My 1st Chemo is scheduled for June3rd

dyaneb123
dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi guys
My 1st chemo is scheduled for 6/3 with the combo of
cyclophosphamide
(adriamycin),
(Taxotere)
6 treatments 3 weeks part
or TAC I guess the Oncologist called it...so my thing is this....I know everybody is different , but how sick am I likely to be after the 1st round?... really....I need to know cause I live alone. I have a girlfriend planning to go to the treatment with me and stay
a couple of days....and I'm hoping that will do it, but might the 1st round leave me hurling for days? I'm not usually prone to nausea..iron stomach and all that but I realize that this is something else...also what foods should I have on hand?Normal anti nausea stuff? Any recommendations? I want to hear your 1st time experiences and your do's and dont's.
Thanks
Dee
«134

Comments

  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #2
    TAC
    Dee, I had 6 TAC treatments every 3 weeks as well. I finished up in April. Honestly, I felt no nausea at all for the first treatment. In fact, nausea was not really a problem for me until treatment 4, I think. Many people experience little or no nausea throughout treatment. There are excellent anti-nausea medications out there and I'm sure your doctor will prescribe them for you. They gave me Emend through my IV during treatment and I took them in pill form for two days directly after. Then I switched to another anti-nausea drug for the next 5 days (the name starts with a Z, but I can't remember). Then nothing for the remaining cycle. I had a stronger med. in case I had breakthrough nausea or vomiting, but I never used it. I highly, highly doubt that you will be hurling for days. If so, the doctors can almost definitely find you something to relieve the symptoms. I ate everything, so can't really advise you on foods. People here have said that odorless foods such as mashed potatoes have helped them with nausea. Make sure to keep up your protein as chemo sometimes deprives the body of that. You will do just fine.

    Mimi
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #3
    mimivac said:

    TAC
    Dee, I had 6 TAC treatments every 3 weeks as well. I finished up in April. Honestly, I felt no nausea at all for the first treatment. In fact, nausea was not really a problem for me until treatment 4, I think. Many people experience little or no nausea throughout treatment. There are excellent anti-nausea medications out there and I'm sure your doctor will prescribe them for you. They gave me Emend through my IV during treatment and I took them in pill form for two days directly after. Then I switched to another anti-nausea drug for the next 5 days (the name starts with a Z, but I can't remember). Then nothing for the remaining cycle. I had a stronger med. in case I had breakthrough nausea or vomiting, but I never used it. I highly, highly doubt that you will be hurling for days. If so, the doctors can almost definitely find you something to relieve the symptoms. I ate everything, so can't really advise you on foods. People here have said that odorless foods such as mashed potatoes have helped them with nausea. Make sure to keep up your protein as chemo sometimes deprives the body of that. You will do just fine.

    Mimi

    Thanks MiMi
    I hope I do as
    Thanks MiMi
    I hope I do as well as you
    menu
    1. mashed taters......
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #4
    I had a hard time on chemo.
    I had a hard time on chemo. The day of chemo I couldn't keep anything down. Not even water. The first time I stopped and got apple juice to drink in the car (my husband was driving) because I felt great. I got home and it didn't stay in me. I was sicker than a dog (wonder where that expression comes from). The next day was better and I was able to drink but still was nauseous. It got better each day and after the first week I felt pretty good again. As the weeks went by I'd get sicker and sicker longer.

    I can't remember what medications they gave me but the nurse told me to keep something in my stomach to help. So I ate small amounts all the time. So since I'm at the extreme end of the scale, even I stopped hurling by the next day. Although I still felt like it. I don't know why but I liked fried rice from a Chinese restaurant. The doctor should tell you what anti nausea stuff to take and probably will give you a prescription.

    I hope you have an easy time. It's good you've got someone to stay with you till you see how you react. Good luck.
  • djteach
    djteach Member Posts: 273
    #5
    dyaneb123 said:

    Thanks MiMi
    I hope I do as
    Thanks MiMi
    I hope I do as well as you
    menu
    1. mashed taters......

    Hi Dyaneb,
    Even though I
    Hi Dyaneb,
    Even though I haven't had chemo since 2005, I remember it like yesterday. I never had any trouble with nausea because I took every nausea pill they gave me. That was my biggest fear going into chemo, and it never happened. Hang in there. I know you'll do great!

