AC or TAXOL? Which one was easier to tolerate?

LoveBabyJesus
LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Sisters -- I am getting ACT for my chemo and I was wondering which drug had the least side effects(and I hope they were both OK for you). Did you have a more confortable time with AC of Taxol? What was your exp?

Bessings for you ALL.

Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
    A/C definately
    For me - A/C was so much easier than Taxol. Actually other than loosing hair on head, loosing taste and appetite, A/C wasn't that bad at all. I was a bit tired 2 days after infusion for 2 days but could lay down and rest and feel better - then was basically back to doing everything 'normally'. Taxol was bad - I was completely/utterly exhausted the entire time. (No I never had pain or nausea with either A/C or Taxol) Could not sleep without pills, lived on the couch or bed for all 12 of them. I chose to do the 12 weekly Taxol as Dr said it was the most aggressive plan and I was going to do everything that was possible to do. As bad as it was - I do it again in a heart beat if I had to. I'm still here today over a year out. I couldn't face Hubby, Son, or GDaughter if 'something' comes back and I hadn't done everything I could - but that's just me.

    Susan
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #3
    Rague said:

    A/C definately
    For me - A/C was so much easier than Taxol. Actually other than loosing hair on head, loosing taste and appetite, A/C wasn't that bad at all. I was a bit tired 2 days after infusion for 2 days but could lay down and rest and feel better - then was basically back to doing everything 'normally'. Taxol was bad - I was completely/utterly exhausted the entire time. (No I never had pain or nausea with either A/C or Taxol) Could not sleep without pills, lived on the couch or bed for all 12 of them. I chose to do the 12 weekly Taxol as Dr said it was the most aggressive plan and I was going to do everything that was possible to do. As bad as it was - I do it again in a heart beat if I had to. I'm still here today over a year out. I couldn't face Hubby, Son, or GDaughter if 'something' comes back and I hadn't done everything I could - but that's just me.

    Susan

    just taxol for me
    I only had taxol (and herceptin) ... and whatever side effects I had they were TOTALLY "doable." Lost my hair, rashes, nail issues, etc. but NEVER ... EVER had nausau ... which was the thing that scared me most. I worked full time through the whole thing. I did have fatigue ... but scheduled my chemo for late Friday afternoons so I had the weekend to rest up.

    hugs.
    teena
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #4
    A/C and T
    I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. For me the least side effects by far were with the 4 A/C rounds. While I was tired and did lose my hair I was not nauseated and did not get any mouth sores. I was told that since I did so well with A/C I could expect to do even better with the Taxotere as it is generally easier to tolerate.

    Well were "they" ever wrong! I was tremendously ill with the Taxotere. I had uncontrollable diarrhea, daily vomiting, lack of appetite which eventually resulted in dehydration, watery eyes, lost 8 fingernails and 2 toenails, fatigue and weakness. I remember my husband pulling up the car in front of the oncologist's office for one of the Taxotere infusions and me telling him, "I just don't think I can do this anymore." Well you know what? I did every single infusion but one right on schedule. That was delayed 2 days so I could be given IV fluids for the dehydration. I was determined to get the bc nightmare over with and get better.

    It has been almost 9 months since my last infusion. I have a full head of salt & pepper "chemo curls." My eyes continue to water like a faucet. I have had one clean mammogram and all my blood test results have been normal. My energy level is nearly normal. I have had the saline fill in my tissue expander and now just need to schedule the exchange surgery. I hope that someday this will all be a distant memory.

    Good luck to you. IRENE
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #5
    A/C
    If I had to, and I don't ever want to, I'd do A/C over again, not so much with taxol. I did A/C every three weeks and wondered about changing it to every two weeks to get done quicker. I'd go in on thursday, go back to work on friday, crash and burn saturday and sunday, then back to work on monday.

    With taxol I did the same thing, but I felt like I'd have to feel better to die. Now that could have been because the effects are cumulative and I'd already done the A/C. Right before the 9th round I had a melt down and told everyone I quit. When my onc said I could then I again melted and said no, if I quit, I'd die -- not too crazy. I was tired ALL the time, even fell asleep at my desk at work a few times. I couldn't eat without heartburn, nose and eyes ran all the time, sinus infection, finger nails falling off, couldn't sleep, I lost my voice.

    Wow just thinking about it all though makes me see how far I've come since then (finished chemo 10/29/09).

    Hopefully you'll sail through all treatments with no issues but the bald thing, which is a given.

    Good luck and remember, it'll all one day be a distant memory.

    marge
  • chriskaput
    chriskaput Member Posts: 109
    #6
    AC was worse for me
    I had 4 rounds every 2 weeks of AC and 12 weekly of taxol. The AC made me nauseas and taxol did not. I was actually able to go back to work when I started the taxol. I could not work through the AC, the nausea was hard on me but I never vomited.

    Everyone is different as you can see here. Hopefully you will tolerate both drugs just swell. We will be here for you for whenever you need us.

    hugs, Chris.
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #7
    chriskaput said:

    AC was worse for me
    I had 4 rounds every 2 weeks of AC and 12 weekly of taxol. The AC made me nauseas and taxol did not. I was actually able to go back to work when I started the taxol. I could not work through the AC, the nausea was hard on me but I never vomited.

    Everyone is different as you can see here. Hopefully you will tolerate both drugs just swell. We will be here for you for whenever you need us.

    hugs, Chris.

    A/C was bad on my stomach
    A/C was bad on my stomach and I think worse.
    Taxol was bad on my bones though.
    Good luck and it will be over before you know it.
    Hugs,
    Wanda
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #8
    chriskaput said:

    AC was worse for me
    I had 4 rounds every 2 weeks of AC and 12 weekly of taxol. The AC made me nauseas and taxol did not. I was actually able to go back to work when I started the taxol. I could not work through the AC, the nausea was hard on me but I never vomited.

    Everyone is different as you can see here. Hopefully you will tolerate both drugs just swell. We will be here for you for whenever you need us.

    hugs, Chris.

    Taxol was not bad at all for me,
    except for some fatigue. Looking back now that I am on round 2 of FEC (told it's similiar to AC), Taxol was much easier! Have not had a lot of nausea with either one, but with the FEC exhaustation, mental fuzz, feeling hit by a truck feeling - MUCH rougher than the Taxol. But everyone is different and we all react to chemo in different ways. So your experience may be just the opposite!

    Good luck and as many others have said (and I am hanging onto with hope!) someday this will be just a distant memory!

    Laura
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #9
    dbhadra said:

    Taxol was not bad at all for me,
    except for some fatigue. Looking back now that I am on round 2 of FEC (told it's similiar to AC), Taxol was much easier! Have not had a lot of nausea with either one, but with the FEC exhaustation, mental fuzz, feeling hit by a truck feeling - MUCH rougher than the Taxol. But everyone is different and we all react to chemo in different ways. So your experience may be just the opposite!

    Good luck and as many others have said (and I am hanging onto with hope!) someday this will be just a distant memory!

    Laura

    From all the comments, just
    From all the comments, just confirms and reiterates that each one of us is so different.

    I had 4 rounds of A/C with nausea but it was doable and much easier than Taxol which totally did not agree with me. It was so bad that my onc switched me to taxotere. I say I had 8 1/2 rounds of chemo because I had 1 1/2 taxol and 3 taxotere. That 1/2 taxol had to be stopped because I had an allergic reaction. My last chemo was on March 30, 2010 and I'm finally getting some energy back.

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