Taxol for 12 weeks????

mcsessions
mcsessions Member Posts: 48
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Has anybody been through 12 weekly sessions of Taxol?

My Mom has gone through 10 and the Doctor advised her to take a week break before finishing her treatment.
Her fingers are in a bad condition, they hurt, her nails are a mess, she is having trouble tying her own shoes.

Did you have the same problems? What helped?

I´m just wondering are those two last treatments really necessary???

She had a mastectomy, 21 nodes all negative, triple negative type of cancer.
The Doctor said this 12 last sessions are not curative just preventive.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

  • Deb1969
    Deb1969 Member Posts: 165
    My also taking 12 weekly
    My also taking 12 weekly treatments of Taxol. Ive had 4 and 8 more to go. So far my nails are ok. Im having some numbness and tingling in my fingertips. Onc offered me some medication for this Lyrica or Neurontin.
    Deb
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143
    Has the doctor talked to her about neuropathy?
    This can serious and permanent, so if she has numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, she should talk to her doctor. As for whether all 12 sessions are necessary -- no one knows for any individual case, but that's the number that has been determined to be effective. If your mom has soldiered through all 10, it would be worth it to continue on and finish the regimen unless she's having serious complications. I wish both of you luck. It's not easy.

    Mimi
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    By week 10 on Taxol I was
    By week 10 on Taxol I was completely and utterly exhausted. That day Dr. told me that it had done 85% to 90% of what it could do, so If I couldn't handle the exhaustion any more I could stop or stop at any time before the next 2. I was not offered a week's 'vacation' from it. 85%-90% wasn't good enough for me so I pushed through the next weeks (Hubby and Son were so helpful taking care of things as their idea also was for me go for the max. benefit available.) A week after the last Taxol, the exhaustion started going away and has gotten better continually since - 4 weeks - even tho I've been doing rads throughout the time.

    I didn't have pain from it, only a small amount of 'tingling' in toes for a short time (1/2 - 1 hr) a few times.

    My nails (which were never very good anywho) would be quite bad if I hadn't been religiously using Nail Envy by OPI on them. At the first Look Good Feel Better I went to, we were given a sample bottle of it and my first thought was "Oh another nail strengthner that won't do anything." but I decided to try it and it did work. I used up the sample and went about 2 week without any to use and boy did my nails go downhill - flaking, chipping, splitting - you name it and they did it. Bought a bottle and once again they are much better again. The flaking is still there if the Nail Envy was not on but it smooths it out and keeps it from being worse - for me anyway.

    We're all unique and how we handle things is different. I'm going to take the most aggressive course that I can. My cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive form so, in my mind, I have to fight it as aggressively as it is/was attacking me. Doesn't mean that's right for everybody though.
  • girls4444
    girls4444 Member Posts: 34
    taxol
    I just completed #7 of 12 treatments, my nails look horrible, it hurts to do anything with my fingers, It is even hard to write at times. Taxol has been harder on me than the ACS treatments. Good luck
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    mimivac said:

    Has the doctor talked to her about neuropathy?
    This can serious and permanent, so if she has numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, she should talk to her doctor. As for whether all 12 sessions are necessary -- no one knows for any individual case, but that's the number that has been determined to be effective. If your mom has soldiered through all 10, it would be worth it to continue on and finish the regimen unless she's having serious complications. I wish both of you luck. It's not easy.

    Mimi

    Sending prayers for your
    Sending prayers for your Mother.



    Sue :)
  • prv
    prv Member Posts: 107
    girls4444 said:

    taxol
    I just completed #7 of 12 treatments, my nails look horrible, it hurts to do anything with my fingers, It is even hard to write at times. Taxol has been harder on me than the ACS treatments. Good luck

    taxol
    I had 12 weeks of taxol after A/C - finished 12/8/09. My nails still look aweful (lost a big toe nail) but they are staring to grow back , so is my hair. I had a horrible time with my stomach during last 4 treatments (alot of pain) but it is improving now although slowly. I'm glad I stuck with it though because these are temporary changes, cancer is not! I would do it all over again right now if someone told me it would prevent recurrence! Stay strong, best wishes!
    prv
  • mcsessions
    mcsessions Member Posts: 48
    mimivac said:

    Has the doctor talked to her about neuropathy?
    This can serious and permanent, so if she has numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, she should talk to her doctor. As for whether all 12 sessions are necessary -- no one knows for any individual case, but that's the number that has been determined to be effective. If your mom has soldiered through all 10, it would be worth it to continue on and finish the regimen unless she's having serious complications. I wish both of you luck. It's not easy.

    Mimi

    Neuropathy
    Yes her doctor has talked to her about the neuropathy and is "cautious" about not going to far. But my Mom feels it is too much for her right now and the doctor agreed, that's why he let her rest for a week.
    The numbness and tingling sounds like is constantly there, and the pain in her finger tips is bad, she can't tie her own tennis shoes because it hurts.
    Sometimes I'm convinced she should finish but other times I think well she did 10 already are two more going to make the difference??? VS causing more serious and permanent damage?
  • mcsessions
    mcsessions Member Posts: 48
    Rague said:

    By week 10 on Taxol I was
    By week 10 on Taxol I was completely and utterly exhausted. That day Dr. told me that it had done 85% to 90% of what it could do, so If I couldn't handle the exhaustion any more I could stop or stop at any time before the next 2. I was not offered a week's 'vacation' from it. 85%-90% wasn't good enough for me so I pushed through the next weeks (Hubby and Son were so helpful taking care of things as their idea also was for me go for the max. benefit available.) A week after the last Taxol, the exhaustion started going away and has gotten better continually since - 4 weeks - even tho I've been doing rads throughout the time.

    I didn't have pain from it, only a small amount of 'tingling' in toes for a short time (1/2 - 1 hr) a few times.

    My nails (which were never very good anywho) would be quite bad if I hadn't been religiously using Nail Envy by OPI on them. At the first Look Good Feel Better I went to, we were given a sample bottle of it and my first thought was "Oh another nail strengthner that won't do anything." but I decided to try it and it did work. I used up the sample and went about 2 week without any to use and boy did my nails go downhill - flaking, chipping, splitting - you name it and they did it. Bought a bottle and once again they are much better again. The flaking is still there if the Nail Envy was not on but it smooths it out and keeps it from being worse - for me anyway.

    We're all unique and how we handle things is different. I'm going to take the most aggressive course that I can. My cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive form so, in my mind, I have to fight it as aggressively as it is/was attacking me. Doesn't mean that's right for everybody though.

    Thank you
    What do you think we can do for her to make her life easier? she is very independent and doesn't likes to feel that she can't do things by herself.
  • mcsessions
    mcsessions Member Posts: 48
    girls4444 said:

    taxol
    I just completed #7 of 12 treatments, my nails look horrible, it hurts to do anything with my fingers, It is even hard to write at times. Taxol has been harder on me than the ACS treatments. Good luck

    Thank you
    and good luck to you too, I hope you feel better!
  • SusaninKailua
    SusaninKailua Member Posts: 6

    Thank you
    and good luck to you too, I hope you feel better!

    Nerve Pain with Taxol
    I hope all will be better soon! I am at the midpoint of Taxol and have been taking acetyl carnatine and glutamine for the nerve problems. Ask the Dr. if this is ok to take; my Onc. was ok with this as there are several research papers out there acknowledging that it can help. Most of my breast cancer "trail blazers" tell me it will go away!
    All the best,
    SusaninKailua