leg pain from taxol

I just started Chemo last week for Uterine Cancer. I am taking Taxol and Carboplatine. 2 days later I experienced severe leg pain. I had to go to the emergency room and they said it was 100% due to taxol. As I am reading about some others on here who have experienced it, I noticed many of them are from 2004, 2002. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if they found something that worked. Pain pills did not. I am terrified to read that this could be a permanent thing. I am hoping since 2004, there have been some new studies out saying what to do.
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Comments

  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    Welcome~
    I had the the same chemo drugs as you, but in 2009. Yes you will have some minor aches and pains, as this was part of symptoms per my doc. I used Aleve which helps with inflammation. Surprised pain pills didn't help....have you tried some different ones?

    It's definitely not permanent just part of the side-affects from chemo. You might try moving around, vs lots of sitting as that could flush some blood thru the systems, relieving the pain. Are you as well drinking lots of water/fluids -- this can help too.

    Also, "generally" with most of us, chemo is cumulative so the side affects could get more intensive as you go.

    Best part, it'll all be over sooner then you think. Hope you're enjoying the holidays!!
    Jan
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    Ah yes, leg pain
    I started chemo on 12/12 of this year, taxol and carboplatin. Doc told me to expect 3-4 days of leg pain and gave me a prescription for hydrocodone and told me to stay away from NSAIDS (aleve, aspirin, ibuprofen). Like you, the meds did little to help ease that feeling that someone drove a hot poker through my ankles. And, the pain lasted nearly a week.

    The good news is that the pain DOES go away. My chemo was on a Monday and the following Monday afternoon I started feeling like a normal human being again. By Tuesday I had a ton of energy and the whole week has been great!

    The next milestone in my chemo treatment is the hair loss. Doc said it would start 17 days after the first taxol, which would be the 29th. But last night at 6pm my scalp started tingling like a ponytail headache and sure enough when I ran my hand through my hair quite a few strands came out. So far it's no big deal - just more hair in the brush and in the shower than normal, but no hunks of hair.

    My 2nd chemo is on January 3 - I'll letnyou know if the leg pain is better, worse or the same.

    Hang in there!

    Liz in Dallas
  • TiggersDoBounce
    TiggersDoBounce Member Posts: 408
    Leg pain
    Hello,

    I had this pain during my Taxol treatments in 2010...It is a side effect...and it does HURT!

    My doctor to take the Decadron and it did help...tell the Doctor at the next chemo visit and maybe they will entertain the option of continuing the Decadron a bit longer...

    Laurie

    HANG IN!
  • CindyGSD
    CindyGSD Member Posts: 190
    It was my biggest side effect....
    Yes I experienced severe leg pain though the worst pain was in my hips and where ovaries once were. It went away four or five days after getting the taxol.

    I never took the standard pain pills because I didn't want to have another reason to be constipated but I found that Ibprofen PM worked at night.

    I don't believe you have to worry about it being permanent. I've gotten three rounds so far and been on a two month break from chemo to get radiation and I have had no leg pain since my last chemo treatment.

    Take care,
    Cindy
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    CindyGSD said:

    It was my biggest side effect....
    Yes I experienced severe leg pain though the worst pain was in my hips and where ovaries once were. It went away four or five days after getting the taxol.

    I never took the standard pain pills because I didn't want to have another reason to be constipated but I found that Ibprofen PM worked at night.

    I don't believe you have to worry about it being permanent. I've gotten three rounds so far and been on a two month break from chemo to get radiation and I have had no leg pain since my last chemo treatment.

    Take care,
    Cindy

    Low potassium
    I'm a little surprised & dismayed that no one was told that the muscle pain/side effect from taxol could be related to low potassium. It won't hurt to eat potassium rich foods (mostly fruits) before & after taxol treatments.
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    Yes - I had leg pain, too
    My leg pain was in my joints - ankles, knees and hips. It started about 36 hours after the carbo/taxol infusions lasted for about 5 days. No painkillers seemed to make any difference and I struggled to find a position where i was comfortable. I understand this is a very common side effect. Since stopping the chemo I have had no further problems, so I am sure that yours will go away.
    Kindest regards
    Helen
  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    Leg Pain
    I too had leg pain but mine usually started about three days after chemo treatment. One of the Chemo nurses told me that I could take some Benadryl and that would help with the leg pain. It worked for me. I did clear this with the Onc Dr. though. I also would take Advil PM at night and elevate my legs. If the pain was real bad I would heat one of the microwaveable heat pads up and put them on my legs. That would help too. The pain only lasted a few days and then it gets better. Hope you find something to help with the pain. trisha
  • california_artist
    california_artist Member Posts: 816 Member
    carolenk said:

    Low potassium
    I'm a little surprised & dismayed that no one was told that the muscle pain/side effect from taxol could be related to low potassium. It won't hurt to eat potassium rich foods (mostly fruits) before & after taxol treatments.

    Low potassium encourages cancer growth as potassium is a limitin
    factor for cancer.
  • Tresia23
    Tresia23 Member Posts: 77
    carolenk said:

    Low potassium
    I'm a little surprised & dismayed that no one was told that the muscle pain/side effect from taxol could be related to low potassium. It won't hurt to eat potassium rich foods (mostly fruits) before & after taxol treatments.

