Questions about chemo

CeeCee410
CeeCee410 Member Posts: 19
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am new here, so just a little background. I was diagnosed 4/27/10 with Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma Stage IIIA. Things have moved very quickly since that day. It was decided that since the tumor in my right breast was so large, I would do chemo before surgery, followed by radiation. I had my first treatment 5/13 (Adriamycin/Cytoxan followed up with Neulasta the day after). Other than constantly aching and being fatigued (which is no different than before the chemo), I have tolerated it pretty well. No nausea. So here is my question: Is this indicative of how I will tolerate the remaining treatments or can/does it vary as you go along? I'm 44 and until the cancer have generally been in very good health.

Comments

  • Deb1969
    Deb1969 Member Posts: 165
    #2
    I had the same chemo as you,
    I had the same chemo as you, 6 cycles of AC, each followed by the Neulasta injection. With me it seems the fatigue increased with each treatment. But is manageable. I dreaded the shot more than the chemo.
    Deb
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #3
    I had the exact diagnosis in
    I had the exact diagnosis in 2003. I received 4 cycles of A/C before surgery. The surgeon found more cancer in lymph nodes so I had to have 4 more cycles of Taxotere after surgery and 6 weeks of radiation. I found chemo to be cumulative. It builds up in your system so it does progress but some people still don't have major side effects. Since you started with no nausea then that's good. I was sick from the first cycle. Hang in there.
  • greyhoundluvr
    greyhoundluvr Member Posts: 402
    #4
    Cee Cee
    Like they said, everyone responds differently. I am on a different cocktail (Cytoxan and Taxotere) but I have actually found that each treatment has been a little easier. It may be that I have learned a little about how to better manage the side effects. It isn't to say that I am at my "normal" but once I get through the first couple days when I have some fogginess and fatigue, the other symptoms tend to come and go and are easier to overlook. I have found that if I get the muscles aches, getting on my reclining bicycle (even at a slow pace) seems to help. Good luck to you!

    Chris
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #5
    greyhoundluvr said:

    Cee Cee
    Like they said, everyone responds differently. I am on a different cocktail (Cytoxan and Taxotere) but I have actually found that each treatment has been a little easier. It may be that I have learned a little about how to better manage the side effects. It isn't to say that I am at my "normal" but once I get through the first couple days when I have some fogginess and fatigue, the other symptoms tend to come and go and are easier to overlook. I have found that if I get the muscles aches, getting on my reclining bicycle (even at a slow pace) seems to help. Good luck to you!

    Chris

    Welcome, CeeCee
    Good question!

    I also had a different cocktail (Taxotere/Cytoxan), with Neulasta the day after. My fatigue definitely got worse with each round, but, as Chris said, I learned how to better manage my other side effects (in my case, every gastrointestinal/digestive problem in the book), so those side effects got easier as time went on.

    I didn't find any difference from round to round in how I reacted to the Neulasta -- for me, thankfully, the bone pain was just moderate achiness for a couple of days, not bad.

    Please keep bringing your questions here, we're all glad to share our experiences and help you get through this a little easier.

    Traci
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #6
    We're all different!
    I'm Imflammatory BC so not the same DX but had 4 doses of A/C (2 weeks apart) before surgery. Other than hair falling out, loose of taste, loose of appetite and eyes running continually, I was tired 2 days after infusion for 2 days but rest helped - stayed the same through out. Never had any nausea though I was on several anti-nausea meds. The only 'thing' that Neulasta did to me was, almost to the minute, 2 hours after the shot I would go to sleep for a few hours. 2 weeks after last A/C was surgery and then 3 weeks after surgery, I started 12 weekly Taxol. Taxol was much worse - total complete exhaustion for 5 days a week. The week after the last Taxol, I started 25 daily rads which went great - until the very end and I got burned BAD (6 weeks for last burn to heal - that's not what should be expected though).

    We're all so unique - there is no answer as to what you'll experience - BUT you will make it through as so many of us have already done.

    Susan

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