Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi,   I’ve just started Tamoxifen after really bad pain on Anastrazole.  I’m getting nausea and dizziness and headaches too.   My BCN suggested only taking it on alternate days for the first fortnight to ease me into this gradually. She’s also suggested I consider taking it at night to sleep through the worst of the nausea, but I haven’t tried that yet.  I certainly find it a nasty treatment but still not as bad as chemo. My issue is looking at if I can cope with side effects for 10 years, not at all sure if I can. ... View more

I have tingling in the palm of my hands, and a bit in the fingers. I've been on it for 3 1/2 weeks, and I also had neuropathy during chemo.   Tbh the other symptoms I'm having a re far worse, this is only mildly annoying. I'm looking at discussing changing to another drug because of bone pain/headaches/ very low mood. ... View more

Hi All,   I'm from the March19 group, and wanted to put in a few tips from my experience because I was one of the unlucky ones who had an awful time through chemo. (Most of the rest of my group didn't, so please don't let this scare you.)   I was originally due to have 3 FEC and 3 Docetaxol, it ended up being 2 FEC and 3 Abraxane, which is a different type of taxol.   1. Especially on FEC,  clean your teeth after eating anything at all, with a very soft toothbrush. Even if your mouth is feeling sore and awful, this will help. 2. If you find yourself feeling extremely and severely down the day after your steroids finish, talk to your chemo team or your oncologist. If you are sitting there debating if you should ring them or not, you should. 3. Steroids can reduce your impulse control - consider cutting off your access to easy online shopping for a while unless you are rich enough to not care! 4. Bone pain from the taxol - mine was severe and after a couple of days I was prescribed a week's worth of slow release Tramadol, which helped immensely. Although it's an opioid it is a synthetic one and gives you far less constipation than the others.   One other tip - through chemo, do not try to eat your favourite meal, whatever it may be. Having it associated with how you feel through chemo can put you off it for life. Also whatever you can eat during FEC will likely be completely different during the T phase. During FEC all I could eat was mashed potato, baked beans and veg soup with cheese. During T I couldn't eat any of that and couldn't cope with dairy at all, not even milk in my tea.I lived on marmite toast for 9 weeks! ... View more

I have had chemo but my last one was 14th June and this has only just started which is why I thought it must be the rads. ... View more

I've finished my rads now, just at the end of last week, and went back to work part time today. Now just a decade of anastrozole ...   I was wondering if anyone else was getting stabbing pains in the breast? They've only started today but can quite take my breath away. (It's right side so I know it isn't my heart). ... View more

I'm starting 15 sessions of rads on 11th July, following 2 lots of surgery and 5 cycles of chemo. I'm sort of apprehensive but mostly I'm still having nightmares about chemo, that's what wakes me up every day and I'm hoping that fades. This can't be as scary! ... View more

Hi mini mad,   I had vein problems on the back of my hand with my final 3 chemo sessions - for all of them I ended up having the cannula into the wrist veins and I found it healed quicker and wasn't as bruised afterwards. Last one was 6 days ago and after 24 hours I didn't even notice any pain. In contrast, the veins on the back of my hand and top side of lower arm are still slightly sore from the FEC sessions which finished 10 weeks ago. I've been massaging my lower arm every day with E45 and slowly those veins are recovering. ... View more

Hello and welcome mamawhizz,    I had a productive day yesterday and managed to be out of the house for 3 hours which is a vast improvement. I’m on track to be in work on Friday and next Monday doing the year end accounts, just before the next cycle starts.   My killer symptom right now is a very sore bottom but at least I no longer have constipation. ... View more

I'm on FEC-T but have only had the first part so maybe its nothing. ... View more

Anyone else having burning in their palms and soles? It’s not intolerable but I’m going to try slapping a load of moisturiser on my feet and then putting socks on to keep it in place, hoping that helps. ... View more

I think the FB group is a good idea too so I'll PM.   I have 2 before photos that actually show my hair, one before diagnosis and one after first surgery - when I was diagnosed I had it cut to shoulder length. No idea why it insists on me being sideways! ... View more

Just wanted to post because suddenly I feel okay and thought I would celebrate.    I’m planning walks from tomorrow but this week I wouldn’t have been safe doing that, plus I was stuck waiting for the nurse visits which were rather random.    I would like to reply specifically to people but doing this on the phone had made it difficult to keep track.   Today my hairdresser came round and cut all my long hair off. Here’s the result. ... View more

Welcome Clazzamol!   I feel slightly like things are improving today, which is day 8, and my big goal of the day is to maybe do a slow walk round the park.    I’m still getting waves of nausea, particularly when I wake up. Hoping soon my mouth is better so I can get back to the ginger drinks. ... View more

Hi bookishgurl,   That sounds horrid, but you shouldn't feel like a wimp, if it hurts, it hurts. We're all under so much stress right now that our resistance will be low.   When I originally discussed chemo with my oncologist he had said they were considering in general not using the F for people in my situation but the final decision hadn't yet been made, so I think I have the potential to get that part removed.   Tomorrow I'm having my hair cut really short ready for when it starts falling out. ... View more

I’ve had a few days of hell too, so much so that at one point I was contemplating just lying outside and waiting to die. (I’m better than that now).   It started late on day 4 that the entire inside of my mouth started peeling and it’s only just got to tolerable levels again today. I was also so tired that I couldn’t even pick up my phone to answer texts.    I did ring the helpline but mine seemed so dismissive that that was what pushed me into a really dark place.    I’m on FEC but seriously considering refusing the F part again as I cannot cope with that side effect again, on top of all the other ones. Next week when I’m hopefully feeling a bit better I will do proper research into what real difference the F makes - this sort of research has previously been my job but I need a working brain to do it.   Ive been having my injections randomly during the day as I’m depending on the district nurse to do it - and once it’s been straight out of the fridge as she didn’t warn me of arrival time. ... View more

I’m definitely allowed to use my £72 wig voucher to go towards the cost of a more expensive wig so I’m not sure what’s going on with your salespeople.    I have ordered one that costs around £200 plus a couple of much cheaper fun ones from Amazon too. I’m not coldcapping as I don’t want the bother, I’m just committing to dealing with the hair loss, which has already started. Last night I was awake most of the time as every hair follicle everywhere seemed to be itching. 🙄   I should be starting 5 days of immune boost injections today but have yet to be told when the district nurse will arrive to do it - too much of a wuss to do it myself. ... View more

Bookishgurl I recommend ginger ale and something salty ... View more

Alderney - I feel a bit more with it today but still happier lying down. Forcing myself to drink but have zero appetite.  I slept mostly ok but have abdominal pain, a low level headache and slight nausea. About to start on my mound of tablets.   Sal - I don’t think I’ve cried so much in public as I have in these past few weeks! Especially bad when I’m just barely holding it together and get asked if I’m ok 😭 ... View more

Sal, I’ve not braved trying to sort out the tablets yet, brain is a bit too fuzzy. Trying to resist the temptation to constantly check my temperature while I have hot flushes.   As for burping ... ribbit  https://goo.gl/images/Ct9BCW ... View more