Hair Loss With Abraxane/Avastin Combo

[atdec05]

I'm on weekly Taxol/Herceptin - 2nd treatment coming up on Monday. My onc. told me hair would thin and may not come out before week 6 or 7, so I've delayed thinking about a wig.

My first treatment didn't go well - had heartburn and high BP, so the treatment was stopped and I had to come back the next day. I've really been dragging since then. I hope I can get through 11 more of these. My onc. even mentioned doing 16 of them, but I don't think so!

What bothers me is so many of my side effects (also mentioned by other women) are due to the steroids and pre-meds, not the Taxol! Which would have made Abraxane a much easier drug, but my onc. was being conservative and saying Taxol has all the data behind it.

take care all,
Anna

[Sheila]

Actually the Abraxane seemed to rate higher with much fewer side effects, but my Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL with Exelon/ComEd refused to pay for Abraxane because the cost was 5 times higher than Taxol....so I get the Taxol, more hair loss and more side effects from premeds...but I guess the premeds are necessary every time as their is a high incidence of reaction to the cremafor that it is mixed in. Thge second treatment was much less tiring, but then I didn't get the Avastin with it...next week is Taxol, Herceptin, Avastin...a long day in the chair! Hope I get one by the window...I can look out and see the Sears Tower and the United Center where the Bulls play/