I have had my 3 x FEC and came through like a dream. No sickness, illness or anything. Continued working full time and running the house and family etc. On Tuesday I went for my first Taxatore. What a different story. Took all the steriods as I was supposed to. Was about 10 mins into my drip when I felt sick, was hot, couldn’t breath, felt as though someone was sat on my chest. It all came on very suddenly. It was all taken from me very quickly and I was put on an oxygen mask. Soon recovered and felt okay and back to work next day. Had an appointment today to see what they should do. Try me again with it but monitor me. I don’t think so. Apparently this was only a mild attack. Not where I was sat it wasn’t. So I resume treatment next Tue but on Paclitaxel. Has anyone any comments on this one. it says in brackets after it (Taxol) so dreading it being of the same “family”. As I said fine with the FEC no problems at all. Just dreading this next bit any only 3 more to go too.
Hi Mandy,
On my first Taxotere chemo, I had a similar reaction (hot, turned bright red and not able to breathe) and was put on oxygen and ECG etc. Various doctors checked me out and put me onto a steroid drip along with piriton whilst the prescribing doctor was tracked down. When he was eventually found, he calmly told me that they wished to continue with the infusion. Like you, I couldn’t believe that this was a option and found this quite a frightening prospect but my first chemo (AC) had not worked for me and I’d been pleased that I had been offered Taxotere as I knew it had had good results. I therefore allowed the rest of the taxotere infusion to go ahead whilst I was carefully monitored.
On the next taxotere I was allocated the bed by the nurses station and given extra steroids and piriton to control the reaction. The infusion had to be slower than normal (starting turning red again until drip was slowed) but managed OK (apart from being totally high on steriods each time) for the following chemos.
I hope that Taxol gives you no problems, but they will carefully monitor you and I suspect will prime you with even more steriods.
Good Luck and take care
Roberta
xx
hi mandy
i had the same thing happen to me with excatly the same reaction…only difference was it was instant…within 20 seconds. my onc didn’t try to continue with it but said we will try paclitaxol in a couple of weeks. we did…and that was just the same…tho the chemo ward was ready with the oxygen this time. i was in good hands and soon recovered. hope i havn’t freaked you out with this info and you owe it to yourself to give it another go…the docs and nurses know what they are doing. i am now having 2 more AC which i was fine with. good luck with your treatment
regards karen
Hi Mandy,
I had my first Tax two weeks ago, and also had the start of an allergic response - but I had things stopped instantly & didn’t get much past dizzy and breathless. Nurse ran a saline drip for a while and started again, much slower. This went OK, she upped the speed slowly and the rest of the treatment went as normal. An hour and a half instead of the usual hour - but this too, she says, is normal for the first treatment which gives the old bod a bit of a shock. In future it should only be an hour. Love that word ‘normal’.
Other people here have switched from one of the Tax family to another - usually Docataxel to Paclitaxel - and been fine with the different formula. Best of luck to you too.
M-L x