Hi Ladies
I am due to have my first Tax tomorrow after 3 FEC which to be honest were not that bad, few hiccups but nothing too major, but all I seem to read/hear about tax is quite negative, has anyone not suffered too badly on Tax ? any good vibes would be wonderful to send me on my merry way tomorrow
Many thanks
Janice x
No replys on positives on tax this does not bode well lol, I have 1st one today and on douyble steroids my face is like a hot flush did anyone else have this withe the Dexamethasone ? slightly worried as I want to be 100% before having this next delightful treat
Lottie, there is a whole long thread about TAX and the various side effects a few of us had which is really useful. I’ll see if I can find it and bump it up for you. For me it was hell on earth, however others breezed through and kept working so it really is such an individual thing. At least I wasn’t throwing up like I was on FEC. Remember to take all your stroids as early as possible and get in a batch of DVD for the early hours when you’re wired and can’t sleep!
Good luck!
Laurie
Lottie have bumped thread. It’s called - Need Positive Posts about TAX
Hi Laurie
Tahnks for the reply I will look it up… I know tax has to be done but sounds preety scary 
Im flushing well this morning hoping its just hot flushes and nothing formidable to stop treat going ahead.
Thanks again take care
Janice x
Hi Janice, I have been on Tamoxifen for 5 months now and the side effects I have had have been quite bearable. A few hot flushes mainly very early in the morning and my hair thinned quite a bit but that is all. I think I am one of the lucky ones as I have read of others who have had a horrendous time with it. Hope it is going ok for you. Take care.
Lisa x
Hi,
I finished tax last week and can honestly say it was not even half as bad as I expected. No dreadful nausea like with FEC. The tiredness and lethargy was more pronounced and the bone pains were not pleasant but controlled with codeine and paracetamol. Pains started after finishing steroids and lasted about 3 days. Sore fingernails - felt like I had trapped them all in a door but none fell off - wore dark nail varnish throughout. Manky mouth, lack of taste and oral thrush but no ulcers. Had tax trots for a few days but others get constipation. Bought udderly smooth cream off amazon and smothered my hands and feet every night and no problems with peeling skin. Hair starting growing back on tax but eyelashes and eyebrows, which survived FEC, fell out after second dose.
You’re nearly at the end now. Good luck.
Sam xxx
Hi,
I finished tax last week and can honestly say it was not even half as bad as I expected. No dreadful nausea like with FEC. The tiredness and lethargy was more pronounced and the bone pains were not pleasant but controlled with codeine and paracetamol. Pains started after finishing steroids and lasted about 3 days. Sore fingernails - felt like I had trapped them all in a door but none fell off - wore dark nail varnish throughout. Manky mouth, lack of taste and oral thrush but no ulcers. Had tax trots for a few days but others get constipation. Bought udderly smooth cream off amazon and smothered my hands and feet every night and no problems with peeling skin. Hair starting growing back on tax but eyelashes and eyebrows, which survived FEC, fell out after second dose.
You’re nearly at the end now. Good luck.
Sam xxx
Hi,
I finished tax last week and can honestly say it was not even half as bad as I expected. No dreadful nausea like with FEC. The tiredness and lethargy was more pronounced and the bone pains were not pleasant but controlled with codeine and paracetamol. Pains started after finishing steroids and lasted about 3 days. Sore fingernails - felt like I had trapped them all in a door but none fell off - wore dark nail varnish throughout. Manky mouth, lack of taste and oral thrush but no ulcers. Had tax trots for a few days but others get constipation. Bought udderly smooth cream off amazon and smothered my hands and feet every night and no problems with peeling skin. Hair starting growing back on tax but eyelashes and eyebrows, which survived FEC, fell out after second dose.
You’re nearly at the end now. Good luck.
Sam xxx
Hi Janice
I’ve finished chemo 4 weeks ago. I had 3 FEC and 4 Tax.
The only positive things I can say about Tax is that I didn’t get any nausea and my hair started to grow back on Tax. I think everyone experiences it differently. I found it horrendous, but some people having it at the same time found it OK.
Good luck!
Jane
Hi Jane
Yes you are quite right its horrendous !!! now I no why no positive vibes about it 
days 1/2 were fine then it hit like a thunderbolt, ive been laid up since sunday and now got tax trots … oh the joys , the only thing getting me through is ive only got 2 more to go, glad your all done hope all goes well for you
Janice x
I MUCH preferred Tax! No nausea, much more energy. My only SEs were feeling a bit manic from the higher dose of steroids and itchy hands and feet - apart from that I felt great. I know a few other ladies who got on with it much better than FEC…but they don’t come on the forums - otherwise I am sure they would tell you themselves!
Halfway through…! Great news!
