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Old 06-17-2015, 06:02 AM   #1
Teal55
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 47
Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Hello!
I am struggling n suffering with chemo SE. I am suppose to have Round 3 on Thursday June 18 but I have platletts of only 62 n low white n red cells. I also have painful cramping n watery diarrhea.

Please ....can u share your experience with TCHP
How did u manage these SE. The cramping hurts so bad!
THANKS !
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Old 06-17-2015, 09:32 AM   #2
thinkpositive
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 411
Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

I'm so sorry your having a rough time. For me, I used Imodium A-D for the diarrhea and cramping. I took double the amount recommended on the packaging per my doctors instructions. That really did the trick for me. I also ate pretty bland food while I was struggling with this and found it also helped. I would eat toast, crackers, cottage cheese, yogurt, soup, eggs, things like that.

Hope this works for you. Know that it does get better.

Take Care,
Brenda
__________________
8/2013 Diagnosed IDC Left Breast ER-/PR-/HER2+ Stage 3C, DCIS ER+/PR+/HER2- Right Breast (54 yr)
8/2013 PET/CT scan shows mass in uterues and suprclavicular nodes
8/20/13 Begin 6 rounds TCH chemo, Perjeta added for rounds 4-6
9/2013 After 1st round of chemo, mass in neck and breast no longer able to feel
11/2013 Hysterectomy, mass from PET/CT scan not cancer (adenomylosis)
12/2013 Finished chemo
1/2014 Double mastectomy with chest expanders
1/2014 Pathology report from surgery and SNB show complete pathological response!
3/2014 Finish IMRT radiation
8/2014 Fat transfer to radiated breast
8/2014 Completed 1 yr of Herceptin
10/2014 exchange surgery expanders removed implants placed
6/2015 3D nipple and areola tattoos
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Old 06-17-2015, 09:49 AM   #3
Teal55
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 47
Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Hi Brenda
Thanks! Are you currently on TCHP? If so did you have sude effect problems? Im suppose to have Round 3 tomorrow but my blood counts are too low. Platletts are only 62. I heard boarderline is 150. I didnt start steroids today. Waiting for nurse to call back.

If you are on TCHP can you share your side effect experience. Thanks!
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Old 06-17-2015, 11:58 AM   #4
thinkpositive
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Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Teal55,

I'm not currently on TCHP. I had my last chemo in Dec 2013.

I did have some of the same side effects that you are talking about. Because my blood counts were low, I started receiving Neulasta shots the day after each chemo. These began with chemo #3 and continued until my last chemo #6. I got mouth sores but found that if I ate ice during my infusions this solved the problem. I felt sick at times and took the anti nausea meds which helped.

However, I knew that two days after chemo I would get really sick for a couple hours and nothing would help. During this period I would have severe diarrhea, chills, fever, vomiting, and shaking. It would happen during the night and started with chemo #3 and continued until chemo #6. My husband would bring me a cool towel for my head, a big blanket, and he would rub my body to help with the shaking. Once I had nothing left to vomit up or poop out, the worst was over. I'd take some Imodium A-D and anti nausea meds and then I'd sleep. When I awoke, I felt pretty good.

Some people have bone pain with Neulasta but I had no problems with it at all. My counts were always good once I started the Neulasta.

Good luck to you. You'll get through this!

