Need help with Taxotere....

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AngelBaby
AngelBaby Member Posts: 47
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I've done two of four rounds of Taxotere. First treatment was horrible..suffered severe side effects. Ocologist has to reduce my dosage by 25% so I could function. One thing I've noticed is that I have blood under my nail beds that shows up after treatments. My onocologist is baffled. He says Taxotere should have been an easy one for me. My nails and fingertips are extremely sensitive and my palms are red. Any suggestions?

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  • hummingbyrd
    hummingbyrd Member Posts: 950 Member
    #2
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    My initial response is quit taking it, course that's before I thought things through completely.
    Logically speaking, I think I would go to oncologist and talk to him about an alternative treatment. See what he says about Taxol, another lady had a problem with one of the taxenes, taxotere I think, and her doc recommended switching her to taxol. You might want to look up her note, email her and see what happened. Can't promise, but I think it was Mosis50? May not have the # right, may not even have the name right what with my chemobrain. LOL Anyway, what you are experiencing is not normal, and in my mind indicates a need for a change in medication. Hope this helps. God bless you. hummingbyrd
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #3
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    I agree with Hummingbyrd. Taxotere is only one formulation of Taxol. And I have also heard that one may be tolerated better than the other in some people. You would still be getting the same active ingredient, it is just formulated a little differently. The nail and fingertip side effects are well known ones. That should have been on the disclosure sheet they gave you before treatment. I've not heard of any remedies for them--only that they are common.

    I wish these doctors would keep better records of less common side effects. I lost my sense of taste for two whole months when taking Taxotere and that was never mentioned on the disclosure sheet!
  • jeancmici
    jeancmici Member Posts: 665 Member
    #4
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    I know someone who successfully switched from several treatments of taxotere which were unbearable to taxol and found them much easier. From research I did back in 2001 when I was having treatments, taxotere has a slight edge on effectiveness - but not that much to have terrible side effects. Good luck with taxol - still not a day in the park, but better alternative.

    Hugs, and wishing you good luck too.
    Jean
  • AngelBaby
    AngelBaby Member Posts: 47
    #5
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    rizzo15 said:

    I agree with Hummingbyrd. Taxotere is only one formulation of Taxol. And I have also heard that one may be tolerated better than the other in some people. You would still be getting the same active ingredient, it is just formulated a little differently. The nail and fingertip side effects are well known ones. That should have been on the disclosure sheet they gave you before treatment. I've not heard of any remedies for them--only that they are common.

    I wish these doctors would keep better records of less common side effects. I lost my sense of taste for two whole months when taking Taxotere and that was never mentioned on the disclosure sheet!

    Thanks for mentioning the sense of taste. I haven't been able to enjoy food in a month. I spend the weekends drooling over Food Network..
  • blossomtime
    blossomtime Member Posts: 98
    #6
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    I took taxotere. Finished it in jan 2003. The biggest and most difficult side effect to deal with was the loss of taste while I was going thru treatment. I couldnt taste a thing. So I just never wanted to eat. But I got thru it somehow. I think it would be disconcerting though to have blood in the nailbeds. At least going thru chemo I expected food and eating issues. I agree maybe it calls for a switch in drugs. I just wanted to do what I had to in order to receive the best drug. The Dr at M.D. Anderson thought taxotere was better than taxol, so that is what I wanted. Of course I found out later that the dosage had been reduced due to low white counts. I really wish I had been told that. I wasnt very happy but what's done, is done. Good luck on the rest of your treatments. Take care. Sharon
  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #7
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    Angel, having little blisters of blood come up under the nail beds, getting red palms and heels are all normal occurrences with taxotere. Do a web search using http://www.google.com on taxotere for valuable information. I completed four cycles of taxotere. The treatment has a beginning, a middle and an end and it is your life and future that hang in the balance. Although the drug made for some very difficult months, I felt that it was a better choice for me than taxol for a number of reasons. If you read information comparing the two, you will find that like everything else, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. You ought to be getting Dexamethasone the day before treatment, the day of treatment and the day after treatment to minimize the side-effects. Be as informed as you can be. Love, Denise
  • tarabrown
    tarabrown Member Posts: 14
    #8
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    i completed taxoterre in July and have continued to suffer side effects with both finger and toenails which research indicated is a rare but occasional side effect. I've lost five toes nails in the last month and my fingernails are detached from the nail beds. i've cut them rather short and am very careful with them but have lost about 60% of my right pinky nail which snapped off with very little pain but signigicant emotional damage. I feel that each of these events comes to an end and thaat if i continue pushing forward the end will be successful. Keep your chin up and open communication with your doctors. Love Tara
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #9
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    tarabrown said:

    i completed taxoterre in July and have continued to suffer side effects with both finger and toenails which research indicated is a rare but occasional side effect. I've lost five toes nails in the last month and my fingernails are detached from the nail beds. i've cut them rather short and am very careful with them but have lost about 60% of my right pinky nail which snapped off with very little pain but signigicant emotional damage. I feel that each of these events comes to an end and thaat if i continue pushing forward the end will be successful. Keep your chin up and open communication with your doctors. Love Tara

    tarabrown. My last Taxotere treatment was mid-June and the ends of my fingernails are still separated from the nail bed too, about halfway up the nail. So if I do gardening or any other "messy/dirty" activity, they look really ugly about half way up the nail and it's hard to clean under the nail. The only thing I can think to do, so I don't gross out my office coworkers, is to paint my fingernails a soft pink..and hope that the nails don't get caught on something and suddenly peel off all the way. Sure reminds me not to take so much for granted. I used to think that people who used a bottle opener to pull a tab on a canned soft drink were whimps. Well, just call me "Whimpy" !!
  • chemoqueen1
    chemoqueen1 Member Posts: 50
    #10
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    Are you taking Dexadron the day before, day of and day after chemo. Could be you are having an alergic reaction. As you Dr about Dexadron
  • Snookums
    Snookums Member Posts: 148
    #11
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    I am with DeeNy taxotere is tough but I am glad I took it after my research aswell. I even ended up with blisters on my hands palm side and fingertips as well as the blue, purple nail beds. I added a b complex supplement and kept vita e oil on my hands 2 or 3 times a day for 2 weeks and it went away. I had to stop treatment 1 week and heal my hands some but got right back on it and finished. I, too , still have funky looking nails on my thumbs and big toes but it is getting better. I do remember living on McDonalsd milk shakes the last week. All I could taste and keep down, oh and fruit flavored Icees. Good luck and keep fighting!
  • vjean
    vjean Member Posts: 14
    #12
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    tarabrown said:

    i completed taxoterre in July and have continued to suffer side effects with both finger and toenails which research indicated is a rare but occasional side effect. I've lost five toes nails in the last month and my fingernails are detached from the nail beds. i've cut them rather short and am very careful with them but have lost about 60% of my right pinky nail which snapped off with very little pain but signigicant emotional damage. I feel that each of these events comes to an end and thaat if i continue pushing forward the end will be successful. Keep your chin up and open communication with your doctors. Love Tara

    tarabrown,
    I sounds like you and I are at about the same stage with the finger/toe nail loss. I would like to follow you as you go through this. How do we communicate one on one?
  • vjean
    vjean Member Posts: 14
    #13
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    tarabrown said:

    i completed taxoterre in July and have continued to suffer side effects with both finger and toenails which research indicated is a rare but occasional side effect. I've lost five toes nails in the last month and my fingernails are detached from the nail beds. i've cut them rather short and am very careful with them but have lost about 60% of my right pinky nail which snapped off with very little pain but signigicant emotional damage. I feel that each of these events comes to an end and thaat if i continue pushing forward the end will be successful. Keep your chin up and open communication with your doctors. Love Tara

    tarabrown,
    I sounds like you and I are at about the same stage with the finger/toe nail loss. I would like to follow you as you go through this. How do we communicate one on one?
  • vjean
    vjean Member Posts: 14
    #14
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    tarabrown said:

    i completed taxoterre in July and have continued to suffer side effects with both finger and toenails which research indicated is a rare but occasional side effect. I've lost five toes nails in the last month and my fingernails are detached from the nail beds. i've cut them rather short and am very careful with them but have lost about 60% of my right pinky nail which snapped off with very little pain but signigicant emotional damage. I feel that each of these events comes to an end and thaat if i continue pushing forward the end will be successful. Keep your chin up and open communication with your doctors. Love Tara

    tarabrown,
    I sounds like you and I are at about the same stage with the finger/toe nail loss. I would like to follow you as you go through this. How do we communicate one on one?

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