    Love and Gentle Hugs,
    Donna
  • stox4bux
    stox4bux Member Posts: 29
    #6
    Marcia527 said:

    I had a hard time on chemo.
    I had a hard time on chemo. The day of chemo I couldn't keep anything down. Not even water. The first time I stopped and got apple juice to drink in the car (my husband was driving) because I felt great. I got home and it didn't stay in me. I was sicker than a dog (wonder where that expression comes from). The next day was better and I was able to drink but still was nauseous. It got better each day and after the first week I felt pretty good again. As the weeks went by I'd get sicker and sicker longer.

    I can't remember what medications they gave me but the nurse told me to keep something in my stomach to help. So I ate small amounts all the time. So since I'm at the extreme end of the scale, even I stopped hurling by the next day. Although I still felt like it. I don't know why but I liked fried rice from a Chinese restaurant. The doctor should tell you what anti nausea stuff to take and probably will give you a prescription.

    I hope you have an easy time. It's good you've got someone to stay with you till you see how you react. Good luck.

    Chemo Nausea
    Hi Dee
    I had my first AC treatment last Friday and, OMG, did I ever feel lousy. It started slowly about 2 hours after the chemo and 5 hours later all I could do was hang my head and moan. That evening I threw up everything I had eaten that day. I have had my share of violent hangovers in my time but this was way beyond that.

    But, that is me and I heard from many others who did not go through anything like that. Let's hope that you belong to the later category.

    By the way, by Tuesday morning I was feeling pretty good again, even enough to go out for Chinese food.

    I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

    Best,
    Gitta
  • Eil4186
    Eil4186 Member Posts: 949
    #7
    Unlike Mimi I was nauseas
    Unlike Mimi I was nauseas quite a lot and it seemed to be cumulative. I had AC for 4 and T for 4. The AC was the worst. I ate bananas, applesauce and fruit bars for the 3 days after each treatment or I would vomit (despite many anti-nausea drugs every 3 hours).

    I `hope you you have an easy time w/ your treatments.
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #8
    Eil4186 said:

    Unlike Mimi I was nauseas
    Unlike Mimi I was nauseas quite a lot and it seemed to be cumulative. I had AC for 4 and T for 4. The AC was the worst. I ate bananas, applesauce and fruit bars for the 3 days after each treatment or I would vomit (despite many anti-nausea drugs every 3 hours).

    I `hope you you have an easy time w/ your treatments.

    Thanks guys
    I read somewhere that the nausea is harder on you younger chicas so I'm hoping the fact that I'm 59 will will put me in the less sick catagory.oh well, only time will tell
  • stox4bux
    stox4bux Member Posts: 29
    #9
    dyaneb123 said:

    Thanks guys
    I read somewhere that the nausea is harder on you younger chicas so I'm hoping the fact that I'm 59 will will put me in the less sick catagory.oh well, only time will tell

    Young Chicas???
    Sorry Dee to burst your bubble - I am 62. One thing is for sure, we never know how we react ourselves so I am keeping my hopes up that you are one of the lucky ones.

    Gitta
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #10
    I also had TAC, and was NOT
    I also had TAC, and was NOT naseated from it ever. I kept a brand new, small, plastic waste paper can next to the bed, "just in case"~ I never needed it. I found comfort in a soft terrycloth towel on my pillow. I don't know why, I just liked how it felt.

    It is important to drink water during chemo, to keep your system hydrated and the chemo flushed from your system. Sip, sip, sip, all day long!!! I also liked fresh fruit popsicles~ a bit of a vitamin boost including a serving of water ( frozen counts!)

    Your body will tell you what it wants~ listen to it! I ate frozen grapes a lot, and also mashed potatoes. It won't take you long to figure out what to do!

    We are with you through this journey; the hair loss ( and how to help mitigate the scalp pain associated with that!) the fear, the exhaustion, the triumphs, the end of treatment, all of it until you too are living a full Life After Cancer! Ask us anything~ we are an amazing sisterhood, with some awesome brothers thrown in for good measure!

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #11
    I was not.......
    I was not nauseous at all through chemo. I was afraid that I would be, but luckily...nope.
    They gave me IV anti-nausea meds right before each chemo infusion and I had pills at home that I took for a couple of days after each chemo, as a precautionary measure.

    Everyone is different though, and will react in different ways to the drugs. I really hope that you will get through with no nausea.

    Things didn't taste right to me and the only thing that I ate and enjoyed was a baked potato. For some reason, they still TASTED like baked potatoes, when all other foods tasted strange.

