Side effects after completing Taxol/Carbo treatment
I've just joined the site this evening. I completed my 18 weeks of Taxol/Carbo treatment 5 weeks ago today. I did very well on the chemo with relatively few side effects apart from weight gain (arghhhh) and hair loss. Anyway about 2-3 weeks after completing the treatment i started to get aching muscles and painful joints especially knees and fingers. The only way i can describe the feeling is like having done a huge workout at the gym after not going to the gym for 6 months - that's what the muscle pain feels like, the joint pain feels like what i suppose arthritis must feel like, it's painful to bend my knees and generally move around. I didn't have any of these symptoms prior to chemo and i'm only 46 so i don't think it's age related arthritis!!! I have spoken to the oncology nurse and she says that these side effects can happen but aren't that common. Has anyone else experienced this after completing their treatment. Also nearly all my eyebrows and eyelashes have fallen out since i've finished the treatment NOT whilst i was undergoing it - weird!!!
Comments
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Hi childofthestars
I too have been on the same chemo as you and are on it at the moment. I haven't experienced your joint pains but I do have the muscle pains but that is the week after each treatment. I suppose though that we are all different and the chemo affects us all in different ways.
I know just what you mean about the weight gain - that is partly the effects of the steriods and the increased appetite. Do you notice a "round moon face?" and have you also noticed like a fatty lump at the top of your spine? These are all due to steriods and are temporary. I gained about 1 1/2 stone and it does come off eventually.
As for the eye lashes and brows - I've not heard of that. I bet it was nice to keep them sduring your treatment. I am sure they will soon come back. I noticed mine coming back very quickly after.
Cheers Tina x0 -
Aches and Pains
Yep, I've got those same sore joints. I think it's due to the Femara I'm taking for maintenance, but it could be from the Carbo/Taxol. I finished treatment at the end of Sept. I had a really great massage last week that helped a lot with the soreness. I'm considering acupuncture if it gets too bad. My onc suggested more calcium.0 -
Aches and pains
Hello!! and welcome to the board. Sorry we all had to meet under such crappy circumstances.
I also had the Carbo/Taxol treatment. IV as well as IP. I finished my chemo 6 months ago and am still having the aches and joint pains. I also have neuropathy in my hands and feet. My onc says it's from the chemo and it will go away but it takes a long time. In the mean time, I am on Neurontin for the neuropathy and percocet for the joint pain and muscle pain. I also found that a nice hot bubble bath helps a lot. I have noticed that I am very sensitive to the cold now as well. If I get cold, the pains get worse. So i guess it's a good thing i live in Florida huh? My pain is worse in the morning when I first get up. It takes a little while for my joints to "losen up." If this is all I have to deal with to stay NED, i will gladly take it!!!
Are you on any meds for it? if not you should ask your doctor for something. it will make it easier for you. When I'm hurting, i tend to sit on the couch and not want to do anything. When I take the meds, I don't hurt as bad and can do whatever I want. Chemo does affect everyone differently. I hope you feel better and I hope this helps. ((((HUGS))))
Sandy0 -
Aches and PainsSandy10 said:Aches and pains
Hello!! and welcome to the board. Sorry we all had to meet under such crappy circumstances.