Take Care,
Brenda
__________________
8/2013 Diagnosed IDC Left Breast ER-/PR-/HER2+ Stage 3C, DCIS ER+/PR+/HER2- Right Breast (54 yr)
8/2013 PET/CT scan shows mass in uterues and suprclavicular nodes
8/20/13 Begin 6 rounds TCH chemo, Perjeta added for rounds 4-6
9/2013 After 1st round of chemo, mass in neck and breast no longer able to feel
11/2013 Hysterectomy, mass from PET/CT scan not cancer (adenomylosis)
12/2013 Finished chemo
1/2014 Double mastectomy with chest expanders
1/2014 Pathology report from surgery and SNB show complete pathological response!
3/2014 Finish IMRT radiation
8/2014 Fat transfer to radiated breast
8/2014 Completed 1 yr of Herceptin
10/2014 exchange surgery expanders removed implants placed
6/2015 3D nipple and areola tattoos
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Old 06-17-2015, 01:21 PM   #5
thinkpositive
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 411
Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Sorry, forgot to mention constant watery eyes and nose. Occasionally I would get bloody noses.
__________________
8/2013 Diagnosed IDC Left Breast ER-/PR-/HER2+ Stage 3C, DCIS ER+/PR+/HER2- Right Breast (54 yr)
8/2013 PET/CT scan shows mass in uterues and suprclavicular nodes
8/20/13 Begin 6 rounds TCH chemo, Perjeta added for rounds 4-6
9/2013 After 1st round of chemo, mass in neck and breast no longer able to feel
11/2013 Hysterectomy, mass from PET/CT scan not cancer (adenomylosis)
12/2013 Finished chemo
1/2014 Double mastectomy with chest expanders
1/2014 Pathology report from surgery and SNB show complete pathological response!
3/2014 Finish IMRT radiation
8/2014 Fat transfer to radiated breast
8/2014 Completed 1 yr of Herceptin
10/2014 exchange surgery expanders removed implants placed
6/2015 3D nipple and areola tattoos
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Old 06-17-2015, 02:19 PM   #6
tricia keegan
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Posts: 3,463
Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Teal, mention all this to your Chemo nurses or Onc as they can give you something for it, also for low white cells a shot of Neualsta should help, don't suffer in silence and be sure to report it.
__________________
Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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Old 06-17-2015, 06:18 PM   #7
Mtngrl
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Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1,427
Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Platelets can actually get pretty low without any serious consequences, other than bruising easily, unless you're going to have surgery. I was very reassured when I talked to my doctor about my platelets dropping into single digits.* It's not ideal, but also not a huge problem.

Stay on top of diarrhea (with medication), and stay hydrated. It can become a vicious cycle if you don't interrupt it.

Hang in there. You won't be on chemo forever.

Amy

*Not really "single digits." The number they give on my reports is in the thousands. So your "borderline" number is 150,000.
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Old 06-20-2015, 06:14 AM   #8
linzer
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Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

I found that the Immodium was worse for me. I couldn't quite get the right dose, and would often feel bloated and very gassy/crampy from it. I did use high doses of L-glutamine powder and that cut the edge off of the diarrhea quite a bit. It didn't stop completely, but was much more manageable. Drink A LOT of fluids the day before, day of, and a day or two after chemo - as in 90-100 ounces. I stayed very hydrated that way. Good luck. I know that it's a tough time. Dig in to your strength, and accept support from others. Rest when you need to. Hugs!
__________________
---------------
5/15/14 Dx IDC, right breast, 2 cm with 3 cm lymph node ER/PR- Her2+

6/11/14 Taxol / Herceptin / Perjeta

9/17/14 Lumpectomy, axillary lymph node dissection 3/9 nodes showed previous involvement but all clear due to THP!!

9/24/14 NED

10/8/14 AC x 4

12/16/14 rads x 20 WBRT only
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:23 PM   #9
DonnaZ
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Join Date: Sep 2017
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Smile Re: Help with painful side effects from TCHP!

Hi. I have been mananging my side effects from TCHp by taking my nausea medication 24/7 (even setting alarm in the middle of the night), brushing my teeth and rinsing with biotene several times a day, drinking bone broth, getting massages, walking, taking baths, having family help with picking kids up from school, eating a low carbohydrate diet and drinking a lot of water. I do sometimes take naps in the middle of the day when I'm tired. I'm taking Omega 3, to help boost the Herceptin. This was the advice from my oncologist. I do have days when I want to quit but mostly I have been doing great at keeping most side effects at bay. You can do this!
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