Been there done it got the tee shirt. It was Interesting but such a good drug re survival results. I WOULD do it again if I had to. After the first cycle you knew what to expect and when. It does follow a pattern. No nausea- mouth like cornflour for at least a week- All normal food tastes bland - Cheese, marmite, chocolate , cakes eg lemon drizzel and all sweet puddings carbs etc FINE in vcopious quantities!!!. Meat, wine, veg and all things good are tasteless… Gin Whisky and sparkling water with orange or grapefruit barley ok. Fatigue hits suddenly and completely so bed is best. A gentle daily walk is hard but doable. Legs give way and I didn"t know when to go for a wee. I just went every couple of hours (no leakage though) . You will ger bone ache from the GCSF and watch your temp. Any spikes phone your unit. It is like pregnancy I really can"t remember the Yucky days… just that we in the August 2011 group went through it together. The meet up in the Worst Eastern Leamington Spa was superb and I now have some truely wonderful friends. I hated losing my hair, the not so cute baby monkey look or the Gloucester Old Spot white with black spots. I loved the Judy Denche but now have a fuzzy curl… I always had straight hair. I will perhaps go blonde again but not yet. Short wigs were less hot and some NHS better than the expensive. My purple one the grandhildren chose was fun occasionally but the other six a waste of money. A cotton square headscarf was moe "me " than the countless bandanas and soft hats at night. I loved hats and my shortish wig with blone dark roots …so natural and only £90. ( probably avaiable NHS) DO go on a Looking Good Feeling Better session. I painted my toenails a dark colour and kept on dark socks. My fingernailsI were left natural… NO DIFFERENCE at first but I lost a toe nail last week. So much for that theory!!!
Any queries PM me or better still contact the Helpline.
Best of luck re side effects
Cackles
Hi Lottie. I’m another “TAX preferred” person. As for positive stories just remember that people often don’t post when they are coping well. The TAX crash on day 3 only happened once to me. My onc thought that it was linked to a steroid crash as well so I had a couple more dexa for day 3 and 4 for next 2 cycles. TAX trots always day 5 but not so bad when you are expecting them. A pile of magazines, nice drinks and imodium for the day worked for me. For the bone pains I needed painkillers for couple of days. Ask for strong ones and zone out:) I found tiredness was about the same as FEC. Was much less miserable on TAX. I ate for England!. No nausea was much appreciated. Be as annoying as you like and keep phoning up the chemo unit. It’s their job to make you as comfortable as possible through chemo. One year on from last TAX and I’m feeling human again. Look forward to good times and make plans. Be kind to yourself and good luck xx
I’ve had 3 cycles of TAX and due my 4th one tomorrow. Had Mx, ANC, E-CMF and then rads over 11 years ago and had my GP not misdiagnosed me 6 months previously it may have been dealt with successfully then. My breast cancer recurred after 8 and a half years. I was then on Letrozole and IV Zometa which is for bone mets. I discovered another lump on my neck in Feb this year on my way to the oncology clinic ironically. Had CT and lumpectomy which showed that my cancer was now triple negative.
I was commenced on TAX. Have had no nausea but on the 1st cycle had the trots for 7 days, then for 2 days on the 2nd cycle. 2nd TAX was horrendous as I had folliculitis and my scalp was extremely painful but antibiotics sorted that. Was tired a lot too. After 3rd cycle I was OK except for tiredness. Slept round the clock some days. Had no energy to do anything for the first two weeks but then on the third week I have felt great. CT scan last week shows that after 3 x TAX I have no active cancer anywhere. So for me the SEs have been worth it. To have 4th TAX tomorrow and then another two. I don’t dread TAX the way I did E-CMF as at that time I felt that I couldn’t go back for another cycle as it made me feel so bad. I can cope with the tiredness. But eveyone is different and other ladies have found TAX to be OK. So GOOD LUCK with it. At the end of the day if it works then it’s been worth it!
Take care xxx
What is the drug combination for TAX please? Or is it only one chemo drug?
Hi Sasha,
Tax is just the one drug, Its a hard slog but after reading the effect it has on cancer cells obviously worth going through the side effects for… No pain no gain as they say, I had FEC first which to be honest unlike some of the ladies on here who suffered with it dreadfully I didnt a bit of nausea but nothing major at all, but the Tax is another thing all together, Im day 8 now and just starting to feel better, still shall not be break dancing for a wee while but I can move without feeling 100 years old, are you due to have Tax on your treatment plan ?
Best wishes Janice x
THanks Janice, no idea what my treatment plan is…and not at all sure I will accept chemo anyway…even though hospital seem to think I will be starting it next week with no prior info etc…so I will not be…! I need to have confidence in them first and at the moment it is below zero…
Hi Chrisp1e
Had my first tax 8 days ago and just emerging from the fog, the pain days 3/4 was awful but I think I should have had stronger pain killers on standby, was taking Nurofen/paracetamol, I will speak to Onc for next time, I am hoping it will get a little easier for 2 and 3, some ladies say it does some say its accumilative and gets worse, but at least I will be prepared now,
I feel its got to be worth carrying on with as effects on cancer cells are so good… bit like taking medicine if it tastes nice is it as good as the nasty ucky ones 
so soldier on we do, my omly concern is that on day 8 I still feel so zapped, I did 15 mins of ironing todat and had to sit down as came over all clammy/cold and felt faint, is this normal ? amyone who has suffered this please advise as ive had it since my treatment
Love to all Janice x
Sascha,
Thats dreadful, you need to be confident in your hospital/team where are you being treated, Im fortunate enough to be under the Royal Marsden and live 5 mins from the hospital, I have complete trust and confidence in all the team there and everything is discussed with me treatment by treatment,
Good luck hun
Janice x