I also had the Carbo/Taxol treatment. IV as well as IP. I finished my chemo 6 months ago and am still having the aches and joint pains. I also have neuropathy in my hands and feet. My onc says it's from the chemo and it will go away but it takes a long time. In the mean time, I am on Neurontin for the neuropathy and percocet for the joint pain and muscle pain. I also found that a nice hot bubble bath helps a lot. I have noticed that I am very sensitive to the cold now as well. If I get cold, the pains get worse. So i guess it's a good thing i live in Florida huh? My pain is worse in the morning when I first get up. It takes a little while for my joints to "losen up." If this is all I have to deal with to stay NED, i will gladly take it!!! Are you on any meds for it? if not you should ask your doctor for something. it will make it easier for you. When I'm hurting, i tend to sit on the couch and not want to do anything. When I take the meds, I don't hurt as bad and can do whatever I want. Chemo does affect everyone differently. I hope you feel better and I hope this helps. ((((HUGS))))
Sandy
Hi Sandy thanks for your reply. I'm not on any medication for the pain although i ocassionaly take neurofen which sort of helps but to be honest i really don't want to be on long term medication - i've had enough of it and i'm trying just to get on with life,although i suppose if this goes on for much longer i will have to consider this! Fortunately the cold doesn't affect me which is lucky as i live in England but i've noticed that tiredness does as i feel much worse when i'm tired. I'm just hoping that i will get back to something like i used to be which was active, fit and fun. Hugs back to you. Mx0 -
Aches and Painspattysoo said:Aches and Pains
Yep, I've got those same sore joints. I think it's due to the Femara I'm taking for maintenance, but it could be from the Carbo/Taxol. I finished treatment at the end of Sept. I had a really great massage last week that helped a lot with the soreness. I'm considering acupuncture if it gets too bad. My onc suggested more calcium.
Hi
I'm off to have an aromatherapy massage in a couple of hours so i'll let you know how i get on.
Mx0 -
Aches and PainsTina Brown said:Hi childofthestars
I too have been on the same chemo as you and are on it at the moment. I haven't experienced your joint pains but I do have the muscle pains but that is the week after each treatment. I suppose though that we are all different and the chemo affects us all in different ways.
I know just what you mean about the weight gain - that is partly the effects of the steriods and the increased appetite. Do you notice a "round moon face?" and have you also noticed like a fatty lump at the top of your spine? These are all due to steriods and are temporary. I gained about 1 1/2 stone and it does come off eventually.
As for the eye lashes and brows - I've not heard of that. I bet it was nice to keep them sduring your treatment. I am sure they will soon come back. I noticed mine coming back very quickly after.
Cheers Tina x
Thanks for your reply.
The weight gain thing is horrible but thankfully my 'moon face' or rather my 'moon double chin!!' has now gone but i do have the hump thing on the top of my spine, i noticed this yesterday and also i've noticed that my calves have got bigger - v bizarre!! Hopefully all will go very soon and hopefully eyelashes and eyebrows will be back soon too. I'm off for an aromatherapy massage soon and then maybe a bit of retail therapy!
Take care.
Mx0 -
Painchildofthestars said:Aches and Pains
Hi Sandy thanks for your reply. I'm not on any medication for the pain although i ocassionaly take neurofen which sort of helps but to be honest i really don't want to be on long term medication - i've had enough of it and i'm trying just to get on with life,although i suppose if this goes on for much longer i will have to consider this! Fortunately the cold doesn't affect me which is lucky as i live in England but i've noticed that tiredness does as i feel much worse when i'm tired. I'm just hoping that i will get back to something like i used to be which was active, fit and fun. Hugs back to you. Mx
My last Cisplatin/Taxol infusion was 9/16 and I have aches and pains. I wake up a lot during the night because my hip joints hurt and I must constantly turn from side to side. Also when I am sitting it takes several steps for me to stop limping when I get up because my legs hurt. I also have mild neuropathy in my feet and hands. Last night a bone on the right side of my back (scapula?) was aching. But as people tell me nowadays when I complain about things, "at least you're still hear."
Karen0 -
It should slowly start
It should slowly start getting better and better. I got neuropathy in my feet right before my last treatment and lasted for a few months after chemo. My hands didn't bother me at all but seem to now a little. I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows midway through chemo. Mine started growing back exactly one month after my last treatment. My hair is growing in very curly now. I used to have wavy hair. I finished chemo last April- went 6 times every 3 weeks.