    Fruit for potassium

    I agree that low potassium and also low sodium can cause muscle pain and cramps. I am afraid that the medical fraternity will always look first to drugs for treatment before considering a nutritional approach. It is all about maintaining their domain. If dietitians, nutritionists and doctors worked more closely together maybe we could experience a less chemically challenging approach to symptom management
  • Shelby54
    Shelby54 Member Posts: 5

    Leg Pain
    I too had leg pain but mine usually started about three days after chemo treatment. One of the Chemo nurses told me that I could take some Benadryl and that would help with the leg pain. It worked for me. I did clear this with the Onc Dr. though. I also would take Advil PM at night and elevate my legs. If the pain was real bad I would heat one of the microwaveable heat pads up and put them on my legs. That would help too. The pain only lasted a few days and then it gets better. Hope you find something to help with the pain. trisha

    I also experienced leg pain
    I had my first chemo, same as yours on 11/16 and had 4-5 days of severe leg pain also. The pain started on the 3rd day after chemo and was so intense at night, I had trouble sleeping. My doctor suggested using Advil and Claritin together but it really did not put a dent in the pain. I also used the microwave heated bags at night and that helped somewhat. I also tried wearing leggings at night and during the day. They acted like compression tights. I think it helped. The good news is after the second chemo, the pain was far less intense and much more managable. I am not sure if it was because I tried to drink more fluids the second time and eat more fruit. Not sure if that is the answer or not. I just had my 3rd chemo today, so I will let you know if I get it again. I am hoping not. Good luck with your treatments. Shelby
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    Leg pain after chemo #2
    The leg pain after the 2nd chemo hasn't been as bad. I'm taking Tylenol arthritis (650 mg of acetaminophen) and using heating pads and it helps.
  • Songflower
    Songflower Member Posts: 608
    LizGrrr said:

    Leg pain after chemo #2
    The leg pain after the 2nd chemo hasn't been as bad. I'm taking Tylenol arthritis (650 mg of acetaminophen) and using heating pads and it helps.

    Leg pain after Taxol
    I took taxol after breast cancer 12 years ago. I had so much pain I wanted to quit chemo. He gave me some pain pills, I think it was hydrocodone and I was able to go thr
    ough the chemo. I learned it is important to control pain! I finished chemo.
    I finished chemo. Diane
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member

    Leg pain after Taxol
    I took taxol after breast cancer 12 years ago. I had so much pain I wanted to quit chemo. He gave me some pain pills, I think it was hydrocodone and I was able to go thr
    ough the chemo. I learned it is important to control pain! I finished chemo.
    I finished chemo. Diane

    I spoke too soon!
    Oy vey, yesterday was the worst. I broke down at 4am and took 2 hydrcodone and finally fell asleep at 5:30a. Slept for 6 hours. Woke up feeling ok. I count my lucky stars this is only temporary. I've also developed a metallic taste in my mouth - the only foods that are tolerable at this point are heavily soy sauced Chinese food, and heavily vinegared German potato salad.

    I keep telling myself just another day or two of this and I'll be back to normal!

    Liz in Dallas
  • Susanna23
    Susanna23 Member Posts: 66 Member
    LizGrrr said:

    I spoke too soon!
    Oy vey, yesterday was the worst. I broke down at 4am and took 2 hydrcodone and finally fell asleep at 5:30a. Slept for 6 hours. Woke up feeling ok. I count my lucky stars this is only temporary. I've also developed a metallic taste in my mouth - the only foods that are tolerable at this point are heavily soy sauced Chinese food, and heavily vinegared German potato salad.

    I keep telling myself just another day or two of this and I'll be back to normal!

    Liz in Dallas

    leg pain and taxol
    It's a year ago tomorrow that I had my first (of six) carboplatin and taxol - one treatment every three weeks so it finished in April 2011. These leg pain posts certainly bring back memories! Liz, I noted my symptoms in a diary that I also used to count off the days till end of treatment. First cycle - no leg pain, second - two days....and so on, increasing to a whole week on the sixth and last cycle. It wasn't exactly pain - more a weird burning, twitching, achey feeling in the ankles, calves and feet that kept me awake. I tried various painkillers - and Co-codamol (paracetamol and codeine, the strongest over the counter painkiller you can get in the UK) was quite helpful, as were hot baths with Epsom salts. I have also seen glutamine mentioned though I didn't try that as decided not to take supplements during chemo in case of interactions. Once I finished with chemo, the pain/discomfort vanished totally - if it's any comfort, it will likely one day be just a distant memory for you.
    I also did have one day (only) when I had a funny taste in my mouth.
    Reading this thread makes me realise how very common leg pain is with taxol - good luck, Liz, I hope you find something that works for you. Also, most of the chemo cycle (weeks 2 and 3) I felt perfectly fine and hope you do too.
    Take care
    Susan (London, UK)
  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    LizGrrr said:

    I spoke too soon!
    Oy vey, yesterday was the worst. I broke down at 4am and took 2 hydrcodone and finally fell asleep at 5:30a. Slept for 6 hours. Woke up feeling ok. I count my lucky stars this is only temporary. I've also developed a metallic taste in my mouth - the only foods that are tolerable at this point are heavily soy sauced Chinese food, and heavily vinegared German potato salad.

