Taxol & Pain???

hward2007
hward2007 Member Posts: 62
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Anyone on the Taxol train got any suggestions for the neuro, pain I just got my 8th infusion last week, talked my onco in skipn a week then just giving me one last big dose. Every thing hurts feet hands, joints, wrist,anckles, just getting out of bed sucks. I am tryn everything, I feel like a wimp, I have a good attitude but the constint pain is driven me nuts. I have percoct, Fentnyl patch:out of waiting for insurance to pick up cost. How long does this last??? P.S. Chasing a 17mth old isn't helping.
The Nut Heather

Comments

  • toninasky
    toninasky Member Posts: 102
    #2
    Hi,

    I don't know what to say to you except you are getting further with Taxol than I did. I had 5 treatments and it shut down my pancreas, and gall bladder and zapped me in the hospital for 10 days. Onc stopped all treatment. I finished A/C AND 5 TAXOL and went to 38 treatments radiation. You must be a really strong person. Hang in there. The pain should go away after the treatment is finished. Also ask your oncologist if the last treatment is absolutely necessary. BE OF GOOD FAITH. WHAT DOES NOT KILL US MAKES US STRONGER.

    Blessings
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    Sorry to hear you are having a hard time Heather. I had 4 doses of Taxol but I did not have side effects as severe as you----I had pain in my hands, ankles, and back but not debilitating though. I found the pain lasted about 3 to 5 days after each treatment. Is yours lasting longer than that? I wish I could help. How many more treatments to go?
  • hward2007
    hward2007 Member Posts: 62
    #4
    unknown said:

    Sorry to hear you are having a hard time Heather. I had 4 doses of Taxol but I did not have side effects as severe as you----I had pain in my hands, ankles, and back but not debilitating though. I found the pain lasted about 3 to 5 days after each treatment. Is yours lasting longer than that? I wish I could help. How many more treatments to go?

    Thanks you guy's: I get infusion on Wed. and if they give fluids right then Wed,Thur.,Friday really not that bad then Friday,Sat., Sun. fatigue hits big time because decodron wears off and pain starts increasing By Monday, Tuesday Iam a Big baby that can hardly walk. And then it's Wensday again and another chemo. Now this week is different in Iam not getting chemo but the pain is peaking and there is no fluids or decodron to help with energy or pain. Iam going to call and see if I can come in for fluid and decdron, that's what they do usually on Sat. to get me to Wed for next treatment. You Guy's Rock. I have no brain... :)
    Heather the NUT
  • Stormy8281
    Stormy8281 Member Posts: 24
    #5
    Boy, am I on that Taxol train. I have been getting Taxol treatments every week for 12 weeks at a lower dose to help with the effects I occured during the first go round. My family members would give me strange looks when they saw me massaging my head. I am in pain from head to toe, and even on my nose bone. Ha. I have been taking Percoset. It may reduce the pain, but it's still there. I also take Oxycontin when pain is really unbearable, but I don't like to take it. I will take it before I go to bed. I can't believe how many side effects there are with these medications. I did a search for Taxol side effects and found comments from actual patients taking Taxol, and it assured me I wasn't the only one. Each time I go for treatment, my nurse will ask me how the pain is, and I ask if it's normal. She always answers that it's different for each patient. Well that didn't help. My oncologist suggests that I step up my exercising, but hearing you say you run after a 17th month old.....well, you must be a really strong person. I am doing one thing on Monday. I will be looking for yoga classes. I do know it helps take your mind off whatever is hurting you, both mentally and physically .

    Lots of Hugs and keep smiling!
    Gale
  • loisbarrie
    loisbarrie Member Posts: 12
    #6
    taxol and pain
    I was a hospice nurse when I was diagnosed with my own breast cancer and it made me so much more aware of what bone pain is. My onc wanted to put me on vicodin for pain. I ended up in the ER at least three times for pain control. When I questioned my onc, I was shocked though she anticipated bone pain with taxol, she did not have a pain protocol....a plan with range of meds that really help. I hurt so bad at one point, I really did feel like I was in hell. So, I faxed my hospice pain protocol to my onc., and I took it with me to the ER visits. We ended up with dilaudid 2mg orally every 4-6 hours. That's about the same as Morphine 20mg. Opiates are great for bone pain because they can be tailored based on the degree of pain. And I could use the sleep! ha. I had the patch at one point, too. In hospice we even used methodone for bone pain....but was not necessary for the chemo pain.
    You are not a wimp. It's tough. But there are meds that can really help. The pain does not have to last forever, and the doc cannot be afraid to treat the symptom. Best wishes!
  • hward2007
    hward2007 Member Posts: 62
    #7
    Stormy8281 said:

    Boy, am I on that Taxol train. I have been getting Taxol treatments every week for 12 weeks at a lower dose to help with the effects I occured during the first go round. My family members would give me strange looks when they saw me massaging my head. I am in pain from head to toe, and even on my nose bone. Ha. I have been taking Percoset. It may reduce the pain, but it's still there. I also take Oxycontin when pain is really unbearable, but I don't like to take it. I will take it before I go to bed. I can't believe how many side effects there are with these medications. I did a search for Taxol side effects and found comments from actual patients taking Taxol, and it assured me I wasn't the only one. Each time I go for treatment, my nurse will ask me how the pain is, and I ask if it's normal. She always answers that it's different for each patient. Well that didn't help. My oncologist suggests that I step up my exercising, but hearing you say you run after a 17th month old.....well, you must be a really strong person. I am doing one thing on Monday. I will be looking for yoga classes. I do know it helps take your mind off whatever is hurting you, both mentally and physically .

    Lots of Hugs and keep smiling!
    Gale

    Taxol & Pain Still Very strong
    My last dose was July the 8th, I still have the burning in my hands and feet,I have terriable joint pain, the weather doesn't help, My family wants me to go to work full time and it is a big deal just to get my little one up and off to nursery just so I can rest. I will try to get on line more but its very painful. I have fentaly patches and oral suckers, and Percote for the pain.. The Laycara help great for the burning.

    Heather the Nut
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #8
    hward2007 said:

    Taxol & Pain Still Very strong
    My last dose was July the 8th, I still have the burning in my hands and feet,I have terriable joint pain, the weather doesn't help, My family wants me to go to work full time and it is a big deal just to get my little one up and off to nursery just so I can rest. I will try to get on line more but its very painful. I have fentaly patches and oral suckers, and Percote for the pain.. The Laycara help great for the burning.

    Heather the Nut

    B-complex seems to help....
    I know this is minor, but I ramped up my B-complex, especially the B6, on the advice of my radiological nurse. I never had true pain (but my pain tollerance is WAY high...after my bowel resection, I didn't use the morphine), but had my 'taxol tingles'. I also find that, more than 2 years post treatment, if I don't keep up my fluid intake, the tingles return. Sort of my own private 'early warning system'...lol!

    Hugs, Kathi

    Also, check on a DEXA scan....this is a bone density test, NOT a test for cancer. It is painless, and you stay fully clothed. Maybe this is osteoporosis, which I ended up with after treatment (MY doctor said this happens frequently, after not checking and writing a script for Arimidex...know for bone thinning...I demanded a scan...sigh...I have a different onc now who has me on Tamoxifen...)

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