Who is more likely to loose nails? And which drugs make your hair come back a different color?

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ender
ender Member Posts: 167
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone,

While realizing there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, I still want to know what I am in for. I will be doing 4 rounds of Taxotere and Cytoxan, 3 weeks apart.

1. My hair and nails are strong and grow like weed. I figure this will make me more likely to loose everything, and fast. Since the chemo target fast growing cells and my hair and nail cells are very very active...

I don't mind the hair. Or well, of course I mind a lot but I view it as a certainty that I will lose it. But the nail loss seems to be unusual for people on my regiment. Does anyone have experience with this?

2. Does anyone have experience with how hair grows back after this chemo cocktail? I have long thick naturally light blonde hair, and I confess I love my hair. I don't mind if it comes back curly, but I would be sad to see it darker. Of course this is a silly detail as BC is a matter of life and death. I hope none take offense to my concern.

Eva

Comments

  • Marsha Mulvey
    Marsha Mulvey Member Posts: 597 Member
    #2
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    hello
    You may hear as many varied stories as you have replies. All any of us can do is tell you our personal experience - everyone's different. When I was on Taxol, I lost my hair (all of it). It was after about the fourth round that it began to fall out and my scalp was more sore than the worst sunburn ever. When my hair was just starting to grow back, I had to start Taxotere and expected it to go again but it didn't. Most people seem to report that their hair comes back very curly and mine did too, but as it continues to grow out most of the curl subsides (unless you already have curly hair). I was salt and pepper before I lost it and it came back about the same, with maybe a little more salt. I have however seen a few reports that hair came back a different color.

    As for the nails, I had problems while on Taxol. Four fingers and both thumbs were affected. They turned a yellowish, purplish, brownish color and didn't grow right. About half of my toenails were like that too and I lost 2 completely. When I was on Taxotere, they recovered from the discoloration and seemed to be growing better.

    The 3rd chemo I can tell you about is Navelbine. My eyelashes and eyebrows are thinned and I have no nose hair, but the hair on my head, legs, underarms, etc. has continued growing. My nails are normal in color but VERY slow to grow.

    I'm sure you'll get more responses that might be similar or very different. I wish you the best. Marsha
  • ender
    ender Member Posts: 167
    #3
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    Marsha Mulvey said:

    hello
    You may hear as many varied stories as you have replies. All any of us can do is tell you our personal experience - everyone's different. When I was on Taxol, I lost my hair (all of it). It was after about the fourth round that it began to fall out and my scalp was more sore than the worst sunburn ever. When my hair was just starting to grow back, I had to start Taxotere and expected it to go again but it didn't. Most people seem to report that their hair comes back very curly and mine did too, but as it continues to grow out most of the curl subsides (unless you already have curly hair). I was salt and pepper before I lost it and it came back about the same, with maybe a little more salt. I have however seen a few reports that hair came back a different color.

    As for the nails, I had problems while on Taxol. Four fingers and both thumbs were affected. They turned a yellowish, purplish, brownish color and didn't grow right. About half of my toenails were like that too and I lost 2 completely. When I was on Taxotere, they recovered from the discoloration and seemed to be growing better.

    The 3rd chemo I can tell you about is Navelbine. My eyelashes and eyebrows are thinned and I have no nose hair, but the hair on my head, legs, underarms, etc. has continued growing. My nails are normal in color but VERY slow to grow.

    I'm sure you'll get more responses that might be similar or very different. I wish you the best. Marsha

    Hi Marsha.
    Thank you. Im
    Hi Marsha.

    Thank you. Im grateful to you for sharing your experience with me. I guess we are all "lucky" or "unlucky" with different aspects of this illness and its treatments. Im sorry to hear about your burning scalp, and I hope you were able to find relief somehow. It seems that you have been on a few different regiments, and I hope you responded well in terms of fighting the cancer.

    Again, thanks for responding. I wish you the best too!

    Eva
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #4
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    ender said:

    Hi Marsha.
    Thank you. Im
    Hi Marsha.

    Thank you. Im grateful to you for sharing your experience with me. I guess we are all "lucky" or "unlucky" with different aspects of this illness and its treatments. Im sorry to hear about your burning scalp, and I hope you were able to find relief somehow. It seems that you have been on a few different regiments, and I hope you responded well in terms of fighting the cancer.

    Again, thanks for responding. I wish you the best too!

    Eva

    My nails were fine on chemo
    My nails were fine on chemo a couple of the nail beds got darker and had lines in them. But now they are horrible a year out. My hair did grow back darker but I was not light blond like you. I had AC and taxol. not sure what caused it. But hair growth is an individual process along with everything else.
  • ender
    ender Member Posts: 167
    #5
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    carkris said:

    My nails were fine on chemo
    My nails were fine on chemo a couple of the nail beds got darker and had lines in them. But now they are horrible a year out. My hair did grow back darker but I was not light blond like you. I had AC and taxol. not sure what caused it. But hair growth is an individual process along with everything else.

    Thanks for sharing. I
    Thanks for sharing. I understand these concerns may seem trivial in the great scheme of things.

