Side Effects of Taxotere/Cisplatin/Herception combination

[SherriT]

Can anyone offer their comments into what they have experienced for side effects when receiving Taxotere/Cisplatin/Herceptin? I start with the above next week and am apprehensive about them after reading some of the postings. For the first 'blast' next week, it will be Herceptin one day and then the Taxotere/Cisplatin the next day. Then every three weeks all three drugs will be administered together. Anyone else have it done this way?

[tousled1]

I start taxatore alone on Wednesday and I too am apprehensive about side effects. I had a lumbar spinal fusion Dec 2004 and already have permanent neuropathy and surely don't need anymore. I'm sure you will get many responses on this subject. Good luck to you.

[Toril]

I have had one year with navelbine / herceptin for my livermets. Its been very good, but unfortunately the mets are growing again. So no we will try taxotere / herceptin. Had my first treatment yesterday. So far so good. Have not noticed any sideeffects yet - eccept from "blushing cheeks", possible from the decadron I am having the days around.
the first treatment been giving alone, but next time I will have it together with herceptin, just like you said you were having.

How are you? Understand you will have Cisplatin also?

[SherriT]

I am glad to hear that there hasn't really been any major side effects with these two drugs. I most of my anxiety stems from the fact that I know what to expect from the FEC treatments I have just been getting (4 of them) and now moving to something different kind of throws me for a loop on what to expect. The nurses have told me that these next four won't be as bad as the first four so I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it happens that way.

Yes, I will be receiving Cisplatin as well. My understanding is that I will get the Herceptin the first day and then the Cisplatin/Taxotere the next day.

[Becky]

Cisplatin (and its sister drug, carboplatin) are platium based drugs. They can (in some people) cause a temporary loss of hearing (not total deafness or anything like that) but some hearing reduction.


Whether or not it happens to you, use this factoid to your advantage and only "hear" what you want to hear, huh?:)

Have a nice Sunday

Becky

[SherriT]

Okay, I'm the nutbar of the day!! I've just realized that I've got the wrong drug--I will be getting CARBOplatin, not CISplatin!! My apologies. You'd think that I would have a better clue about what drugs I'm going to be given for goodness sakes!! Do 'ya think I can chalk this one up to CRS syndrome?? You know, "can't remember s**t" syndrome, LOL!!

Now that I've got it straightened out, can anyone out there off any comments about taking Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin all at the same time? :)

[lu ann]

I had a similar combo with the exception of taxol for the taxotere. I received my treatments 3 weeks on/1 off. I had the same amount spread out over 3 weeks at a lesser dose. The taxol does not require as much pre-meds as the taxotere. I lost about 80% of my hair and did not experience neuropathy. I felt achey in my bones and had occasional diahrea. I'm glad to be of help.

Love and Blessings
Lu Ann

[SherriT]

Lu ann--when you say that the Taxotere requires more pre-meds, what do you mean by that?

[lu ann]

Hi Sherri, I was told by my oncologist that more decadron would be used if I were to get taxotere. I chose taxol over taxotere for that reason. I met a cancer patient who was up for days because of the use of decadron. I was quite wired even with the lesser dose.

Love and Blessings
Lu Ann

[tousled1]

I start Taxatore Wednesday and have been pescribed Decadron. I am to take 4mg twice a day the day before chemo, twice a day the day of chemo, and then just once the day after chemo. As Decadron is a steroid I believe it is given to prevent swelling which is a common side effect of Taxatore.

[doh2pa]

Hi Sheri,

I am on a similar regimen - herceptin, carboplatin and a study drug called ixabepilone that is similar to the taxanes. I am finishing up (tomorrow is my last one!). These were my side effects over the last six months but since I had all 3 of these drugs together it's hard to know what did what. I had a quesy stomach the day or 2 after (eat lots of small meals), lots of stomach acid (taking protonix daily), bad constipation (till I learned how to handle it) and lost about 80% of my hair (still have full coverage on my head but it's very thin!). I had some sleeplessness (steroid related??)and some back achiness. Do expect some fatigue, so get lots of rest. Eat healthy (lots of iron rich foods to keep those red cells pumping out) and try to get some exercise (walking is great). Almost all of these side effects (well, maybe not the hair one!) can be handled so make sure you mention all of them to your onc. Looking back on the last 6 months, I think the hardest part was mental, trying to keep my spirits up to get through it all. Loving and helpful friends and family are my best recommendation for that.

Good luck with it all - you will get through it! If you have any specific questions about how I handled any of the side effects feel free to e-mail me at doh2pa@comcast.net.

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Donna

[SherriT]

Donna,

Congrats for receiving the last one! As much as I'm looking forward to the last one, I am apprehensive as well.

