Hi:

I'm starting taxol for the first time in a couple of days... any suggestions to make this easier? What pain medication worked best for you or you need any meds at all? How was your energy level?
Thanks all, Merridith

Drink - drink - drink! I didn't like the taste of water so I quit drinking! Bad idea. The taste improves, BTW.

Sip room temperature ginger ale for stomach queasies.

Get your wig ready! I lost every hair excep about 6 on one leg that I kept for souveniers!

Good luck! This too shall pass!
Jane

Hi
The only thing I remember about the Taxol was the pain. At first it wasn't too bad, but eventually I had to take vicodine. Once treatment stopped, I was fine after a few weeks.
el

I am on Taxol now. 13 weekly treatments so far. I don't have any pain, but I am very tired all the time and could sleep 20 hours a day, plus I lost my hair.

Yikes! This taxol sounds worse than A/C! And here I thought that I would have an easier time of it!
But thanks all for your replies. My first treatment is tomorrow morning.

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

I did not find taxol as bad as AC. It is different and I had some neuropathy but in general, no strong chemo side effects like mouth sores, nausea or bad blood counts like AC. Because you get more steroids with the taxanes, you are at first energized so you cannot sleep for 24-36 hours. Then you crash. However, the recovery between rounds is better and your counts never plummet as much. The neuropathy (fingers and toes - tingling) can be worse for some than others. There are holistic things you can take. Ask your onc nurse who will guide you. You will do fine!

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Hi,
I've been on Taxol since July 2010. I cut my hair for a good wig fit, but my hair only thinned out and grew back while on treatment. You may or may not lose your hair. Not everyone does on Taxol.
I use Dilaudid as necessary, which is not often.
I really had to get used to the tingling sensation on my scalp at first, but side effects have been minimal.
Best of luck,
Karen

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

The spammer is gone.

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

I had the same reaction to taxol as Becky stated, depsite it's own side effects it was far more tolerable than a/c and I needed no anti nausea or neulasta shots!!!
Good luck:)

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Merridith, Taxol was so much easier for me than AC. I had fatigue but did not have to have any Neulasta shots and I did not have hardly any nausea. I felt a big relief on Taxol after the AC!

Nancy

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Is anyone getting Taxol with herceptin and no other chemotherapy drugs? I am currently on Taxol x 12 weekly along with Herceptin which will continue. It doesn't appear to be the standard protocol, but two out of the three oncologists recommended that protocol and one of them is a nationally recognized breast cancer oncologist.

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Fluff Queen,

It was standard for me...

Melanie

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Merridth, I never had AC but from what I have read and heard, Taxol is much easier on a person. Granted there may be leg pain and other side effects associated with Taxol but there are meds to releive symptoms. And not everyone gets them all...For instance, I did have neuropathy. But not some of the other possible S/Es...We all react differently. So please don't begin by being fearful and expecting the worse. It will probably never happen. Keep the faith.
ETA: Fluff Queen: It was suggested to me to leave out the Carboplatin but the onc I ended up with prescribed all three so I went along with it. But it is not unheard of to only do the 2.

Re: Starting Taxol - questions
 

Hello,
Fatigue was the big issue for me. I was on weekly Taxol and Herceptin for 6 months (my onc thought the Taxol would be easier to take if taken every week as opposed to every 3 weeks a stronger dose), then Herceptin for 6 years (originally I was told for life). Ask the pharmacy or nurses about a gentle mouthwash to avoid mouth sores. I had no nausea. I rested a lot, read a lot, ate pasta and gained 15 pounds which I am still dragging around with me. Lost my hair, had terrible skin problems, itching, open sores, toe nails nearly came off, brittle nails, they gave me cortisone cream to put on for 2 weeks (can't do longer) and avoid the sun but really only calamine lotion calmed the itching. Looking back I wonder if a low dose of benadryl would have worked? but when I had my breast operation and they gave me morphine which made me itch and didn't help the pain, they gave me benadryl and I thought they'd killed me!
Chemos a drag but it's killing the little buggers!
hugs
sarah