Losing my hair was the worst part of chemo for me besides getting the IV's. Looking back I should have gotten the port but I was scared to at the time. Each time going to chemo was horrible trying to get a vein for the IV to work. Now when I need an IV for my petscans or what not I have tons of anxiety beforehand and start crying about 5 minutes before the nurse puts the IV in - so embarrassing!0 -
Pains and brows
I had a lot of joint pain following my chemo, which ended just about a year ago. My knees screamed when I stood up from sitting. I was tested for thyroid antibodies (TPO) and it came back high. This is not the typical thyroid test, but tests for antibodies. Turns out I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune condition where your body attacks your thyroid. Don't know whether I had it before chemo. Don't know whether chemo caused it. Don't know if it could be a common side effect. My naturopath put me on some herbs to address the autoimmune condition and wihtin a week I felt great, still do.
It is very common for you to lose your eyebrows and eyelashes late in the chemo process. It took about 11 months for mine to grow back completely.
Good luck0 -
I lost my eyelashes butTethys41 said:Pains and brows
I had a lot of joint pain following my chemo, which ended just about a year ago. My knees screamed when I stood up from sitting. I was tested for thyroid antibodies (TPO) and it came back high. This is not the typical thyroid test, but tests for antibodies. Turns out I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune condition where your body attacks your thyroid. Don't know whether I had it before chemo. Don't know whether chemo caused it. Don't know if it could be a common side effect. My naturopath put me on some herbs to address the autoimmune condition and wihtin a week I felt great, still do.
It is very common for you to lose your eyebrows and eyelashes late in the chemo process. It took about 11 months for mine to grow back completely.
Good luck
I didn't lose my eyebrows. I had my last chemo on 9/16/10. My eyelashes came in pretty fast. My hair is finally grown out but of course is very short. It seems to be thicker but I cannot tell if it is curly. My hair is normally straight as a stick. I also lost my moon face but am fighting the battle of the bulge. I have fought it my whole life but had lost a lot of weight prior to my dianosis (some by choice and some due to personal drama) so I hate that I have gained some back. I am trying to eat better but now that I feel good, I tend to eat what I want instead of eating for my health. I'll keep trying but it sure is hard.
Karen0 -
painsTethys41 said:Pains and brows
I had a lot of joint pain following my chemo, which ended just about a year ago. My knees screamed when I stood up from sitting. I was tested for thyroid antibodies (TPO) and it came back high. This is not the typical thyroid test, but tests for antibodies. Turns out I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune condition where your body attacks your thyroid. Don't know whether I had it before chemo. Don't know whether chemo caused it. Don't know if it could be a common side effect. My naturopath put me on some herbs to address the autoimmune condition and wihtin a week I felt great, still do.
It is very common for you to lose your eyebrows and eyelashes late in the chemo process. It took about 11 months for mine to grow back completely.
Good luck
Thanks for your reply.
I have an underactive thyroid which i've had for about 18 years and i am taking 200 mcg of Thyroxine daily. I had an overactive thyroid from the age of 7-15 and have been told that both of these conditions (in my case) are caused by an autoimmune problem. I read somewhere that there are quite a few cases of women who have had their thyroid go haywire and are then diagnosed with ovca!!!!! My thyroid went 'beserk' in 2009 and i was under the care of an Endocrinologist who finally sorted me out, about 8 months later i was diagnosed with ovca. I wonder how many of us on this site have thyroid problems.
Bright blessings.
Michelle x0 -
Eyelashes & Browskikz said:I lost my eyelashes but
I didn't lose my eyebrows. I had my last chemo on 9/16/10. My eyelashes came in pretty fast. My hair is finally grown out but of course is very short. It seems to be thicker but I cannot tell if it is curly. My hair is normally straight as a stick. I also lost my moon face but am fighting the battle of the bulge. I have fought it my whole life but had lost a lot of weight prior to my dianosis (some by choice and some due to personal drama) so I hate that I have gained some back. I am trying to eat better but now that I feel good, I tend to eat what I want instead of eating for my health. I'll keep trying but it sure is hard.
Karen
Hi Karen
My eyebrows and lashes are growing back at a mad rate in fact i think i'm going to have to get my eyebrows shaped shortly!! I weighed myself the other day and was so UPSET i am nearly 2 stone (don't know what that is in pounds) heavier than i was before treatment. I think if i ate NOTHING for the next week i would still not be any thinner - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Anyway as everyone keeps on telling me - you look lovely, you don't look big, your hair looks lovely short blah blah blah. That's all well and good but it's not how i FEEL and i know it's not true!!!!!