Thanks for the input on the side effects. I was told by my onc. that this "next round of four" would be easier than my last four (FEC combo). I was told that diarhea was quite common for my next four rounds, not constipation. Interesting that you suffered from that. Maybe from the other drug that you were getting? As for the hair, I don't have any right now so it won't be a big shocker for it to not grow back over the next four rounds.

Thanks for your post, much appreciated!

Sherri

[Lee]

Although using Taxol instead of Taxotere and I get treatments every week (3 wks all drugs, 1 wk just herceptin) instead of once every 3 wks. I've been on this for 5 months now and side effects have been pretty manageable.

My most consistent symptom has been diarrhea, but it's pretty controllable with Immodium. I was also having trouble sleeping the night of chemo due to the steroid (decadron) but asked that they cut my dose in half, which has helped. I also lost nearly all my hair (and shaved off what was left!). I'm more tired than usual, but not so much that I can't function or anything like that. I have 3 small children so laying around on the couch all day just isn't an option!

All in all, it hasn't been too bad. Good luck and keep us posted on how you do!

[Helen]

I had taxotere/carboplatin combo once every three weeks with weekly Herceptin and finished it in December. The side effects that I can remember were hair loss, constipation, nausea 2 days after chemo and aches and pains on my joints. My premeds was decadron taken 1 day before, on the day and day after chemo. My RBC and WBC counts were low but usually go back up by the time I will have my chemo dose again.
I hope and pray that things will work out great for you.

Helen

[Toril]

I am on a combination of Taxotere and Herceptin. Just had one treatment with taxotere, so far so good.
Would be very interesting if any of you have any comments to why you were given a combination of two drugs + herceptin - since I myself as mentioned "just" get one.

Thanks in advance!
Toril

[sabpri]

I did Taxotere/Carboplat/Herceptin weekly for 12 weeks and felt TONS better than I did on the AC regimen. I had already lost my hair on the AC, but I had NO nausea and less fatigue than the AC. The only irritation that I had, which a lot of people don't have, is that my taste buds disappeared and everything taste like paper. It took a good month to get some taste back, but the good news was that the only things that didn't taste too awful was salad, fruits and veggies so I lost 10 pounds. My thumbnail cracked and split but none of the other nails did. I also had my tear ducts get slightly blocked so I had to see an eye doc every month to open them (no big deal, just a little flush of the tear ducts in the office - no pain). I am still dealing with trying to get it completely gone, but I am almost there. In the whole scheme of things, nothing was too bad.

Natalie

[SherriT]

Thanks to you all for your responses. Makes me feel better to hear that all of you haven't had side effects that were unbearable to deal with. I'm hoping I am the same.

I just got home from my pre-chemo doctor appointment and my counts are down slightly so I won't be getting it this week. One extra week of feeling "good" I guess, or just another week for me to dwell on how I'm going to react to the new treatment regime.

Anyways, take care and thanks again to you all.

Sherri

[Jackie]

I had taxotere every 3 weeks with weekly Herceptin for 4 rounds. My chemo nurse told me I had nearly every side effect there was. I had had AC every 3 weeks x 4 prior to these drugs.

I had already lost my hair. I had mouth sores, lost nearly all taste of food, indigestion, a lot of fatigue (especially by the end of treatments 11/05), I developed a sensitivity to adhesive and still have this(bandaids, MUGA disks, etc), I lost all of my finger nails and some of my toe nails (hand & foot syndrome) with the palms of my hands looking like they were burned and would peel after nearly every treatment, a lot of sensitivity in my fingers, and neuropathy in my feet and ankles after I finished treatment. I started retaining fluid throughout my treatment and it got really bad at the end(gained 20 lbs). They put me on laxis and I continue to take this to help with the water retention (it is a lot better now). I am still dealing with the neuropathy in my feet and ankles and hope this will go away soon.

I am truely the exception to the side effects. I have a good friend who had the exact same treatment ( about 4-5 weeks behind me) and her side effects weren't near as severe. I pray everything will go well for you.

Jackie

[Sandy H]

I am on Herceptin, Taxol and Carboplatin. I have tolerated it very well. I get it three weeks on and one week off which is really two weeks off. The Carboplatin is very constipating for me. I mean very, very much so. I can get it in the morning and by night it is rocks!! I take lots and I mean lots of prunes. Very gasey but hey, its better then trying to expell rocks!! I refuse to take any over the counter meds if I can use something natural God knows I have enough toxins in my body without adding anymore. I only have to do the prunes for two days and then I am back to normal. My oncologist says it brings down the potassium so I drinks lots of OJ but then have to be careful about mouth sores. I eat watermellon and of course prunes are good but high in sugar so then my sugar goes up. I am not a diabetic. I wish you well and you will no doubt hear from others on this site. hugs, Sandy

[Chelee]

Hi SherriT, I did the Herceptin, Taxotere, and Carbpotin. Considering...I don't think it was too bad considering other combinations of drugs I heard others used. I will admit I felt pretty tired....went straight from my bed in the morning to the couch to lay down. Little to no appetite. Nothing tasted good...but MADE myself eat so my body had something to fight back with.

