Taxotere

Thanks for responding. I'm sorry your neuropathy is still with you, but happily it sounds like otherwise you're good.

In terms of the common taxotere side effects, I know I can cope with nasuea if I have to, but I'm less sure about edema, which sounds like it can be pretty debilitating. So far with the taxol, the main thing has been the neuropathy. The rest has been so minor that it hasn't risen to the level of a bad cold in terms of misry. I thought that with chemo all I would have to do is suck it up and hang in there; I didn't antiicpate needing to make any decisions, which I guess was foolish of me. 

Thanks again.

I began chemo with Taxol and Carboplatin.  Three days after my first chemo, I developed acute onset neuropathy that was so debilitating I couldn't walk or use my hands properly.  The next day I went into RVR and aFib.  I was hospitalized and my gyn/onc decided the next chemo would be carboplatin only. My neuropathy disappeared as quickly as it came before the second chemo.  After that chemo, I asked if the single agent was strong enough and she offered me taxotere.  I took it for chemos 3-6, and I am here to tell you that it was not bad.  I never had any nausea - was given nausea med with infusions and a prescription for one at home and never needed it. I iced my hands and feet faithfully during every infusion and have zero neuropathy since then.   ALL of my hair came back, brows and lashes too. Zero edema.   I never even lost my sense of taste - was able to eat and enjoy anything and everything during chemo.  I had my last chemo two years ago and am waiting now for the results of my PET scan yesterday.  Please know that not everyone has all of the side effects of these drugs.  I know I am extremely fortunate and I thank God for that.  I just want to encourage you that there are good results too.  My sister-in-law had taxotere for breast cancer and she did just fine too.  Blessings to you!

Armywife said:

Molly!

I began chemo with Taxol and Carboplatin.  Three days after my first chemo, I developed acute onset neuropathy that was so debilitating I couldn't walk or use my hands properly.  The next day I went into RVR and aFib.  I was hospitalized and my gyn/onc decided the next chemo would be carboplatin only. My neuropathy disappeared as quickly as it came before the second chemo.  After that chemo, I asked if the single agent was strong enough and she offered me taxotere.  I took it for chemos 3-6, and I am here to tell you that it was not bad.  I never had any nausea - was given nausea med with infusions and a prescription for one at home and never needed it. I iced my hands and feet faithfully during every infusion and have zero neuropathy since then.   ALL of my hair came back, brows and lashes too. Zero edema.   I never even lost my sense of taste - was able to eat and enjoy anything and everything during chemo.  I had my last chemo two years ago and am waiting now for the results of my PET scan yesterday.  Please know that not everyone has all of the side effects of these drugs.  I know I am extremely fortunate and I thank God for that.  I just want to encourage you that there are good results too.  My sister-in-law had taxotere for breast cancer and she did just fine too.  Blessings to you!

Thank you, Armywife, for telling me about your experience. (I also went and read your intro.) My assumption about chemo going in was that it would just be some tough times that I'd get through and then it would be over. I expected to do/experience the same thing most women do.  However, that has not been the case. I have had a number of reactions to the taxol that my brilliant gyn/onc described as "rare," although the only one that concerns him is the very early neuropathy. It started right after the first cycle and continued to get worse every day, rather then improving before the next cycle, which is apparently more typical. After the second cycle, it continued to get worse, despite my use of the elasto gel mitts and cooling slippers. That's why he wants me to switch to taxotere.

However, I learned something from the two cycles of taxol -- my body doesn't like the taxnes, and I have no reason to think I wouldn't also have rare/uncommon reactions to taxotere (since I had them to taxol) including permanent baldness and permanent severe edema. It heartens me to hear that your experience was positive, and I know mot women, by definition, don't have the rare side effects. My gyn/onc told me that he has never seen permanent baldness from taxotere and supposed it was possible, but not very likely, which makes me think there hasn't been much about that in the literature, other then the couple of studies mentioned.

I think of taxol as the devil I know. On the recommendation of my onc nurse practitioner, I'm trying accupuncture and have had three sessions in the past 7 days. I'm doing two a week until my next chemo cycle next Friday. The result has been amazing. The neuropathy is completely gone from my toes and the balls of my feet (where it was only mild). What gives me hope is that for the first time since the first chemo, my fingers are feeling better every day. It had gotten to the point that by 3:30 every day at work, all I wanted to do was go home and not use my fingers. This week, after the first two accupuncture sessions, I've had the same mild level of numbness all day long. My gyn/onc is letting me skip a taxane for my third cycle next week and only do the carbo, which will give us more time to decide what to do.

My hope is that between now and then my fingers will continue to improve so that I can go back to/stay on taxol. I am awed and humbled by reading the stories of so many of the women here who have endured with fortitude so much more than I have. But that is not me. There are some things that I do not want to risk. It's hard to weigh all this, since so much of it is speculation  or data based on "ordinary" (don't know the right term for it) endometrial cancer rather than the kind I have.

Thanks again.