taxol side effects

jenbob

taxol treatment

I am a very fit 51 year old woman who barely made it through the AC treatment. My inner voice told me not to rush into the taxol phase. We all sign up for chemo and want to get started and finished as quickly as we can. We have more power within us than we give ourselves credit for having. The idea that everyone should have 12 rounds of taxol under their belt is ridiculous. We are all individuals-we need to understand also that big pharmecuetical companies are not in the business of finding a cure. They are in the business of getting people to chase down the next big thing. It concerns me that Taxol is the gold standard and we don't even get offered other options. Every time I sit in a chair it costs 14,000 dollars-it's no wonder the powers that benefit keep it this way.

jenbob

Question Everything

Taxol is serious business for cancer patients but most importantly the pharmeceutical industry who needs us to rush to the chair 12 times! It's 14,000 everytime someone sits down for an infussion.  It seems as if it's standard operating proceedure for oncologists to tell their patients they will do well on Taxol regardless ofhow well or poorly they did with AC or some other chemo. I passed on it because it left so many of my friends with permanent neuropathy. I did the AC and I will do the Five years of hormone therapy. Additionally, I will eat a healthy plant based diet and excersize.

Kfish

Eunice Ruby said:

Taxol first time no side effects

Hi, I've had absolutely no side effects from my first Taxol treatment.  Am I just lucky, or will the side effects kick in as I progress?  What should I expect from the second treatment?  Thank you for any comments.

 (If anyone's confused by when I joined, I joined in 2010 when my daughter had breast cancer.  She's fine now!)

Taxol side effects

i had 4 AC treatments and just had #4 of 12 weekly taxol today.  My onc does not recommend dose dense (dd) Taxol because he's found most patients tolerate the lower dose better. They have fewer side effects like less neuropathy which usually recovers, less risk of infection, etc.  I receive anti nausea, Benadryl and only 2mg decadron (steroid) as premed before taxol.  The Benadryl gives me really restless legs that I have to move.  it helps for me to get up and walk around.  

My worst complaint is insomnia. My onc suggested melatonin and Benadryl but I just get restless on Benadryl. taking 10 mg melatonin has helped a lot. I take a good nap after chemo so that a sleepless night doesn't affect me so much the next day. i continua to take melatonin around 8 or 9 every night hoping I get at least 6 hrs sleep. It's tend to wwke frequently but just try to relax and fall back to sleep rather than getting up to read or do anything.  for now, this is working for me but I have 8 more infusions to go. 

Hope this us helpful. Hugs to you!

karen

BrendaL

2nd Time around

7 years ago I had AC Chemo. It was so hard for me, Neutripinea and Pneumosistic pneumonia....Maybe having MS was some of the problem . This time around Mastectomy with tram flap , which was not too bad. Don't get me wrong~big

surgery  but OnQ local pain therapy and Tylenol took care of the pain. NOW I start 12 weeks of Taxol with herceptin every 3. I know we all get different symptoms. Than you for all the input. I feel ready . I'll be checking in . 

 uaPNy

DeeJay1

Taxol side effects

Just finished up my first routine of chemo, starting on Taxol this week. Did very well through most of the 4 treatments, but this last one kicked me down. Today is the first day I have felt like moving around, never been so tired in my life. I noticed that some of you only have a few Taxol treatments coming up, my doctor has scheduled 12 weekly treatments starting this week. My particular b/c is triple negative, which they tell me is a highly aggressive cancer. Do you think this is the reason I have to have that many? I have asked a lot of questions, but guess I forgot about this one, or else I thought it was normal. How do they make you feel? Are you more tired than usual, etc. Curious about what I am facing. Then I am told I have have radiation after this {because of the aggressiveness}.  Thanks for all your input, learning a lot.

 

Apaugh

DeeJay1 said:

Taxol side effects

Just finished up my first routine of chemo, starting on Taxol this week. Did very well through most of the 4 treatments, but this last one kicked me down. Today is the first day I have felt like moving around, never been so tired in my life. I noticed that some of you only have a few Taxol treatments coming up, my doctor has scheduled 12 weekly treatments starting this week. My particular b/c is triple negative, which they tell me is a highly aggressive cancer. Do you think this is the reason I have to have that many? I have asked a lot of questions, but guess I forgot about this one, or else I thought it was normal. How do they make you feel? Are you more tired than usual, etc. Curious about what I am facing. Then I am told I have have radiation after this {because of the aggressiveness}.  Thanks for all your input, learning a lot.

 

Toxel

Because of the neuropothy in my hands and feet they stopped the toxel fo rme.   Not worth losing my feet and hands for.   Moved me on to the Herceptin treatments mixed with the Arimidex and it it tough.

Keep trying the best you can.  Dont beat yourself up over what you cant.  It is your life, your choices.  

Keep us updated as to how your doing.

Hugs,

Annie

I Anita

My Experience with Taxol

I have had two treatments with Taxol and I can tell you it is powerful!  I had Lymphoma cancer one year ago and whatever chemo drug I was on then was a piece of cake.  For the first few days with Taxol I walked the floor every night, my joints were killing me.  This time my oncologist did not give me the Neulasta injection and that did the trick.  Of course we have to watch my blood to make sure my levels stay in the safe zone. Good luck to everyone who is on this journey.

Rague

adjuvant 12 weekly Taxol

For me - 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant had not been bad at all - did not slow me down at all.  I had Neulasta with it but had no issues of pain - just went to sleep 2 hours after injection for 2 hours.  That was all.

Taxol was not as 'nice'. I was utterly and completely EXHAUSTED the entire time.  Basically existing through the adjuvant 12 weekly Taxol either in bed or on the couch in front of the TV.  During that time I did develope some other issues.  (Never had any neuropathy or pain or nausea.)  Temperature became an issue - not a fever but keeping it up.  (Did hit 94) Also 1/2 way through my K (potassium) level plummeted and LE (LympEdema) developed.  Still almost 8 yrs later, I still deal with lower than 'normal' temperature, have to take K to keep level up to 'normal' and deal with LE as, of course, once LE developes it has to be dealt with 'forever'.

As far as I am concerned - small enough issues to deal with when my neoadjuant and adjuvant chemo (rads too) IF 'they' hadn't done their 'job', I wouldn't still be here now living and loving every day I am blessed to have.

MiraMar111

Taxol Side Effets

My chemo was cut short from 12 sessions to 10 because I started coughing too much.  Was sent to a pulmonologist and he said

I had "chemo-induced lung disease."  I'm not sure if these are the same but it's what  I remember him saying..."interstitial lung disease" and another time he mentioned "fibrosis."

I am very worried about the lungs.  (The peripheral neuropathy in feet is bad but doesn't scare me as much.)

No one mentioned lungs to me when I first saw the oncologist.