List your Top symptoms with TAXOL infusions

gobluegirl90
gobluegirl90 Member Posts: 53
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Can those of you that had Taxol infusion by itself, list for me the top symptoms that you have experienced during treatments. Also what was your first infusion like, any reactions if so what were they?
I have my steroids to take the day before, the day of i will get more steroids plus Benydral in my port before they start the Taxol treatment. I just finished 4 rounds of AC every 2 weeks along with Nuelasta shots the day after AC.

I shaved my head, but i have stubble still also still have my eyebrows and eyelashes..will the Taxol make them all fall out and my head shinny bald?

I am really worried about starting a new chemo drug, it is like the first day of chemo all over again for me.....please help me.

Comments

  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #2
    I had Taxotere which I
    I had Taxotere which I understand to be about the same as Taxol. But it's been so long (I had it in 2004) that I can only remember for sure one symptom. Anything else I might be confusing with the A/C. The nurse sat in front of me and watched as I had the treatment for reactions. I had one. Tightness in chest and she stopped it and restarted at a slower drip. Then I was fine. I don't remember taking steroids the day before. I seem to have about the same symptoms as the A/C otherwise but can't seperate it at this late date.

    I do remember that my hair which was starting to grow back after the A/C that I'd had before surgery, did fall out again. Can't remember if head was shinny bald.

    Hang in there.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    EXHAUSTION
    EXHAUSTION does not express what I felt. Could not sleep without pills - not the 'best' sleep even then but i did get some then!

    Had lost some eyebrows/eyelashes with A/C but the last definately left with Taxol. I had NO nausea or pain with either.

    During Taxol I was always COLD, worse that normal but it was during the worst of winter here. Because the IV Benadryl put me 'nighty-night', I always had a 'room' with bed where the heat could be raised and I go heated 'bankies' brought when I was cold. A/C was 'a walk in the park' for me compared to Taxol.
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #4
    I had Taxotere also
    It made my eyes very watery. People always thought I was "touched" by what they were saying...until I told them it was a side effect of the drug...

    Hang in there Sister!

    Blessings,

    Sylvia :)
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #5
    sea60 said:

    I had Taxotere also
    It made my eyes very watery. People always thought I was "touched" by what they were saying...until I told them it was a side effect of the drug...

    Hang in there Sister!

    Blessings,

    Sylvia :)

    Oh, Sylvia, so true!
    At first my tearing up embarrassed me terribly! Yeah, people thought I was so emotional, poor thing. Once I stopped trying to ignore it and just dabbed at my eyes and said it was chemo, I didn't feel so freakish. Had a constantly runny nose, too. Shoulda bought Kleenex stock.
  • heidijez
    heidijez Member Posts: 441
    #6
    Christine Louise said:

    Oh, Sylvia, so true!
    At first my tearing up embarrassed me terribly! Yeah, people thought I was so emotional, poor thing. Once I stopped trying to ignore it and just dabbed at my eyes and said it was chemo, I didn't feel so freakish. Had a constantly runny nose, too. Shoulda bought Kleenex stock.

    me too!
    not only do my eyes water, when they dry, it is like iridescent crystals around my eyes! many people have commented on that! and the constantly runny nose - gotta laugh - got sent to three different doctors because the breast surgeon was concerned about it - and then i learned on this website that the reason i have a runny nose is because i have no nose hair! duh!!!
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #7
    heidijez said:

    me too!
    not only do my eyes water, when they dry, it is like iridescent crystals around my eyes! many people have commented on that! and the constantly runny nose - gotta laugh - got sent to three different doctors because the breast surgeon was concerned about it - and then i learned on this website that the reason i have a runny nose is because i have no nose hair! duh!!!

    I was afraid to start taxol
    I was afraid to start taxol too. I was premedicated with benadryl, decadron and pepcid IV. no allergic reactions. I got diahrea with AC and it continued. I also got a rash on my face, and peripheral neuropathy.but it was easier than Ac for me. My lashes and eyebrows did fall out with taxol. my head never got to the smooth and shiny stage. congrats on finishing AC, soon you will be a chemo grad!!!1
  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    #8
    Taxol
    My worst problems with Taxol were the body aches and pains, especially in my legs and upper back; and anemia. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning - eyebrows and eyelashes are about gone; some toenails starting to turn black, sore mouth and tongue, and as other posters mentioned, the continual tearing of the eyes. I'd have to say that the body pains made the Taxol almost worse than A/C. I was on dose-dense chemo (every 2 weeks, so I never had time to recover). Hopefully your symptoms will be manageable. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the best.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #9
    linpsu said:

    Taxol
    My worst problems with Taxol were the body aches and pains, especially in my legs and upper back; and anemia. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning - eyebrows and eyelashes are about gone; some toenails starting to turn black, sore mouth and tongue, and as other posters mentioned, the continual tearing of the eyes. I'd have to say that the body pains made the Taxol almost worse than A/C. I was on dose-dense chemo (every 2 weeks, so I never had time to recover). Hopefully your symptoms will be manageable. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the best.