    CR
  • crazylady55
    crazylady55 Member Posts: 92
    #12
    finshed TAC in March
    I finished 6 rounds of TAC in March. My worst side effect was and is fatigue. The nausea was controlled with meds before, during and after the chemo. I took Emend the day of chemo and 2 days after. Also a steroid called Dexamethazone a day before and 3 days after. They also gave me antinausea meds with the chemo. I took Zofrain for about a week after I finished the Emend. Compazine is also for nausea but it made me just too tired.

    I ate bland foods throughout chemo because I had some problems with heart burn. But I had a history of heartburn before chemo.

    Make sure you have plenty to drink. I drank alot of Gatorade and water.

    Also after the 2nd or 3rd round I started having changes in taste and smell and some of my usual foods gave me nausea just by smell (like hamburg). So have some mild tasting foods on hand.

    Everyone is different but it was not as bad as the anticipation.

    Good luck and best wishes.
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #13
    Ok Chica, where are you
    Ok Chica, where are you from? LOL I had 8 rounds of CAF every 3 weeks, which was cytoxan, adriamycin and 5FU. I was ok the first 3 but then started getting progressively worse with each treatment. Was extremely sick the last 2. I'm hoping and praying you do much better. Get a prescription from the oncologist for nausea meds and make sure you take them from day 1. Also, drink lots of liquids a few days before, during and right after your treatments. The adriamycin tends to irritate the bladder if you don't flush it out. Good luck Dyane and keep us posted. Abrazos y besos, Lili
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #14
    Hi, Dee
    Like you, I had 6 cycles of TAC, 3 weeks apart. As the others have already explained, you should be supplied with prescription anti-nausea meds. The OTC products won't do it for chemo induced nausea. It's really important to try to prevent it, rather than control it once it begins. I was given Zofran, and it pretty much did the trick for me, until right after the final treatment.

    My med onc told me it was mandatory to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day, which I still do - over 5 years later! It's important to stay hydrated. And, the water helps to circulate the chemo drugs throughout the system - really important!, and also to flush them out after they've done their job. Eating smaller amounts, more often, will help. You'll know what you can handle, and can't - based on what tastes good and what doesn't.

    It's really, really important to communicate openly with your doctor(s) and nurse(s) about your symptoms and side effects while undergoing treatment. And, the effects are cumulative. I started out not so bad, but got worse with each one...

    Everyone reacts differently to chemo. It's no cake walk, but doable. No matter how it goes for you, we'll be here... alongside every step of the way.

    Best wishes to you.

    Kind regards, Susan
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #15
    Dee, I will be in surgery
    Dee, I will be in surgery June 3rd while your in Chemo. Wow, June is going to be a busy month for a few of us. I am following behind you so please keep me posted. Hope all goes well.
    Kathy
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #16
    chenheart said:

    I also had TAC, and was NOT
    I also had TAC, and was NOT naseated from it ever. I kept a brand new, small, plastic waste paper can next to the bed, "just in case"~ I never needed it. I found comfort in a soft terrycloth towel on my pillow. I don't know why, I just liked how it felt.

    It is important to drink water during chemo, to keep your system hydrated and the chemo flushed from your system. Sip, sip, sip, all day long!!! I also liked fresh fruit popsicles~ a bit of a vitamin boost including a serving of water ( frozen counts!)

    Your body will tell you what it wants~ listen to it! I ate frozen grapes a lot, and also mashed potatoes. It won't take you long to figure out what to do!

    We are with you through this journey; the hair loss ( and how to help mitigate the scalp pain associated with that!) the fear, the exhaustion, the triumphs, the end of treatment, all of it until you too are living a full Life After Cancer! Ask us anything~ we are an amazing sisterhood, with some awesome brothers thrown in for good measure!

