingernails) it doesn’t happen.
Let me know how you all get on and take care all
Lynni x
Hi Ladies,
Well, herceptin went well and had 1st Docetaxel yesterday. So far I haven’t felt too bad. I bit flushed looking and a little breathless this afternoon, but FEC used to knock me out for at least 4 days, so nice to be able to potter around the house. My friend had her last dose of Doc on Wednesday and she said that it took a couple of days before she started aching. She found the Doc easier to cope with than the FEC, but the fatigue did get worse after the 5th cycle. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes. Everone seems to be different to degrees of side effects. My next dose is on the 4th jan, so i’ll get to enjoy christmas, new year and my daughters birthday, which really cheered me up!!
I have painted my nails dark wine colour in the hope that it will help. We’ll see. Hope you’re all having a fairly good day. Hang on in there. Thinking of you all. love Karen xx
Hi, I’m probably starting this chemo in the new year so it’s been good to read all your comments. I’ve had bone mets since 2003 and have no bone pain at all, in fact the bones are doing great but I now have an ovarian bc met so I’m hoping Docetaxol is going to work well for us all. I’m hoping to have a port fitted as my veins just collapse and are hard to find.
Hope you are not too achey over the weekend Lynni.
xx
Hi all the dox ladies
Had a ct scan ystday but the staff couldnt get a vein after many attempts so had to have scan without contrast medium.The consultant said the abnormalites will show up but not as easily.I get the results on thursday so I hope the taxotere(dox) has worked so far.I have to say that after day 8 I forget I am on chemo and feel exceptionally well so hope this continues and hope you are all the same.I was told about fingernails with epirubicin also and it didnt happen.Nxt dose(4) on friday and then the run up to my birthday, xmas and my son’s birthday so hopefully will continue to be well.Just out of interest Iam in Glasgow and attending the Beatson is anyone else?Teresax
Good Luck with your results Teresa…x
Well Tax and Herceptin day tomorrow just taken steroids so no sleep tonight then !!
Thanks Lynnie and Karen for positive reports its good to hear your both doing well. I have also heard not as bad as FEC that used to knock me off for a few days as well. You have made me feel much better was getting little jittery this morning.
Love Maggie x
Good luck tomorrow Maggie, yes this one has been the easiest so far. Just a few aches in the leg today. Even made it out to a christmas concert last night and only day 3! Amazing, usually knocked out for first 4 days. Easy day today. Has been lovely not to have nausea and sickness. Hope it goes well for you too Maggie.
Hi Belinda, the port is so much easier to deal with!I was a little worried initially because it was done under General An., but it was fine and definately worth the trouble. Hope it goes well hun. Karen xx
Thanks for the port feedback Karen…it’s great to read you are feeling so well too. 
x
Hope all goes well tomorrow Maggie. x