my hair is not falling out

kayandok
kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
edited February 2011 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I have a question for those of you on dense dose taxol. I started dense dose taxol in September and lost most of my hair after six weeks or so. When I took a 6 week break, my hair grew back very rapidly. I have been back on dense dose taxol - 60mg x m2 (100mg) every week for 3 weeks, since January, and it is not falling out at all, I have a very short and thick head of hair. Does you hair build up a resistence to taxol the same way the tumors do? Just curious if anyone has had this happen on a lower dose of taxol every week?
k

Comments

  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    #2
    That's so GREAT!! :D
    I did the 6 carbo/taxols and was COMPLETELY bald, but enjoyed a wonderful 5 1/2 month remission where my hair grew back a couple inches. Then I started dense dose taxol and did 10 rounds before I was NED once again, and totally BALD once again. A too-short 4 1/2 month remission and I had to go back on weekly taxol (7 rounds before we decided it had stopped working), and I was totally bald for the 3rd time. Sooooo, I guess for ME, taxol always made me bald, time after time. But if it doesn't for you, that's WON-derful!!!

    And when I'm bald, I'm hairless all over like a reptile! My hair was able to grow back thinly from this total baldness while I was on Doxil and carboplatin, and it seems to be hanging on with my current Avastin/Cytoxin. I hope you hang on to your hair. It may not be much in the big picture, but it is a daily blessing for our vanity to look like a woman again.
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #3
    lindaprocopio said:

    That's so GREAT!! :D
    I did the 6 carbo/taxols and was COMPLETELY bald, but enjoyed a wonderful 5 1/2 month remission where my hair grew back a couple inches. Then I started dense dose taxol and did 10 rounds before I was NED once again, and totally BALD once again. A too-short 4 1/2 month remission and I had to go back on weekly taxol (7 rounds before we decided it had stopped working), and I was totally bald for the 3rd time. Sooooo, I guess for ME, taxol always made me bald, time after time. But if it doesn't for you, that's WON-derful!!!

    And when I'm bald, I'm hairless all over like a reptile! My hair was able to grow back thinly from this total baldness while I was on Doxil and carboplatin, and it seems to be hanging on with my current Avastin/Cytoxin. I hope you hang on to your hair. It may not be much in the big picture, but it is a daily blessing for our vanity to look like a woman again.

    Thanks,
    Linda for replying. How much taxol were you getting on your dense dose? When you say, "7 rounds before we decided it was not working" mens that you had 7 infusions for 7 cycles of every week infusions? Sometimes I get confused when people talk abot their taxol expereince as there are so many ways to use it. Now that my number bumpd up 20 points after 3 infusions (1 cycle) I am still hoping it will bump back down, but the fact that my hair is still here, does raise questions as to if it is really working. I have heard many times that their is no connction to hair loss and tumor loss, everyone alwasy loosing their hair on taxol. I was bald every where on my initial taxol too. Everywhere. i guess time will tell the story.

    Meanwhile, I will look on the bright side, as you said, and enjoy the hair and eyelashese (that is always the most challenging part for me)

    kathleen
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    #4
    kayandok said:

    Thanks,
    Linda for replying. How much taxol were you getting on your dense dose? When you say, "7 rounds before we decided it was not working" mens that you had 7 infusions for 7 cycles of every week infusions? Sometimes I get confused when people talk abot their taxol expereince as there are so many ways to use it. Now that my number bumpd up 20 points after 3 infusions (1 cycle) I am still hoping it will bump back down, but the fact that my hair is still here, does raise questions as to if it is really working. I have heard many times that their is no connction to hair loss and tumor loss, everyone alwasy loosing their hair on taxol. I was bald every where on my initial taxol too. Everywhere. i guess time will tell the story.

    Meanwhile, I will look on the bright side, as you said, and enjoy the hair and eyelashese (that is always the most challenging part for me)

    kathleen

    I'm not sure of the STRENGTH of each taxol infusion.
    I can't remember the amount of taxol that was in each infusion, but I did get the taxol infusion every Monday, and then a Nuepogen shot every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. 10 weeks of that put me into remission. & then my next CT/PET showed the cancer was back and I started getting taxol again every Monday for 7 more weeks. My CA125 dropped the 1st couple of rounds that time but then started climbing the last 3 infusions, so we did another CT/PEt and I had disease progression so we moved on to Doxil.

    My oncologist insists that loss of hair or severity of side effects has NO correlation with the efficacy of the chemo. For me that final time on taxol I lost every hair on my body but the chemo wasn't working. So don't worry that your hairy head is a bad sign; it's a WONDERFUL stroke of luck!!

    I know how you feel about eyelashes. I smile every morning when I apply mascara. And I know I will feel that little flush of joy every time I do that the rest of my life, a simple action I always took for granted before cancer.
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #5
    kayandok said:

    Thanks,
    Linda for replying. How much taxol were you getting on your dense dose? When you say, "7 rounds before we decided it was not working" mens that you had 7 infusions for 7 cycles of every week infusions? Sometimes I get confused when people talk abot their taxol expereince as there are so many ways to use it. Now that my number bumpd up 20 points after 3 infusions (1 cycle) I am still hoping it will bump back down, but the fact that my hair is still here, does raise questions as to if it is really working. I have heard many times that their is no connction to hair loss and tumor loss, everyone alwasy loosing their hair on taxol. I was bald every where on my initial taxol too. Everywhere. i guess time will tell the story.

    Meanwhile, I will look on the bright side, as you said, and enjoy the hair and eyelashese (that is always the most challenging part for me)

    kathleen

    edit
    button doesn't work. I'm really getting worried about my writing....... Lately, I have to go back and edit everytime. I always re-read my posts, and find nothnig at the time. Oh dear, is this old age or chemo???!!!!I remember Bonnie used to say the same thing, but then laughed it off. I need to learn from her, I guess.
    k:)
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #6
    lindaprocopio said:

    I'm not sure of the STRENGTH of each taxol infusion.
    I can't remember the amount of taxol that was in each infusion, but I did get the taxol infusion every Monday, and then a Nuepogen shot every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. 10 weeks of that put me into remission. & then my next CT/PET showed the cancer was back and I started getting taxol again every Monday for 7 more weeks. My CA125 dropped the 1st couple of rounds that time but then started climbing the last 3 infusions, so we did another CT/PEt and I had disease progression so we moved on to Doxil.

    My oncologist insists that loss of hair or severity of side effects has NO correlation with the efficacy of the chemo. For me that final time on taxol I lost every hair on my body but the chemo wasn't working. So don't worry that your hairy head is a bad sign; it's a WONDERFUL stroke of luck!!

    I know how you feel about eyelashes. I smile every morning when I apply mascara. And I know I will feel that little flush of joy every time I do that the rest of my life, a simple action I always took for granted before cancer.

    Thanks,
    LInda, you always have such encouraging words of wisdom!
    k
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #7
    I lost emery hair on my body
    I lost emery hair on my body with first line Carbo/Taxol then on maintenance Taxol (essentially the same dose every 4 weeks instead of every 3) I thought it was coming back. Alas, that has proven to be only a cruel tease- it kind of came and went the whole 12 months. Still no sign of eyelashes, darn it. I have just finished all the Taxol and I have patches of long, thin, stringy hair, bald spots, and some promising fuzz. I agree: enjoy every small blessing.

    Carlene
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #8
    Hair
    Mom's on second go-round and already lost every hair....on her poor beaten up body....You got one piece of luck...although I feel stupid saying luck....you enjoy your hair!!!!!!

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