    Eva
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #6
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    differences abound
    I was on A/C and lost the hair on my head and under my arms pretty early. Then went on Taxotere and lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. My nail got very fragile, but they've never been great, and ended up with lines on them like tree rings that you could almost count the chemo treatments. My husband's cousin lost all her nails but they turned black first. Everyone's different. My hair grows really fast and it started coming back shortly after I finished the A/C. I didn't expect it until much later. It is wavy, not as curly as some have had. It may be a shade darker but not much difference. Again, people are different. I've seen some ringlets!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #7
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    skipper54 said:

    differences abound
    I was on A/C and lost the hair on my head and under my arms pretty early. Then went on Taxotere and lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. My nail got very fragile, but they've never been great, and ended up with lines on them like tree rings that you could almost count the chemo treatments. My husband's cousin lost all her nails but they turned black first. Everyone's different. My hair grows really fast and it started coming back shortly after I finished the A/C. I didn't expect it until much later. It is wavy, not as curly as some have had. It may be a shade darker but not much difference. Again, people are different. I've seen some ringlets!

    Same chemo..
    Taxotere/Cytoxan....had my hair buzzed and bought my wig before my hair fell out, which was exactly14 days from the first infusion...I shaved it off the next day..my scalp became very sore and tender..lasted for a couple of weeks...my hair which was very dark brown came in with the top and sides VERY salt and pepper and the back my natural dark brown...strange looking....as it grew it became kinky curly...I had it colored when it was about an inch long...I am 18 months out and I have just had my 5th haircut...curls still on top.....
    I was advised to take extra special care of my nails, fingers and toes....but absolutely NO professional mani's or pedi's...due to possible infection from unsterile instruments...I kept a pale pink polish on my fingernails...they turned yellowish...my two big toenails turned a yucky color..kept red on them...I used Sally Hansen triple strength on my fingernails...both are back to normal....

    Everyone reacts differently to chemo....
    Wishing you well...
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #8
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    Hi Eva,
    Nothing about
    Hi Eva,

    Nothing about cancer, its treatment, or the side effects is a silly detail. Many of us have worried about loosing hair and nails. Please don't be shy or afraid to ask questions here. This is a safe place to come with any and all of your concerns.

    I had Taxotere, Adriamyacin, and Cytoxan, 6 rounds 3 weeks apart. My last treatment was Dec 9, 2010. I had thick strong healthy hair, and long healthy nails too. Literally the only hair on my body that I kept was a little bit of arm hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were the last to go. I only have about an inch of hair now, thankfully it is coming in evenly. It is the same texture and color as it was prior to chemo. Eyebrows and eyelashes were the first to come back, but they are still thinner than prior to chemo. I hope they thicken with more time.

    I kept all my nails, they turned a little yellow/orange and I have horizontal bands of a paler color on all my nails. The nails are growing out now, and are very weak and tear easily, especially at the bands. I still have several bands that need to grow out, so we'll have to wait and see how the nails eventually turn out.

    I hope this helps. Please come back and let us know how you're doing.

    Hugs,

    Linda
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #9
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    Marsha Mulvey said:

    hello
    You may hear as many varied stories as you have replies. All any of us can do is tell you our personal experience - everyone's different. When I was on Taxol, I lost my hair (all of it). It was after about the fourth round that it began to fall out and my scalp was more sore than the worst sunburn ever. When my hair was just starting to grow back, I had to start Taxotere and expected it to go again but it didn't. Most people seem to report that their hair comes back very curly and mine did too, but as it continues to grow out most of the curl subsides (unless you already have curly hair). I was salt and pepper before I lost it and it came back about the same, with maybe a little more salt. I have however seen a few reports that hair came back a different color.

    As for the nails, I had problems while on Taxol. Four fingers and both thumbs were affected. They turned a yellowish, purplish, brownish color and didn't grow right. About half of my toenails were like that too and I lost 2 completely. When I was on Taxotere, they recovered from the discoloration and seemed to be growing better.

    The 3rd chemo I can tell you about is Navelbine. My eyelashes and eyebrows are thinned and I have no nose hair, but the hair on my head, legs, underarms, etc. has continued growing. My nails are normal in color but VERY slow to grow.

    I'm sure you'll get more responses that might be similar or very different. I wish you the best. Marsha

    Eva, I didn't have chemo,
    Eva, I didn't have chemo, but, want to wish you the best of luck with it! I am sending prayers and hugs to you!


    Sue :)
  • ender
    ender Member Posts: 167
    #10
    Options
    Gabe N Abby Mom said:

    Hi Eva,
    Nothing about
    Hi Eva,

    Nothing about cancer, its treatment, or the side effects is a silly detail. Many of us have worried about loosing hair and nails. Please don't be shy or afraid to ask questions here. This is a safe place to come with any and all of your concerns.

    I had Taxotere, Adriamyacin, and Cytoxan, 6 rounds 3 weeks apart. My last treatment was Dec 9, 2010. I had thick strong healthy hair, and long healthy nails too. Literally the only hair on my body that I kept was a little bit of arm hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were the last to go. I only have about an inch of hair now, thankfully it is coming in evenly. It is the same texture and color as it was prior to chemo. Eyebrows and eyelashes were the first to come back, but they are still thinner than prior to chemo. I hope they thicken with more time.

    I kept all my nails, they turned a little yellow/orange and I have horizontal bands of a paler color on all my nails. The nails are growing out now, and are very weak and tear easily, especially at the bands. I still have several bands that need to grow out, so we'll have to wait and see how the nails eventually turn out.

    I hope this helps. Please come back and let us know how you're doing.

    Hugs,

    Linda

    Thanks for all the helpful
    Thanks for all the helpful comments. I just want to prepare myself for the worst, and feel lucky if it does not come to that. Thanks Linda for making me feel better. I just know that there are those of you out there who struggle with worse concerns than mine, and I mean no disrespect.

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