Bright Blessings.
Michelle x0 -
Karen & Michellechildofthestars said:Eyelashes & Brows
Hi Karen
My eyebrows and lashes are growing back at a mad rate in fact i think i'm going to have to get my eyebrows shaped shortly!! I weighed myself the other day and was so UPSET i am nearly 2 stone (don't know what that is in pounds) heavier than i was before treatment. I think if i ate NOTHING for the next week i would still not be any thinner - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Anyway as everyone keeps on telling me - you look lovely, you don't look big, your hair looks lovely short blah blah blah. That's all well and good but it's not how i FEEL and i know it's not true!!!!!
Bright Blessings.
Michelle x
I finished my chemo on 9/9, and my eyelashes came in first, then my eyebrows and hair. I also hear that my hair looks great. I used to wear it short, and I'm keeping it short, but still need a little more length. Right after the chemo, I was ravenous! I think my body had been starved after surgery and during chemo, and it wanted to be FED. After about a month, and some weight gain, I started feeling normal again, and was able to take off some of the weight. I agree that the important thing is how you feel, and I really enjoyed being almost as thin as I was in my 20's. Give it some time before you try to lose the weight, so your body doesn't feel starved anymore.0 -
Sore Muscles - Try Ginger
I didn't have muscle or joint pain, and I don't know if this will help, but it can't hurt to try. There was just a small article in the NY Times about ginger. Research found that as little as 2 grams of ginger (a thin slice about 1" wide and 2" long,) reduced muscle soreness by 25% the following day. I took it the day after walking 1.5 miles, which made my quads very sore, and had absolutely no soreness the next day. Last week, I was skiing with my husband, and we wanted to eat some ginger, but couldn't find the fresh roots, so I bought candied ginger, and we ate that, also with a good result. I highly recommend the candied, it's yummy, and easy to eat enough.0 -
The nurse who administered my first chemoanicca said:Sore Muscles - Try Ginger
I didn't have muscle or joint pain, and I don't know if this will help, but it can't hurt to try. There was just a small article in the NY Times about ginger. Research found that as little as 2 grams of ginger (a thin slice about 1" wide and 2" long,) reduced muscle soreness by 25% the following day. I took it the day after walking 1.5 miles, which made my quads very sore, and had absolutely no soreness the next day. Last week, I was skiing with my husband, and we wanted to eat some ginger, but couldn't find the fresh roots, so I bought candied ginger, and we ate that, also with a good result. I highly recommend the candied, it's yummy, and easy to eat enough.
suggested I drink ginger tea to help with the effects of the chemo. I never tried it.
My hair is still really short but it feels thicker and seems to have a curve to it. My normal hair as I have mentioned is super straight. I kind of like this. I usually wear my hair short and spiky anyway and it is there now but a little shorter. I want to let it grow just a little so I can also wear it flat if I choose. The way my hair grows I have a fauxhawk but I think it will lay down if it's a little longer. But I would be crazy to let it grow much more because it is so easy to deal with.
Will my hair go back to normal after a while? I don't want it to.
Karen0 -
I've heard it doeskikz said:The nurse who administered my first chemo
suggested I drink ginger tea to help with the effects of the chemo. I never tried it.
My hair is still really short but it feels thicker and seems to have a curve to it. My normal hair as I have mentioned is super straight. I kind of like this. I usually wear my hair short and spiky anyway and it is there now but a little shorter. I want to let it grow just a little so I can also wear it flat if I choose. The way my hair grows I have a fauxhawk but I think it will lay down if it's a little longer. But I would be crazy to let it grow much more because it is so easy to deal with.
Will my hair go back to normal after a while? I don't want it to.
