2nd Taxol Treatmet Nurse Messed up

LoveBabyJesus
LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi sisters --

I just had my second Taxol treatment last night. My nurse messed up the drip timing. I was supposed to get it in 3 hrs, but instead got it in 5hrs. the first 3 hrs it was going very slow - 99/hr - it was supposed to be 199/hr. After three hours, my boyfriend noticed and was upset so he brought it up to her attention. She blamed the machine - but he saw her eneter 99/hr. After three hrs. she changed the setting to 199/hr, what it was supposed to be. Will this affect me? I got the right dose, but the drips were changed twice. Please let me know.

Thanks!

Comments

  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #2
    They start the drip slow in
    They start the drip slow in case you have a reaction. She may have thought you needed it slower or that may be standard for the first couple of treatments. Usually by the 3rd or 4th time they can speed it up. It doesn't affect you, some people take the 5 hours or more every time. The dose should be correct, at Kaiser they have a second nurse check my name and the order and the label on the IV solution.

    Cindy
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #3
    Shouldn't hurt
    I did my last 3 treatments over 5 to 6 hours to decrease bone pain and neuropathy. It worked, but they did have to keep adjusting it as they were never happy with the machine's output. It didn't affect anything for me but the boredom.

    Good luck,

    Jennifer
  • ldpettit
    ldpettit Member Posts: 128
    #4
    Taxol
    I haven't started my Taxol yet. I will Thursday. I will have the Taxol/Herceptin combo. I was told for my first treatment it will take 4 hours. So mine seems to be at a faster drip altogether. Not sure why - maybe it's my dosage. I am supposed to have my treatements every week for 12 weeks. How often will you have your Taxol? (weekly or every 3rd week?)
  • poplolly
    poplolly Member Posts: 346
    #5
    The only thing I noticed in
    The only thing I noticed in regards to the speed of the drip was that if they set it to go quickly, the medicine seemed to get into my sinuses and my nasal area would itch and feel funny. Of course, no one wants to be there all day if you don't have to. I don't think the speed of the drip will matter in terms of you getting the correct medicine in total.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #6
    poplolly said:

    The only thing I noticed in
    The only thing I noticed in regards to the speed of the drip was that if they set it to go quickly, the medicine seemed to get into my sinuses and my nasal area would itch and feel funny. Of course, no one wants to be there all day if you don't have to. I don't think the speed of the drip will matter in terms of you getting the correct medicine in total.

    I asked for slower speed
    At the first treatment they usually do it very slow in case if you would have a severe reaction.My second was at normal -high speed and I had very difficult time. Since that I did ask for my infusion to be at a very low speed which helped my body to tolerate Chemo treatment.
    Do not worry as long as you got a correct dose.
    Good luck
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #7
    New Flower said:

    I asked for slower speed
    At the first treatment they usually do it very slow in case if you would have a severe reaction.My second was at normal -high speed and I had very difficult time. Since that I did ask for my infusion to be at a very low speed which helped my body to tolerate Chemo treatment.
    Do not worry as long as you got a correct dose.
    Good luck

    I am a nurse and the speed
    I am a nurse and the speed does not matter as long as you got the right amount. Also some people have to have a decreased amount and they do just fine. The nurse probably started it slowly and forgot to increase it. The only harm is the inconveinence of being there longer.
  • emamei
    emamei Member Posts: 146
    #8
    Taxol Timing...
    I finished chemo on March 31, 2011. My last 4 treatments were on Taxol. I was told right away to expect treatment times to be between 4 and 5 hours each time. My oncologist and the chemo nurses explained that Taxol needs to be administered slowly as there is a chance of serious reaction to the drug. By having it administered slowly it allows your body to adjust and lessens the chance of a serious reaction and lessens the overall physical discomforts.
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #9
    your nurse did the right
    Your nurse did the right thing. My nurse did not, back in January of 2010. She tried to give me my 2nd infusion of taxol in the 3 hour time period and I had an extreme reaction 7 minutes into it, so bad that they took me off taxol and put me on taxotere. The drip started at 1 pm and perhaps she didnt want to be there until 6 pm. I'm simply speculating what my nurse did or did not do, but starting it slower seems to work better as you can see from all the comments. Hugs to you.
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #10
    ldpettit said:

    Taxol
    I haven't started my Taxol yet. I will Thursday. I will have the Taxol/Herceptin combo. I was told for my first treatment it will take 4 hours. So mine seems to be at a faster drip altogether. Not sure why - maybe it's my dosage. I am supposed to have my treatements every week for 12 weeks. How often will you have your Taxol? (weekly or every 3rd week?)

    Good luck!
    My treatment is every two weeks. I wish you well and pray for no side effects for you. For me it is easier than AC - well, even with the pains and all. I think when you do 12 weeks it may be easier for you. But the experts can comment on this too. Let us know how you do please.
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #11
    Thank you all for your
    Thank you all for your responses- I was worried. My Onco had ordered her to give me treatment in 3 hrs, at a speed of 199/hr. So when I saw it took longer, I was worried. But what worried me was that she called other nurses questioning why the machine did that as she had enetered the right figures. So they made it go faster. I didn't know what was going on and how this was going to affect me. Thank you all. Your words made me feel better. Today I am in pain...but this doesn't stop me! :)

    God bless you all.
  • CAchick
    CAchick Member Posts: 277
    #12
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    Thank you all for your
    Thank you all for your responses- I was worried. My Onco had ordered her to give me treatment in 3 hrs, at a speed of 199/hr. So when I saw it took longer, I was worried. But what worried me was that she called other nurses questioning why the machine did that as she had enetered the right figures. So they made it go faster. I didn't know what was going on and how this was going to affect me. Thank you all. Your words made me feel better. Today I am in pain...but this doesn't stop me! :)

    God bless you all.

    Anaphylactic reaction
    Hi,
    I had taxotere and cytoxan. Four infusions. The first one I did OK, but the second one I did not. I had an anaphylactic reaction---my throat closed up, extreme pain in my back, burning all over. I could barely breath. The nurses jumped in and pushed a corticosteroid and some benadryl. It got better over the next five minutes, but from then on they gave all my drugs slowly at first and speeded the infusion later in the administration.
    At least you could avoid that experience with slower infusion rates!
    Best wishes to you!
    Sybil
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #13
    emamei said:

    Taxol Timing...
    I finished chemo on March 31, 2011. My last 4 treatments were on Taxol. I was told right away to expect treatment times to be between 4 and 5 hours each time. My oncologist and the chemo nurses explained that Taxol needs to be administered slowly as there is a chance of serious reaction to the drug. By having it administered slowly it allows your body to adjust and lessens the chance of a serious reaction and lessens the overall physical discomforts.

    I don't know anything about
    I don't know anything about this, but, wanted to send you a hug!

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