Questions on chemo cocktail

Ksstizme
Ksstizme Member Posts: 12
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
These drugs may have been discussed, but I am not sure of the abbreviations yet. LOL I have triple negative BC. I have a port put in Monday and my first treatment on Friday. I will be gettin 4 rounds of Adrucil,epidoxorubicin and cytoxan. Then I will do 4 rounds of taxotere. After the each of the first round I have to go the next day for some shot to draw white blood cells from my bones. Not sure what it is called, but the doc said I will be achey like I have the flu.

Is anyone else taking thses meds? I have read all the literature they gave me, but wanted to hear from someone who has actually had them.

Comments

  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #2
    Hi There, I had to look
    Hi There, I had to look them up as I wasn't familiar with the brand names. You are having what typically is used in Canada. Generic names are Fluorouracil (or 5-FU), epirubicin (suppose to be a kinder relative to adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide. The whole regime is known as FEC. Most of you U.S. gals seem to be having TAC (Taxol,(relative of taxotere), Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide. Other than adding the fluorouracil, you are pretty much getting the same as your sisters. I'm curious as to why they are using Florouracil as I rarely hear of it being used for bc in the U.S.

    I had FEC every 3 weeks x 3, then taxotere every 3 weeks x 3. Nausea and fatigue were the main se for me but then I had them during a cold northern canada winter (how depressing). They will give you meds for the nausea, or at least they should. The nausea wasn't too bad for me and I found gravol sometimes controlled it. The taxotere se start in about 3 days but they will give you steroids to prevent an allergic rx the day before, day of, and the day after infusion. The se I felt were in my bones and muscles and my mood plunged to the depths of hell. But I haven't heard anyone else express that se.

    I didn't have the neulasta shot to build up white cells but I hear it's pretty much the way your doctor described it.

    Good luck to you and we'll be thinking of you Friday.

    hugs
    jan
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #3
    Hi........
    I had 4 rounds of adriamycin and cytoxin (sp?). Then I had 4 rounds of Abraxane and Herceptin. Still doing Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year, as I was HER-2+.

    You are probably referring to Neulasta injection. I had that after every chemo to increase white cell count. And yes, it did cause aching for a couple of days, especially in my legs and hips.

    CR
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #4
    Hey there
    I just had my 1st
    Hey there
    I just had my 1st chemo. It's different meds then yours but so far no major nausea or sickness. I took the nuelasta shot for the white blood cells. The nurse said to take half a pain med when I got home and I did...havn't felt achey at all in the bones...just little queasy and headachey...but not as bad as I'd feared.
  • Ksstizme
    Ksstizme Member Posts: 12
    #5
    phoenixrising said:

    Hi There, I had to look
    Hi There, I had to look them up as I wasn't familiar with the brand names. You are having what typically is used in Canada. Generic names are Fluorouracil (or 5-FU), epirubicin (suppose to be a kinder relative to adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide. The whole regime is known as FEC. Most of you U.S. gals seem to be having TAC (Taxol,(relative of taxotere), Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide. Other than adding the fluorouracil, you are pretty much getting the same as your sisters. I'm curious as to why they are using Florouracil as I rarely hear of it being used for bc in the U.S.

    I had FEC every 3 weeks x 3, then taxotere every 3 weeks x 3. Nausea and fatigue were the main se for me but then I had them during a cold northern canada winter (how depressing). They will give you meds for the nausea, or at least they should. The nausea wasn't too bad for me and I found gravol sometimes controlled it. The taxotere se start in about 3 days but they will give you steroids to prevent an allergic rx the day before, day of, and the day after infusion. The se I felt were in my bones and muscles and my mood plunged to the depths of hell. But I haven't heard anyone else express that se.

    I didn't have the neulasta shot to build up white cells but I hear it's pretty much the way your doctor described it.

    Good luck to you and we'll be thinking of you Friday.

    hugs
    jan

    Thanks to all
    Thanks Phoenixrising for taking the time to look them up. I did too, but couldn't figure much more out. I remember my doctor calling it FEC. I will need to ask her why on the one. I'm not looking forward to it, but want it over with at the same time. Glad to have all of you to ask and to see how things are going to go.
  • chickad52
    chickad52 Member Posts: 497
    #6
    dyaneb123 said:

    Hey there
    I just had my 1st
    Hey there
    I just had my 1st chemo. It's different meds then yours but so far no major nausea or sickness. I took the nuelasta shot for the white blood cells. The nurse said to take half a pain med when I got home and I did...havn't felt achey at all in the bones...just little queasy and headachey...but not as bad as I'd feared.

    Glad to hear
    I will be having my first chemo treatment tomorrow. I'm very nervous about it. I was glad to hear that you had no real sickness as feared. Good Luck to you.
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #7
    chickad52 said:

    Glad to hear
    I will be having my first chemo treatment tomorrow. I'm very nervous about it. I was glad to hear that you had no real sickness as feared. Good Luck to you.

    Thanks and to you too. Just
    Thanks and to you too. Just take the all the meds and it'll be ok.

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