on taxotere, week 8 - feeling yucky on Sun

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Snookums
Snookums Member Posts: 148
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I take weekly Chemo and it's on Wed. I did this so I could experience worst exhaustion on Sat per oncologists suggestion. So, now on Sun I spend the day feeling nauseated, never actually getting sick but, feeling like a new mom with morning sickness. Any helpful ideas besides my nauesea medication?

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  • ksfc
    ksfc Member Posts: 251
    #2
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    Chemo nausea is the pits! There are different meds and one might help you more than another. Zofran helped me much more than compazine, although it didn't totally take it away. Try really hard to stay hydrated. It was hard for me to drink anything, but I used popscicles - just let them melt in your mouth. Also, just eat little tiny bits of something frequently to keep something in your stomach. I was usually more nauseated sitting up, so I would literally lay on my side in bed and put the saltines in - so much for the crackers in bed thing - LOL!! Hope you feel better soon! Diane
  • ryley
    ryley Member Posts: 55
    #3
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    I'm so glad I came to this website, because before I read these letters, I was the only woman I knew with bc that was getting Taxotere (and I know a lot of women with bc). Are you taking the steroid, Dexamethasone, that is supposed to help with the side effects of Taxotere? I have also been getting Anzemet tablets for nausea which seem to work pretty well. They cost $100 per tablet (you take one per day) and insurance doesn't always cover it, but my doctor is nice enough that if your ins doesn't cover it they give you enough free samples to keep you stocked. Also, I found that carbs, like soda crackers, bread and some women swear by peanut butter, keep you from getting nauseous. And yes, keeping something in your stomach at all times, seems that an empty stomach causes nausea more often.

    Do you experience the numb mouth, hands, feet like I do? I think the numbing aspect of Taxotere is worse than the nausea. I can't taste anything and sometimes can't walk well when I can't feel my feet. I'm wondering if I'm the only one with that side effect.

    Taxotere also has their own website. Taxotere.com that talks about side effects. I have called them and emailed them about questions of toxicity. They are pretty informative.

    Good luck and I hope everything turns out well for you.

    Ryley
  • Lamanna
    Lamanna Member Posts: 4
    #4
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    I've had 9 weekly treatments of taxotere and while I havn't had nausea the side effects keep getting worse and last longer each time. At the beginning I barely felt anything, now I'm having major sinus congestion, intestinal upset, increased numbness in my fingers and terrible fatigue. Before the taxatere I did 4 cycles of AC. It was then that I had the mild morning sickness that you're having. I took compazine and atavan on day 1, then Kytril on days 2 through 4; then the compazine or atavan (at night) as needed. All those really helped. Zofran made me feel worse. Also try adding some lemon or lemon juice to water. That helped me a lot. The worst thing for me now (after the sinus/nosebleed problems!) is not beong able to taste anything!
    I've got 3 more weeks left, but it's really getting to me now. I hate feeling this tired and non-functional! I pretty much breezed through the AC treatments, but with these weekly treatments it seems like all the days are hard now.Maybe we can get each other through it! :)
    Good Luck, Cricket
  • gustel
    gustel Member Posts: 1
    #5
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    I am new to this discussion group, but I am also taxotere for 8 weeks--also on Wednesdays and hopefully # 9 will be the last for now. I also have the nasua and my blood count is all messed up making me very susecpital to virus and colds.
    I have also lost most of my hair and am not gaing much weight.
    I am getting very depressed, but hope after tomorrow's treatment, things will look up. this should make you feel a little better knowing you are not alone,I also have lung cancer with the breast cancer
    write me back--good luck
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #6
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    I agree with all the previous posts. If one nausea medication isn't working be sure and stress that to the doctor. He/she can give you something else that WILL work. Even in the recovery room after my mastectomy, it took a smart post-surgical nurse to see that the previous attempts at pain management were not working. They had me up to 10 units of one pain medication before the powers that be decided that it just wasn't working and there was no reason I should be shivering with pain and repeatedly moaning that I could sure use a Tylenol. One really unsympathetic nurse leaned over and asked me, "...and what makes you think you need Tylenol?" Well, DUH!!! Then they gave me just one unit of another kind of medication and I was set for 1.5 days afterwards--no problem.
  • jamjar62
    jamjar62 Member Posts: 135
    #7
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    Hi Snookums...I am currently on Taxotere as well. I have 2 more treatments then I'll start radiation therapy. In answer to your nausea question, I read about a brand spanking new nausea medicine just approved by the FDA. It's called Emend and supposed to be the new wonder drug. You might ask your oncologist about it. I hope this helps. Karen

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