    Hugs,
    Claudia

    Hair loss hurts? !!!!!
    This is a new and disturbing revelation.......OMG!
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #17
    mmontero38 said:

    Ok Chica, where are you
    Ok Chica, where are you from? LOL I had 8 rounds of CAF every 3 weeks, which was cytoxan, adriamycin and 5FU. I was ok the first 3 but then started getting progressively worse with each treatment. Was extremely sick the last 2. I'm hoping and praying you do much better. Get a prescription from the oncologist for nausea meds and make sure you take them from day 1. Also, drink lots of liquids a few days before, during and right after your treatments. The adriamycin tends to irritate the bladder if you don't flush it out. Good luck Dyane and keep us posted. Abrazos y besos, Lili

    Hola Lili
    I'm from Tennessee....No not a lot of Latinos here in the Mountains..
    I teach Spanish...and so enjoy using it randomly...
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #18
    Christmas Girl said:

    Hi, Dee
    Like you, I had 6 cycles of TAC, 3 weeks apart. As the others have already explained, you should be supplied with prescription anti-nausea meds. The OTC products won't do it for chemo induced nausea. It's really important to try to prevent it, rather than control it once it begins. I was given Zofran, and it pretty much did the trick for me, until right after the final treatment.

    My med onc told me it was mandatory to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day, which I still do - over 5 years later! It's important to stay hydrated. And, the water helps to circulate the chemo drugs throughout the system - really important!, and also to flush them out after they've done their job. Eating smaller amounts, more often, will help. You'll know what you can handle, and can't - based on what tastes good and what doesn't.

    It's really, really important to communicate openly with your doctor(s) and nurse(s) about your symptoms and side effects while undergoing treatment. And, the effects are cumulative. I started out not so bad, but got worse with each one...

    Everyone reacts differently to chemo. It's no cake walk, but doable. No matter how it goes for you, we'll be here... alongside every step of the way.

    Best wishes to you.

    Kind regards, Susan

    Thanks Susan Thanks Kat
    You always have such good info Susan. Ok I'll stock up on water, popcicles, and potatos...those seem to be the foods of choice...

    Kat, good luck on your surgery. I know you will do fine!
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #19
    Kat11 said:

    Dee, I will be in surgery
    Dee, I will be in surgery June 3rd while your in Chemo. Wow, June is going to be a busy month for a few of us. I am following behind you so please keep me posted. Hope all goes well.
    Kathy

    Dee
    Hi Again, I had about the same chemo as you are going to enjoy. 3 fec then 3 taxotare, 3 weeks apart. I was never sick or even feeling sick, they gave me pills which I took religiously (Yeah I got it WRONG again) They didn't tell me to only take them for a few days after, so I took them all the time, every 4 hours....I was climbing the walls by treatment #2. LOL

    Anyway, Hair loss hurts..Tight feeling for a couple of days, but at least you get that as an advanced warning. Take Care Hugs Jxxxxxxxx
  • sunnygirl
    sunnygirl Member Posts: 57 Member
    #20
    tasha_111 said:

    Dee
    Hi Again, I had about the same chemo as you are going to enjoy. 3 fec then 3 taxotare, 3 weeks apart. I was never sick or even feeling sick, they gave me pills which I took religiously (Yeah I got it WRONG again) They didn't tell me to only take them for a few days after, so I took them all the time, every 4 hours....I was climbing the walls by treatment #2. LOL

    Anyway, Hair loss hurts..Tight feeling for a couple of days, but at least you get that as an advanced warning. Take Care Hugs Jxxxxxxxx

    nausea
    Dee,

    I had Ac every two weeks for 4 weeks, then taxol every two weeks for 4 weeks. I had my 3rd taxol yesterday--so one infusion to go. Yippee!! Not much nausea with the AC--I had an anti-nausea infusion before the chemo along with a steroid (decadron). I was given Emend (a prescription) to take the day of infusion and for two days after. Also decadron tablets for three days after the infusion. Ativan(anti-nausea and anxiety) helped a lot--especially at night. Compazine didn't do much for me.

    Mouth sores can happen on the AC and eating popsicles or fudgsicles while they do the Push helps. The Adriamycin they give by injecting it into the IV over the course of 20-25 minutes.

    And, yes, when my hair started to fall out, my head was sore. It all sounds daunting, but take it one day at a time, one step at a time. Drink lots of fluids, it really helps flush and even start drinking a couple days before your transfusion to be sure you're well hydrated.

    Keep us posted. Cheryl (my last infusion will be June 3rd)
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #21
    I'm in the "older" crowd...
    and, sadly, had MUCH trouble. BUT, 6 months earlier I had just finished chemo for rectal cancer...I like to think that was part of it....

    WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER....as much as you can drink....day before, day of, and day after treatment. To this day, I have NO lasting numbness/neuropathy in my hands or feet.

    As already said, losing hair CAN hurt...but getting some really good moisturizer, and rubbing it on the scalp, can make a BIG difference.

    The good news? This, too, shall pass!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

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