Finished Chemo Last Week How long before side effects go away?

Options
pixie2011
pixie2011 Member Posts: 6
in Breast Cancer #1
I had my last treatment last Wednesday and wondered if anyone can tell me how long side effects stay - I of course have hair loss, loss of taste and tearing eyes.

Thanks for any information -

Judy

Comments

  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #2
    Options
    Hi Judy, congratulations on
    Hi Judy, congratulations on finishing your chemo. As for the side effects it really depends what they are and on you.

    My hair started growing in towards the end of my Taxol treatment but I didn't get my eyebrows and eyelashes until a couple of months after finishing. My taste came back a week later, the acid relux, diarrhea and ulcerated throat and stomach cleared up in a week although I still had a stomach ulcer in June, I don't feel it now so am not sure it is still there. Neuropathy in hands and inflammation in joints took about 8 months and I still have some neuropathy in my feet 13 months later.

    Everyone is so different and I am sure others on this board will give you a different story from mine. Sorry we can't be more exact.

    I wish you luck with the side effects and hope they do clear up quickly.
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #3
    Options
    Judy,
    On a previous post
    Judy,
    On a previous post someone mentioned that the length of time of treatment would be the minimum time to recover. My last chemo was 3-2-11. After that I had surgery and rads finished 6-29-11. I feel great for the most part. A little more tired sometimes, but that is it. The hair is still shorter than I like but most people don't realize it's chemo hair!

    Cindy
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #4
    Options
    Ongoing Side Effects
    Hi Judy,

    Feels good to be done with chemo, doesn't it? I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. The last one was on 8/4/2010. About 3 weeks after the last infusion I was able to eat nearly normally and, most importantly, hold it down. I was as bald as an egg and it took me 6 months before I felt comfortable going out in public without a head scarf, hat or wig. Of course, I live in California and the weather was warm enough to go "topless." If I lived in a cooler climate I think it would have been another 6 weeks before there was enough hair for that. I have had to shave my legs fairly regularly for maybe 6 months now, but hardly ever for my underarms. My eyebrows are thinner but are visible. Unfortunately, it has now been 14 months since my last Taxotere infusion and my eyes are STILL watering. I seem to be one of the few whose eyes water for so long after chemo is over. No eye make-up for me. I have consulted an opthamologist as well as my oncologist and there really is nothing I can do about it beyond keeping tissues everywhere.

    May your side effects disappear quickly.

    IRENE
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #5
    Options
    mamolady said:

    Judy,
    On a previous post
    Judy,
    On a previous post someone mentioned that the length of time of treatment would be the minimum time to recover. My last chemo was 3-2-11. After that I had surgery and rads finished 6-29-11. I feel great for the most part. A little more tired sometimes, but that is it. The hair is still shorter than I like but most people don't realize it's chemo hair!

    Cindy

    Cindy...
    And I have the same info...both my radiation oncologist and medical oncologist said it takes about as long as you were in ALL treatment to recover...my treatment from start to finish, surgery, chemo and rads the first time, took 6 months...about 3 months later I noticed that I started to feel better, less fatigue, etc...it takes time....took me about 9 months...your body has been through quite a trauma...and we're all different...some recover quicker than others...listen to your body..it will tell you what it needs....we all want to feel "normal" again as fast as we can...my taste buds always came back about a week after each infusion...I stopped wearing my wig 5 months after chemo ended...it was short, curly and salt and pepper...I got rid of the salt as quickly as I could...haha....my eyelashes, which I didn't totally lose, I had about 10 left on each eye, seemed to take a long time to grow back...I just lined my top eyelid and most never noticed....

    Be patient and kind to yourself....you'll get there!
    Wishing you the best..
    Hugs, Nancy
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #6
    Options
    jessiesmom1 said:

    Ongoing Side Effects
    Hi Judy,

    Feels good to be done with chemo, doesn't it? I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. The last one was on 8/4/2010. About 3 weeks after the last infusion I was able to eat nearly normally and, most importantly, hold it down. I was as bald as an egg and it took me 6 months before I felt comfortable going out in public without a head scarf, hat or wig. Of course, I live in California and the weather was warm enough to go "topless." If I lived in a cooler climate I think it would have been another 6 weeks before there was enough hair for that. I have had to shave my legs fairly regularly for maybe 6 months now, but hardly ever for my underarms. My eyebrows are thinner but are visible. Unfortunately, it has now been 14 months since my last Taxotere infusion and my eyes are STILL watering. I seem to be one of the few whose eyes water for so long after chemo is over. No eye make-up for me. I have consulted an opthamologist as well as my oncologist and there really is nothing I can do about it beyond keeping tissues everywhere.