Karen
I've heard that hair does ultimately go back to normal. I have curly hair, but it came in straight. Now that it's a little longer, it does curl when damp, so I think it's going to be just the same. I was kind of hoping the gray would be gone 0 -
joint and muscle pain
I am so glad I came across this site. I finished my treatments mid December 2010, On Dec. 27th I got a clean bill of health from Ovarian cancer stage 3c. I am currently receiving Avastin monthly for a year. My bones and joints ache sooo bad. If I sit too long, it takes about ten steps before I stop limping and can stand up straight, If I stand up for too long, my legs begin to hurt. I try to keep moving, but if I walk too much my legs really begin to hurt. I have a lot of pain in my hips, lower back, shoulders, back, and thighs. I also have neuropathy in my hands and feet, which I am patiently waiting to leave me.
Hot tubs, and hot baths seem to help for a little while. I try to stay active, just returned to the gym, but very gently. I just started taking Glucosamine Complex with Chondroitin & MSM. It does actually seem to help a little bit (I just started a day ago). I feel like I am 90 (only 48) and my bones, joints, and muscles are scrunching up. So very frustrating because other than this pain, I feel good.0 -
Painspkozak said:joint and muscle pain
I am so glad I came across this site. I finished my treatments mid December 2010, On Dec. 27th I got a clean bill of health from Ovarian cancer stage 3c. I am currently receiving Avastin monthly for a year. My bones and joints ache sooo bad. If I sit too long, it takes about ten steps before I stop limping and can stand up straight, If I stand up for too long, my legs begin to hurt. I try to keep moving, but if I walk too much my legs really begin to hurt. I have a lot of pain in my hips, lower back, shoulders, back, and thighs. I also have neuropathy in my hands and feet, which I am patiently waiting to leave me.
Hot tubs, and hot baths seem to help for a little while. I try to stay active, just returned to the gym, but very gently. I just started taking Glucosamine Complex with Chondroitin & MSM. It does actually seem to help a little bit (I just started a day ago). I feel like I am 90 (only 48) and my bones, joints, and muscles are scrunching up. So very frustrating because other than this pain, I feel good.
Hi and unfortunately welcome!
I so know what you mean about feeling 90 I'm 46 and feel exactly the same. Luckily I haven't had neuropathy but nearly every single joint in my body hurts and like you when i've sat down for too long it's really uncomfortable when i get up. I also take Glucosamine and Chondroitin and cod liver oil but to be honest haven't noticed any difference and i've been on them now for about 3 weeks. I'm also taking Naproxen (anti-inflamatory) which does take the edge off but it is just soooooo uncomforatable and draining to be in constant discomfort. BUT hopefully all will soon start to get better. Please keep me updated as to how you're getting on.
M x0 -
pain
After I finished chemo the first time I felt good until one month later when body aches, nerothaphy, weak legs kicked in. My Dr. put me on Neurontin which helped. It would take my upper body strength to push me up out of a chair and several steps to get moving. If I rode in a car for mare than 20 minutes I was stiff, my husband jokingly said if he walks any slower he will fall over. The good news it will get better. I've been 6 months out and very few body aches and have gone back to the gym. I just started carbo/taxol and am hoping I don't have the pains and weakness as before. My eyelashes and eyebrows fell out after chemo, too. They also are back so they do grow back fast.
Stay healthy and I hope your pain goes away soon.
Joan0 -
Thyroidchildofthestars said:pains
Thanks for your reply.
I have an underactive thyroid which i've had for about 18 years and i am taking 200 mcg of Thyroxine daily. I had an overactive thyroid from the age of 7-15 and have been told that both of these conditions (in my case) are caused by an autoimmune problem. I read somewhere that there are quite a few cases of women who have had their thyroid go haywire and are then diagnosed with ovca!!!!! My thyroid went 'beserk' in 2009 and i was under the care of an Endocrinologist who finally sorted me out, about 8 months later i was diagnosed with ovca. I wonder how many of us on this site have thyroid problems.
Bright blessings.
Michelle x
Somewhere there is a thread about Thyroid issues and OVCA. You might try searching "thyroid" and see what comes up.
Carlene0
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