Taxanes and anti-convulsants

The writer of the Australian Paper on Herceptin in my previous post, Lyn - what a time you have had. We know from treating patients with brain tumours that taxol can require increased dosing on epilim and dilantin to achieve the same level of toxicity ie hair falling out and blood counts dropping. Work has not been done in breast cancer but theoretically the issues are the same. Neurontin does not have this effect. If you have had those expected side effects then probably the dose you have had has been adequate, but if not, then maybe worth retrying a taxane off epilim and on neurontin. Down side is that neuropathy would be worsened on a taxane. Hope this is some help

Fran Boyle


my hair did start to grow back before I finished the 26 weekly doses of Taxol, I thought it was the flaxseed? My friend who died while on Herceptin Taxol did not loose a hair on her head? Seems I should not have been disappointed when I was hairless (hate the word bald)

Love & Hugs Lyn

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the post. My hair fell out AS SCHEDULED 14 days and didn't come back until during radiation and my blood counts dropped (the LAST one was 200 and hospitalized me). I wondered as I am on a low dose of phenobarb...you made my day:)