    I keep telling myself just another day or two of this and I'll be back to normal!

    Liz in Dallas

    leg pain and metallic taste bids
    Liz, I remember very well the pain and the lack of taste. Leg pain dealt with by heating pads, icy hot, hot baths, some pain pills but mainly just tried to deal with the best I could. The taste buds is another story for me. My go to food was a turkey chilli with lots of hot sauce just so I could taste something.

    The nurse at the cancer center said to eat cold foods to help with the taste but it was always the spicer and hotter that actually I could taste. I did only eat about once a day when that was going on and once the taste buds came back I could eat again. Just keep on thinking that this too shall pass and soon you'll be through with the chemo altogether. April will be one year since DX and surgery, May will be one year since start of chemo and August will be one year after end of chemo. It is just one day at a time. Keeping you in my prayers. trish
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    LizGrrr said:

    I spoke too soon!
    Oy vey, yesterday was the worst. I broke down at 4am and took 2 hydrcodone and finally fell asleep at 5:30a. Slept for 6 hours. Woke up feeling ok. I count my lucky stars this is only temporary. I've also developed a metallic taste in my mouth - the only foods that are tolerable at this point are heavily soy sauced Chinese food, and heavily vinegared German potato salad.

    I keep telling myself just another day or two of this and I'll be back to normal!

    Liz in Dallas

    Liz I too remember the metallic taste
    Everything tasted like metal. How awful. Lemon drops helped with the taste. Someone told me licorice worked for them. I did not find that helped much. Cold icy things helped with the taste,too. Others have mentioned spicy foods, but my stomach does not like spicy,so that was not for me either. I asked the doctor for suggestions. He told me to just finish the chemo. Not much help there! About two weeks after I finished chemo food did taste good again.

    I was lucky I never had the leg pain with my taxol treatments (13 total between two different sessions), so I can't help you there. Hope both the leg pain and metallic taste get better for you. Good luck with your other treatments. In peace and caring.
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    Ro10 said:

    Liz I too remember the metallic taste
    Everything tasted like metal. How awful. Lemon drops helped with the taste. Someone told me licorice worked for them. I did not find that helped much. Cold icy things helped with the taste,too. Others have mentioned spicy foods, but my stomach does not like spicy,so that was not for me either. I asked the doctor for suggestions. He told me to just finish the chemo. Not much help there! About two weeks after I finished chemo food did taste good again.

    I was lucky I never had the leg pain with my taxol treatments (13 total between two different sessions), so I can't help you there. Hope both the leg pain and metallic taste get better for you. Good luck with your other treatments. In peace and caring.

    Good news bad news
    Good news: my taste buds are returning to normal (though I'm still partial to vinegary German potato salad)
    Bad news: my legs still hurt 8 days post-chemo, despite hydrocodone or Tylenol 650
    Good news: the pain is down to about 3 out of 10
    Bad news: chemo nurse has never seen anything like this and thinks it could be a signal of the onset of arthritis, which does run in my family
    Good news: only one more round of chemo and leg pain to deal with, and I'll explore the arthritis angle LATER!

    Liz :)
  • imackie48
    imackie48 Member Posts: 96
    LizGrrr said:

    I spoke too soon!
    Oy vey, yesterday was the worst. I broke down at 4am and took 2 hydrcodone and finally fell asleep at 5:30a. Slept for 6 hours. Woke up feeling ok. I count my lucky stars this is only temporary. I've also developed a metallic taste in my mouth - the only foods that are tolerable at this point are heavily soy sauced Chinese food, and heavily vinegared German potato salad.

    I keep telling myself just another day or two of this and I'll be back to normal!

    Liz in Dallas

    Worst pain ever
    I am 4 days post chemo, the leg pain is unbearable, finally got some vicodin to real the pain. Really everything hurts, just praying for it to stop hurting. I only took a half pill I would be afraid to take a whole,.
    Why do we woman have to suffer so much...With this dreded disease
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    imackie48 said:

    Worst pain ever
    I am 4 days post chemo, the leg pain is unbearable, finally got some vicodin to real the pain. Really everything hurts, just praying for it to stop hurting. I only took a half pill I would be afraid to take a whole,.
    Why do we woman have to suffer so much...With this dreded disease

    Alternative to hydrcodone
    I'm jealous you got vicodin. I've asked (begged really) twice for something other than hydrocodone which doesn't really help and gives me awful insomnia. Somehow I need to get past the nurses to the doctor.
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    LizGrrr said:

    Alternative to hydrcodone
    I'm jealous you got vicodin. I've asked (begged really) twice for something other than hydrocodone which doesn't really help and gives me awful insomnia. Somehow I need to get past the nurses to the doctor.

    Thinking of you ladies
    Other than asking for stronger pain meds, I can't recommend anything to ease your pain. But you're right - it can be really bad. But I pray that it will be temporary for you and you will come through this chemo OK.
    In my thoughts
    Helen