Hi
I am in Australia and see alot of you girls on FEC …my BCN said they will want me to have AC 4 times every three weeks then Taxol weekly for 12 weeks
Has anyone had that combo? I see alot of you on FEC arent getting too sick, my BCN told me the AC will make me really sick but Taxol is much better
Can anyone enlighten me?
Cheers
Shelleyx
Hi Shelley,
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care discussion forums, you’ve come to the right place for some good, honest support from the many informed users of this site, who I am sure will be along shortly to give you that support.
BCC have numerous publications which you may find helpful, I’ve put you the link to one of these:
www2.breastcancercare.org.uk/publications/treatment-side-effects/chemotherapy-breast-cancer-bcc17
Take care,
Jo, Facilitator
Hi Shelley,
Sorry you have to join this club, but there forums are a great place for support, encouragement and a place to whinge (even with the current wobbles since the software upgrade)
I had FEC-T and was fine, never sick once and hardly even nauseous… but in the UK it is standard to be given antisickness medication both IV or tablet during the delivery of chemo, and tablets to take at home afterwards. I was treated on the NHS and was given steroids (Dexamethasone) and antisickness (Domperidone) as standard. I know some people who are treated privately in the UK are given Emend as anti-sickness. Either way, the policy in the UK is that if you are sick, they will adjust the anti-sickness meds to help. If you are given anti-sickness meds, take them proactively - it is easier to prevent than to stop sickness.
I don’t know what is standard practice in Australia, but if it were me I’d be asking about what meds they can offer.
Hope all goes well with you chemo and your side effects are minimal.
Hi Shelley,
I had AC and Taxol when I was diagnosed 2 years ago. I had 4 x AC but every 2 weeks instead of 3. I then had 4 x Taxol given the same. It was the equivalent of 12 weekly taxol because I had 3 weekly doses at a time.
The AC can make you very sick so in my case my onc gave me to the very strongest anti-sickness meds available here. It is called Emend, and I also have a cocktail of about 5 or 6 others. And I never felt sick once. I was told by my onc that there is no need to feel sick nowadays as there are enough anti-sickness drugs on the market to combat it.
The Taxol I personally found worse, because as I was having it in such large doses I suffered with neuropathy quite badly in my fingers and toes. My toes were almost completing numb, and it took a good 5-6 months to get the feeling back in them. Because I was having the treatment every 2 weeks I also had to have Neulasta injections which made my muscles and joints ache.
But I got through it in one piece and you will too. The most important thing is to let your medical know of any side effects that are really bad because they will be able to give you something for them, the problem is everyone is different so it may be that what they give you first doesn’t quite work, but if you don’t speak up they won’t know, so do remember that.
If you need any further info or have questions feel free to PM me.
Sam
Hello,
I also had fortnightly AC followed by Taxol. My chemo nurse said that years ago you had to stay in hospital with AC as it made you so sick. I HATE being sick and was really worried about that but she said that nowadays the antisickness is so good and she promised me I wouldn’t be sick. After my first one I felt a but queasy - like a hangover - but was never actually sick. I was then also given Emend and was fine for the next 3 and had no problems with the Taxol at all.
Good luck! Hope it all goes well.
X
Hello Ladies!
Thank you all for you warm replies. I saw the Onc’s assistant yesterday to speed things up, I have to hae a heart check and blood test before I see my Onc, who is away on a conference, on 14th August.
Yes herein Oz we also gget given lots and lots of anitnausea meds - my nurse said once I get off the AC the weekly Taxol is a “breeze” achy joints but pretty much ok.
I go back into to hospital tomorrow for my lymph nodes to be removed as I got a false neg at my lumpectomy, two nodes affected 2.5mm and one with 1.5mm I hope they find no more in the 10 or so they take tomorrow. One good thing my BS ssaid that there is no cancer left in my breast all gone just the bloody lymmph nodes buggar it!
My husband has Prostate Cancer (yes its been hell here LOL) he goes in to have that out Friday, so got Mum here looking after my 17yro son and 11yro son (Im 48 and my hubby is 41…bit of a cougar yes haha) Mr 17 has just started a plumbing apprenticeship I hope he can think clearly and do a good job, I feel like a terrible mum I know Im not but you know what I mean…
thanks again ladies xxxx SO MUCH appreciate your help
So at the moment I am Grade 2, I think Stage 1B???, lump was 1.9mm ERPR + and HER2 negOMG how did we get here???
I am taking my computer with me so will look for you all then,take care and thanks again xxxxx
OOPS sry for the multiple posts 