    May your side effects disappear quickly.

    IRENE

    many of the effects go away
    many of the effects go away pretty quickly but the fatiqe can last for some time. I am only saying this as I was not prepared to be so tired for so long. I still dont know what to expect but it does get better.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #7
    Options
    mariam_11_09 said:

    Hi Judy, congratulations on
    Hi Judy, congratulations on finishing your chemo. As for the side effects it really depends what they are and on you.

    My hair started growing in towards the end of my Taxol treatment but I didn't get my eyebrows and eyelashes until a couple of months after finishing. My taste came back a week later, the acid relux, diarrhea and ulcerated throat and stomach cleared up in a week although I still had a stomach ulcer in June, I don't feel it now so am not sure it is still there. Neuropathy in hands and inflammation in joints took about 8 months and I still have some neuropathy in my feet 13 months later.

    Everyone is so different and I am sure others on this board will give you a different story from mine. Sorry we can't be more exact.

    I wish you luck with the side effects and hope they do clear up quickly.

    Just wanted to say Congrats
    Just wanted to say Congrats Judy on finishing chemo!


    Hugs, Lex
  • kwok
    kwok Member Posts: 3
    #8
    Options
    What have you found useful to manage taste bud changes?

    Hello, first of all, I'm new to this network.  I have breast ca stage 2, ER + PR - Her2 +,  Neo Adjuvant treatment TCHP, 6 cycles, 3 week cycles.  I've completed 3 cycles.  

    Side effects include acid reflux (controlled mostly by Omeprazole and sometimes add Tums), constipation & diarrhoea - frequent movements at end of first week, but the worst is loss of taste bud.  Minor mouth sore 2 out of 3 times but goes away within a couople of days without treatment of it.  Some fatigue more with each round in the first week.  

    What bothers me most is the loss of taste.  This time, I can't taste salt much.  Each time its different.  Has anyone found any solution or anything useful to counter this particular problem?  If so, much appreciate your sharing!  

    First cycle, I recovered taste at about day 10 after chemo.  Second round, didn't really recover much, and this 3rd. round, got worse with loss of salt taste.  (But at least I don't have acid floating around which I'm very thankful for!)  Any advise or suggestions are very welcome!  

    I hope everyone is doing their best to have a good day - I certainly am planning to, loss of taste buds or not!!  

     

    Best Wishes to all,

    Irene

     

     

     

     

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #9
    Options
    kwok said:

    What have you found useful to manage taste bud changes?

    Hello, first of all, I'm new to this network.  I have breast ca stage 2, ER + PR - Her2 +,  Neo Adjuvant treatment TCHP, 6 cycles, 3 week cycles.  I've completed 3 cycles.  

    Side effects include acid reflux (controlled mostly by Omeprazole and sometimes add Tums), constipation & diarrhoea - frequent movements at end of first week, but the worst is loss of taste bud.  Minor mouth sore 2 out of 3 times but goes away within a couople of days without treatment of it.  Some fatigue more with each round in the first week.  

    What bothers me most is the loss of taste.  This time, I can't taste salt much.  Each time its different.  Has anyone found any solution or anything useful to counter this particular problem?  If so, much appreciate your sharing!  

    First cycle, I recovered taste at about day 10 after chemo.  Second round, didn't really recover much, and this 3rd. round, got worse with loss of salt taste.  (But at least I don't have acid floating around which I'm very thankful for!)  Any advise or suggestions are very welcome!  

    I hope everyone is doing their best to have a good day - I certainly am planning to, loss of taste buds or not!!  

     

    Best Wishes to all,

    Irene

     

     

     

     

    odd taste

    Plastic forks and spoons help with taste.  But I still have days where things still will be off.  Just happens. 

     

Discussion Boards