I did after a week or so notice my tongue getting a bit sore....not too bad..just enough to annoy me. Slight tingling in my hands and finger tips that would come and go...also in my knuckles. Not real bad though.

I think the worse by far was the aches and pains in the joints and bones. I just hurt all over.

I was also very constipated which I took senokot for and it finally did the job. I tried prune juice but that didn't do it for me. I think it was 3 days of the senokot before I finally got things moving. So if you think about it...you might want to start asap with something to keep things moving.

I also noticed right away it didn't take long before my finger nails got thin and didn't grow at all. I had clipped them a little bit and was sorry I did as they never grew after the Taxotere. (I am asssuming the taxotere is what did it after all I have read about it.) That seems to be the worse of the three. Occasionally I felt a little nauseated but I never really felt as though I would throw up...so that wasn't too bad. The anti nausea meds they give you really do work pretty good.

I agree with the others about the Decadron. I HATE that! But had to take it the day BEFORE...day of...and day after. That stuff makes you feel awful...but what can you do.

It wasn't until about the third week before I started losing my hair...which again..I believe that was due to the taxotere. It slowly started coming out over a weeks time.

But mainly I believe the worse for me was fatigue, constipation, and aches and pains in joints and bone pain. I got tired of hurting all over. I took some Norco for the pain....it helped some. But everyone is different...and all meds affect each of of in all kinds of ways. You might get lucky and have only a few of these things. I have heard others on these same meds and they did ok compared to me. So you never know.

I know I start back on these same drugs this Monday...and I am dreading it. Mainly the bone pain being the worse. But I got through it before...and can do it again. The first week I believe for me was the worse. I just wanted to lay down alot. Let us know how it goes...I will check back in here myself monday after my infusion. Hang in there...take care.

[tousled1]

I just had my first of 4 rounds of taxatore (decadron pre-med) on Wednesday. Thursday morning I felt pretty good but since Thursday evening all I have been able to do is get up and go to the bathroom and then back to bed. I have never been so exhausted in my entire life! Besides the extreme fatigue every bone in my body hurts too. I have 3 more rounds to go and hopefully my body will be able to adjust somewhat to the drug so that I don't feel completely incacapitated.

[SherriT]

Well, I managed to make it through my first "hit" of Herceptin/Carpoplatin/Docetaxel without too much problem. I was so worked up about what was going to happen during the first treatment and now, in hindsight, it was merely for nothing. I experienced no side effects during treatment, thankfully.

I definitely do not like the Dexamethasone I've decided. They put me on a double-dose the day before, day of and day after and I just hate that stuff. I think it makes me feel the worst of all. Anyone have any ideas whether it's the Dexamathasone that gives you that "spoonful of flour" feeling in your mouth? Man I cannot stand that either. No amount of water seems to counteract it and I don't really like to drink anything too "sweet" to kill the taste--as it really comes back with an even worse taste afterwards.

Other than that, it hasn't been too bad, so far anyways. I am feeling tired but nothing too over the top yet. I did manage to sleep until almost 10:00 this morning though, which I must have needed because I can't remember the last time I did that, LOL!

Take care everyone and thanks for your responses.

SherriT

[Chelee]

I am so happy to hear you got through your first chemo much better then you expected. :) I know that worry and fear of your "first" chemo session. Mine wasn't that long ago. Boy was I stressing over it. But like you....mine went well. My infusion nurse said I got a A+. lol I was so worried about side affects or a nasty reaction...but all and all...it wasn't bad at all. The worse part for the FIRST infusion was the FIVE hours in the chair. Long day! Plus that darned pre-med Decadron. Misrable stuff! Keeps you feeling jittery and WIDE awake. So hard to sleep when your on it. Plus the Decadron cause my face to get SUPER RED and actually HOT to touch. My oncologist said he never saw anyones face actually FEEL hot to touch. The red flushing part is semi normal.

I don't know about that spoonful of flour feeling in your mouth...but I am NOT sure if that is from the decadron or the other chemo drugs you had??? I know I lose most my taste buds after chemo. Really don't think its the decadron? Things taste funny and some things even smell darned right awful. Like I LOVE the smell of coffee...but after chemo...oh gag me! I know I get a metal kind of taste in my mouth...its awful. But it gets better after the first week. So hang in there.

But anyway...glad you got through your first chemo ok. Now you won't stress as much over the next since you know what to expect. We have all been where you were. Its really scary not knowing what to expect the first time. I found it darn well overwhelming!
Your really lucky you could sleep...especially after the decadron. I know I play heck sleeping after chemo due to the decadron. I am SO TIRED...but I CAN'T sleep no matter how hard I try. Its frustrating.

Thanks for letting us know how it went. Keep posting. :)