I made it to 10 cycles of Docetaxel this week. The cumulative effects of the chemo have been tough to live with and now I feel my body needs to rest and recover. How long after chemo did people start feeling 'normal'? The scans will tell more about the success of the last 6 months, at cycle 7 I had stable disease with no new progression (all my Mets are bone). My PSA numbers havn't been so positive going up and down but generally rising from 50-150 during the treatment.
Next steps will be scans in two weeks, both bone and MRi followed by an early new year consultation at the Royal Marsden to determine treatment options, hopefully something leading edge and effective.
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easeytiger
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I am very impressed with your stamina… I had one round and withdrew because of the toxicity.. if it helps at all it took me about two weeks before all my systems came back online and I felt great!!
In the last year or so I did 6 cycles of Docetaxel and then with a 6 week break I did 10 cycles of Cabazetaxel (with Xtandi).
The Docetaxel was far, far more difficult for me than the latter combo. I started feeling notably better after 4 weeks.....more strength, humor came back, felt like I was living again and not just being a patient with terrible side effects.
After 6 rounds of chemo, I took a trip to the UK from the US. We spent a week in London. I was able to comfortably walk around and enjoyed the visit! The neuropathy in the balls of my feet bothered me a bit, but not much. I did have an issue with swelling of my legs caused by a long flight. But compression socks and a diuretic fixed that easily.
The bottom line is that I was able to recover quickly. And felt exceptional in a couple of months. Make sure you get exercise! That’s imperative! Even if it’s just walking ... start with a couple of miles a day and build up from there. It dramatically improves fatigue.
Congratulations bro. I had six rounds almost two years ago. It put me in the ER numerous times as well as a weeks stay in the hospital. I will never go through that again no matter what. I hope everything works out in your favor.
I think it depends heavily on the type of chemo you're doing...I haven't done Docetaxel but I'm currently on Jevtana. Going for round 6 in a few weeks. And then another 6 sessions planned thereafter.
After the first week of chemo I feel like I'm bouncing back. After my previous round of chemo it took a few months to start feeling normal...I define normal as when I feel okay'ish and when my hair is growing back. I didn't enjoy (at all) the meds that one takes in between chemo treatments (like Zytiga etc.). I was never normal on those meds.
Are the potential toxic side effects of Docetaxel, as discussed here and other posts, really worth considering it as a viable treatment for mCRPC? Scary stuff.
It was the first option recommended to me by my Oncologist when I was initially diagnosed in June 2018. Stage 4, Gleason 10, bone metastasis. But, I started on Zytiga/Prednisone instead based on research I found that showed it was just as effective and without the significant side effects of Docetaxel.
I was on this combo for 6 months. In the meantime I had genetic testing that showed I was BRCA2+. After PSA started to rise, I was switched to Olaparib and for the past 9+ months my PSA has been undetectable.
I also had Provenge immunotherapy treatment in March 2019. Prostate was removed robotically in November 2018.
Should I need to again switch therapies in the future, I may need to consider Docetaxel or something similar. But I would not be looking forward to dealing with its side effects.
I have had 16 infusions of Docetaxel/Carboplatin chemo combo. 2 rounds of 6 cycles and last round of 4 cycles. Mets in lymph nodes and liver, no bone.
Typically 4-5 months between rounds at which time we rechallenged with Xtandi. During last round, took Xtandi PLUS chemo.
As you have learned, SEs are cumulative. It would take me at least 7 days after an infusion to feel my new normal. After end of 6th cycle, it took much longer to recover, so since you had 10 consecutive cycles, I would expect recovery to be much longer, but you will get there. My hat’s off to you for tolerating 10 cycles!
Congrats, Easeytiger! I suppose "normal" is a relative term...what with Lupron+Bicaludamide+Docetaxel+Radiation on board in relatively short order for me 3 years (!) ago, I was wasted physically and mentally by the time I'd finished the Docetaxel round. I realized the old normal couldn't be my baseline anymore.
I can only say this: Don't be shy about finding your new normal to get the best out of life (see JamesAtlanta's comment) ! And when the new normal comes along after your treatment changes (I'm on Lupron+Zytiga now), do it again....and so on and so on.
I had 8 cycles. Had the "crummy feeling" for 2 weeks after last cycle. Now the lupron, xgeva, xtandi side effects. Never really ends for most of us. My biggest issue is foot neuropathy after chemo. Also taking celebrex and gabapentin. Whoa!!! And now we've added low dose Tramadol. (I resisted the Tramadol. Told not addictive at my dosage. I can bend again. Has made me more active and put off back surgery. Doesn't get me "loaded". Will see how long it works.) Good luck Sir!
Thanks for all of your comments. My biggest actions taken against SEs were the hand and feet icepacks together with sucking ice cubes and wearing a skull cap. It did take a few hours to warm up after though. And the second was to fast before (40hrs) and after (20 hrs), which resulted in no sickness.
You are a trooper! 10 cycles. I only did 6. I ended my chemo cycles in March 2017 and did not get back to normal until about October. Continued success on your journey!
A cycle is the period of time from injection to injection. For my experience with Docetaxel it was month to month, but other chemos are delivered more or less frequent. Therefore, they use cycle for the time duration.
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***Scans are back***
Scans
No SOC treatment. Metastatic lymph nodes by PSMA-PET. Rising PSA. Bone/CT scans neg. Waiting to die. 
Next Step Docetaxel after Abiraterone & Xtandi failed. 
Why do Bone Scans and CT Scans if PSMA-Pet are available?
