Hi all - does anyone have any experience of weekly taxol - I have been offered it instead of 3 weekly Taxotere and am tempted cause the side effects I am havign on Taxotere are pretty rough going.
I am seeing the BCC nurse on Monday to talk through side effects of weekly taxol but experience shows that you guys know or indeed tell more than the nurses (they are great but cautious -rightly so) so if there is anyone can you tell me what it is like in terms of side effects and how you feel ?
From talking to my onc and chemo nurse I understand that SE’s are similar to Taxotere but generaly milder and so it tends to be better tolerated. It is supposed to be equally effective and there has been a recent study that indicates that in some circumstances it can give and improved long term prognosis (a few % increase) over 3 weekly Taxol or Taxotere.
I had 10 x weekly cycles of Taxol followed by 2 x 3 weekly cycles of the same. It was my first chemo and I remember my onc saying he thought I’d be “pleasently surprised” with it!
The first 7-8 weeks were great (when compared to some stories of chemo). I found that the day of treatment and the next 2-3 days I was hyper on the steroids and returned to “normal” by the next treatment. No sickness or nausea. The inside of my mouth and throat did get tender for a day or so but soon cleared up. My nail beds were very sensitive and my nails lifted. I found that by cutting my nails as short as I comfortably could that they caught on less things and this helped.
The last couple of weeks were harder as the side effects seem to be cumulative. I developed peripheral neuropathy which affected both my hands and feet. I also had a skin reaction which caused the back of my hands up to my elbows and the sides and soles of my feet to peel.
My hair and nails have regrown but I’m left with numb finger tips and toes (3 months on).
On the plus side I had an average of 80% shrinkage as a result of the Taxol.
From reading other peoples stories I think weekly Taxol is “easier” than many, with not such extreme highs and lows between each treatment.
hi all - have done the deed and agreed to weekly taxol starting Monday - I just pray that it does the trick - I’m at the end of week 3 from the last Taxotere and whilst I feel better than I did I still feel pretty crappy so fingers crossed that the taxol is less brutal. The weekly trail to the hospital will be a chore but it is only for 6 weeks so roll on end March is what I say.
I know this will sound really stupid but I got such a nice surprise when the Oncologist told me that there was a break of 3-4 weeks before I start Radiation therapy ! Yeah My OH said “well of course” but I had no idea - just shows you when you have your head down and in the middle of this you just feel that the misery keeps pouring down on your head … so when I have dates I think I will book a week in a cottage by the seaside to get some salty air into me (and some fish and chips)
I’ll let you know how I get on with the weekly - thanks for the info so far - rxx
I am on weekly taxol at the moment, finish 26th Feb then find out what’s to happen next.
I said to the OC last week that I felt like a fraud as I don’t even feel like i’m on Chemo. My hair is just starting to fall out today but appart from that I feel fab.
This time last year i was on Taxotere every 3 weeks and that was really rough!! As in I had no energy most of the time and legs were dead weight.
Yes Recs I do feel the Taxol is kinder than the taxotere, I had a bad reaction on the taxotere and was switched to the taxol, I have had no aches and pains and definitley no sickness, just the usual fatigue I just a bad bout of constipation which was soon sorted with some movicol then I had trouble stopping!! ah the joys…
I have mine every 3 weeks and my final one will be next week (Yipee)
I too have a four week break before radiotherapy, went for my planning today and was marked up like a little lamb ,
ladies - do you happen to know if I will still get the G-csf injection on weekly taxol ? I guess I’ll find out tomorrow but just wondering (as you do !)
I got them when on Taxotere but I don’t get them with Taxol. I did ask but they said this doesn’t drop your bloods as much, however I’ve been keeping an eye on them and they have dropped more than before.
Sharon xx
I had a reaction to my 2nd Taxotere so was put onto weekly Taxol for 12 weeks. I’m due number 5 on Tuesday and I’m finding it much harder than having the Taxotere 3 weekly. I ache just as much and also get bone pains too. I have my chemo on Tuesday, start aching from my head to my waist on Thursday afternoon which continues till Saturday then starts to ease but then on Friday and Saturday I get shooting pains in my leg bones. I had the same kind of side effects in the same pattern on the Taxotere and could cope with that as I had 2 full weeks of feeling more or less normal in between but having this weekly one I’m lucky to get 2 days where I feel anything like normal. I was hoping the side effects would lessen after the first few but they don’t seem to be. Only 8 more to go though! Lol.
Ah well today I went for the first dose and had an extreme alergic reaction ! after just 2ml being delivered I felt it and couldn’t breathe so we had to stop and bring me round . I’ll see the Onc tomorrow but I will take some persuading to go for a “rechallenge” as they call it. I think I would rather go back to 3 weekly Taxotere and just deal with it 2 more doses due.
The move to taxol was to get rid of some of the nasty side effects but they will have to give me so much steroid that I would imagine that the SE’s will be just as bad and every week !
Still got thrush - nothing is touching it feeling crap and disappointed today
Mumof3 poor you Nothing I can do to make it better but send my best and an ehug for when you need it xxx
yes thanks I am ok now- went to see the Onc and I am going back on Friday for one more go of Taxotere and then I am officially in the post chemo club (Oh Horray for that !!!) the three weeks following Friday will be hell as I know the side effects but I will be done with the chemicals until Herceptin which is after Rads so hair will return, eyebrowns and eyelashes (which I miss most of all) will be given a chance to return and most of all there will be a great big TICK in the chemo box
My OH said “well of course” but I had no idea - just shows you when you have your head down and in the middle of this you just feel that the misery keeps pouring down on your head … so when I have dates I think I will book a week in a cottage by the seaside to get some salty air into me (and some fish and chips) 
feeling crap and disappointed today