how fast will hair go on Taxol

[mrsd]

HI all, thanks to all who post regularly you are such an inspiration and give me hope when sometimes I don't feel hopeful.. I had AC back in 2002 and I know that within three weeks the hair was gone!! not so sure how long it will take with the Taxol?? I fought hard to keep the hair for the last three years but I knew this day would come and now I ready to kick butt with this disease..... so any help is appreciated very much.
Thanks and bless you all...

[Rich66]

Mom lost it by the handful about 15 days after one infusion. lost it after Navelbine too..albeit a little slower. Might be a bit different for Abraxane formulation.
What were your Xeloda side effects?

[mrsd]

Rich it started with severe hand and foot problems, then progressed to severe diareha...(chemo brain can't spell ) severe dehydration, vomitting, very very ill, I spend two days in hospital....

[Rich66]

Hmmm. Unusual. How high a dose? Sure it was the Xeloda?
Did you get a weekly schedule of Taxol?

[mrsd]

unfortunately it was.... and I was taking 3600 mg a day, we are still keeping it way down on the drugs to use list... it would be at much reduced dose and a shorter cycle
I didn't lose any hair on Navelbine... it did thin out just a bit on the first cycle but not on the second one in nov

[Rich66]

What? That's about 1,000 mg more than usually prescribed. Even a large person's max is 2800. Might be the problem. What was the on-off scehdule?

[mrsd]

I was suppose to have 14 days on and 7 days off.... but never made it to the 14...

I will be doing the Taxol weekly three weeks on and one week off, then we'll scan after two cycles

[Rich66]

You might want to look into that dosage before ruling out Xeloda. Simply looks like you were...well..overdosed. More than a bit concerning, actually.

[Bill]

Hi Mrs D.! Nikki's hair sorta thinned after several weeks and after she had her long red locks cut and donated to Locks of Love, she decided to cut it close. Actually, with the Taxol, at least for her, it was maybe 3-4 treatments before it began to thin.

[mrsd]

Thanks so much Rich and Bill for your replies, I have an appt next week to order a new wig..... the last one I had was so uncomfortable I donated it to the local chemo clinic as soon as I had enough hair....... so I can hope that I will have some hair for awhile, I went for a trim this week and prepared my hairdresser to be ready to shave it off and style my wig..... and again thanks to all who post it helps so much....

[Becky]

I have a dear neighbor who I cook for who was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in July 2008. She was on Taxol/Carboplatin and went NED. Unfortunately, her cancer returned in December 2009, she started back on Taxol and Carbo since it worked the first time (and seems to be working again). She said that the first time, it took months to really lose her hair enough to shave it all off but this time, she pretty much lost it all before her second treatment (every 3 weeks). So... she asked her oncologist why and her onc told her that the hair loss rate is dependent on how many hairs are in the growing phase versus the dormant phase. If alot of your hairs are in the growing phase, you will lose your hair quicker.

This really seems to make sense to me but of course, this doesn't answer your question at all. I guess that may be the reason some of us lose our hair quickly and others not so quick. Therefore, hair loss may be different everytime we have to go under treatment again.

[mrsd]

Thanks Becky, that makes sense and I guess it's just a wait and see sort of thing... who knows, but at least I'll have back up hair ready and waiting....