    HMMM
    On A/C - I had time to 'recover' - it was every 2 weeks but Taxol was weekly - so NO time to 'recover'.
  • gobluegirl90
    gobluegirl90 Member Posts: 53
    #10
    Rague said:

    HMMM
    On A/C - I had time to 'recover' - it was every 2 weeks but Taxol was weekly - so NO time to 'recover'.

    Advice
    Thank you so much for all of your advice. I will have my Taxol every Friday beginning this week (3DAYS!!) and I will be getting it every Friday for 12 weeks straight...no break.
    I am triple negative, stage 1, no nodes, grade III (aggressive) so they are hitting me hard with chemo, because of the triple neg thing.
    I wonder if I will be able to continue to go to work. I work in a water billing office as the Supervisor, office work, but stressful, at times too. With AC i worked 4 to 5 hours a day at work and after chemo I worked from home for 2 days. I was pretty tired, but i have heard symptom wise Taxol the worst is extremely tired...plus i get no breaks to recover and don;t forget the neurophathy.
    I just need to pray and be positive I will not have a reaction the first time and this goes good for me, and is easier that AC for me, it was rough,extremely nauseous, achy and tired.

    I will let yall know how it goes.
    Jen
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #11
    gobluegirl90 said:

    Advice
    Thank you so much for all of your advice. I will have my Taxol every Friday beginning this week (3DAYS!!) and I will be getting it every Friday for 12 weeks straight...no break.
    I am triple negative, stage 1, no nodes, grade III (aggressive) so they are hitting me hard with chemo, because of the triple neg thing.
    I wonder if I will be able to continue to go to work. I work in a water billing office as the Supervisor, office work, but stressful, at times too. With AC i worked 4 to 5 hours a day at work and after chemo I worked from home for 2 days. I was pretty tired, but i have heard symptom wise Taxol the worst is extremely tired...plus i get no breaks to recover and don;t forget the neurophathy.
    I just need to pray and be positive I will not have a reaction the first time and this goes good for me, and is easier that AC for me, it was rough,extremely nauseous, achy and tired.

    I will let yall know how it goes.
    Jen

    Goodluck on friday. I did 12
    Goodluck on friday. I did 12 rounds of taxol every week like you. For me it was better than AC. However, you still get tired and need to rest. I was not having nausea problem as much with taxol. Let us know how your doing. Hugs
  • Deb1969
    Deb1969 Member Posts: 165
    #12
    Kat11 said:

    Goodluck on friday. I did 12
    Goodluck on friday. I did 12 rounds of taxol every week like you. For me it was better than AC. However, you still get tired and need to rest. I was not having nausea problem as much with taxol. Let us know how your doing. Hugs

    I had 7 weekly treatments of
    I had 7 weekly treatments of Taxol. Main problems I had were constipation and numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.
    Deb
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #13
    Deb1969 said:

    I had 7 weekly treatments of
    I had 7 weekly treatments of Taxol. Main problems I had were constipation and numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.
    Deb

    I had both taxotere and taxol .. numbness,
    fatigue, tingling in hand and feet .. lost 3 toe nails .. ridges in finger nails. I personal feel that taxol was harder on my body than taxotere. Hair lost - all over my body with both chemo drugs.

    My opinion only.

    Vicki Sam
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #14
    VickiSam said:

    I had both taxotere and taxol .. numbness,
    fatigue, tingling in hand and feet .. lost 3 toe nails .. ridges in finger nails. I personal feel that taxol was harder on my body than taxotere. Hair lost - all over my body with both chemo drugs.

    My opinion only.

    Vicki Sam

    I had 12 weekly taxol. some
    I had 12 weekly taxol. some people consider this better as it isnt as high a dose. ihad finger nail changges and one tor sl discolored but that wasit. none fell off thank goodness. i know people who did not have any issues, so it really varies. i hope its a breeze for you!
  • Marsha Mulvey
    Marsha Mulvey Member Posts: 597 Member
    #15
    carkris said:

    I had 12 weekly taxol. some
    I had 12 weekly taxol. some people consider this better as it isnt as high a dose. ihad finger nail changges and one tor sl discolored but that wasit. none fell off thank goodness. i know people who did not have any issues, so it really varies. i hope its a breeze for you!

    side effects
    The side effects I had during ten consecutive weeks on Taxol:

    ALL THE ABOVE

    But, it's do-able. Good luck, MM

    P.S. I never had Taxol alone, so that may change things for you.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #16
    Marsha Mulvey said:

    side effects
    The side effects I had during ten consecutive weeks on Taxol:

    ALL THE ABOVE

    But, it's do-able. Good luck, MM

    P.S. I never had Taxol alone, so that may change things for you.

    yes and chemo brain although
    yes and chemo brain although the bad typing skills preceeded it! LOL
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #17
    Hi gobluegirl, I had the
    Hi gobluegirl, I had the same treatment mix as you. I lost my ALL my hair with the taxol, my eyebrows and lashes hung in through A/C but the taxol ate them. My biggest problem with taxol is my neuropathy, it's a pretty severe case, they stopped the chemo at treatment number 11, they were going to do 12. Be sure to keep your Onc. updated as to all your symptoms so they treat you properly.
    ~Kari

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