Thanks to all who have answered my other post the last few days I really appreciate all of you.
Now on to chemo. My dad starts tomorrow on Docetaxel. What can we expect? Anyway to prepare for tomorrow? Eating before or after? What helps, if anything?
Again thank you in advance!!! 🙏🙏🙏
If you want to preserve head hair, ask for a cool cap, you might find it too cold, but my husband tolerated it for the 6 sessions.
Taste buds might suffer as well, but all in all very few side effects (we were expecting a lot more ) Husband ate as normal, but they say if you fast before chemo, it can make the chemo more effective ?
Few pins and needles in legs, but disappeared not long after, Big toenails loose (but didntcome off ? )
Good look, and dont be frightened,its not as bad as you imagine for most people.
"dont be frightened,its not as bad as you imagine for most people."
Very true for me too. There was some fear and apprehension for me on the first infusion, but it's not that bad. I had the flu last year and was thinking about how much worse it was than chemotherapy.
I hope this is all true the current meds seem to be kicking his butt as is.
Oh great I’m the one who has to cut his toenails lol 😝
Where did you get his cool cap?
This link has the opinions about chemo from a real expert in PC:
grandroundsinurology.com/dr...
Good article, thanks. She talks about sequencing anti-androgens with chemo. That approach is becoming more common.
What about favorite sequences?
Dr. Dorff: We know that after you’ve had Zytiga (abiraterone) or Xtandi (enzalutamide), you can induce the androgen receptor splice variants such as AR-V7. These are associated with less responsiveness to Zytiga (abiraterone) or Xtandi (enzalutamide). Patients might want to go from Zytiga (abiraterone) straight to Xtandi (enzalutamide), but we know there’s a lower likelihood of success, and we know AR-V7 is a big part of that. If we sequence in chemo, since they’ve shown that AR-V7 positive patients still benefit from chemo, I view the optimal sequence as Zytiga (abiraterone) or Xtandi (enzalutamide), followed by wiping out the AR-V7 population with a chemo drug, and then going to Zytiga (abiraterone) or Xtandi (enzalutamide) next. We don’t know for sure if that’s what happens when we use that type of sandwich approach, but it has theoretical appeal, and that’s how I talk to patients about it
The sequencing of anti androgen -chemo and then other treatment has become more common after the publication of the RCT comparing cabazitaxel vs abi or enza after failure of one of the new anti androgens. . However the patients had already been previously treated with docetaxel.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N...
I believe the study by William Oh also had some influence:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/302...
Yes, the patients in the CARD trial had been previously treated with Docetaxel and that's why they are using second-line Cabazitaxel.
I do think that if there was a trial comparing first-line Docetaxel with switching anti-androgens in patients that had no prior chemotherapy, they would get a similar result. Most people don't get much out of switching from Abi to Enza or the other way around, often because of mutations like AR-V7.
Our first treatment was last Thursday. So far, no significant changes. He looks and feels better! Not what I was expecting.
Unfortunately my experience was that they build on another and tend to get worst. Nothing major just mainly a hey and fatigue. I continued to work full time By the grace of God. But did limit interaction with office staff. One side effect I had was that my hands were terrible dry so I would coat hands with lotion when going to bed and then pull on thin white cotton gloves available at any pharmacy.
Biggest issue for me was pain flare in days 3 and 4 after chemo. By day 5 was feeling better. Take meds they offer to eliminate nausea. Also non alcoholic mouth wash to help if he gets dry mouth. Good luck.
Get some really good anti nausea pills and take them , my doctor gave me two different meds that I took every 6 hours. Lots of rest. And see what he can eat. In my case. All I could stand. Was potatoes and gravy with a little chicken, and pink lemonade. Of course protein drinks. Everyone is different but that’s what got me through my 6 rounds. Keep up a positive attitude warrior. Lots of love as well. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I believe he gave him some not sure which ones. Thanks for the advice/input everyone!
I went thru 6 cycles of docetaxel 12 months ago. It is not as bad as everyone claimed it to be. Before the treatment, have a very light meal..during treatment, i had cold pad on my hand as well as feet. It helped with the nerve issues. After the fourth or fifth day, it felt like a terrible flu that came over you. Not feel like eating and you just want to lie in bed.... After that, it will be fine. Exercise whenever possible. Do not be a potato couch. Walk and if possible go to the gym.It will help tremendously. I walked about 2 to 3 miles a day....and got to the gym three times a week between each treatment. Drink a lot of fluids...Stay positive , it will get better. God bless
Thank you 🙏 I’ll have to try and motivate him to do something. He still goes to work and it involves walking around a lot. We own a salvage/steel yard so no sitting at a desk really. I doubt I can get him to really do some other sort of exercise but was thinking of recumbent bike or those walking treadmill
He will need the encouragement. It will get better...God be with you
Thank you 🙏
I've read here that chewing on ice chips help preserve your taste buds. Check it out.
BTW I prefer chocolate chip ice cream (two scoops).
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Thursday 09/17/2020 4:58 PM DST
Your going to get positive feed back as well as negative. I had a bad experience with my six infusions. I did lose my head hair as well as my eyebrows, eyelashes, beard and almost all other. Fatigue, leg cramps are common. I was in ER four different times. Almost lost my finger to an infection in my finger nails. White cell count went down to an alarming rate that put me in the hospital for a week. Any fever over 101 is another ER trip. Lost 25 lbs. I will never do Chemo again. Even if it's my last treatment left. But everyone is different. Hopefully yours will be better. Good luck
I hope your Dad is faring well after his first chemo treatment. My husband just had his second treatment and so far his major side effect is thrush. He started getting it about 4 days after the first treatment. His mouth and tongue were sore and on the 5th day he developed mouth sores. He got a prescription (Nystatin) mouth rinse which helps a lot. After his second treatment the thrush seems to be hanging on longer even though he’s taking the medicine. The other main side effect is fatigue but he still works in the yard and tries to exercise when he can so he powers through it.
He bought a chemo ice cap to try to preserve his hair but after his first treatment his hair starting falling out in clumps so I shaved his head. Apparently the ice cap is no match for Docetaxel. He does ice his hands and feet and chews on ice chips during treatment. So far, no sign of neuropathy. Luckily, my husband does not have any bone pain even though he has extensive mets.
Good luck. I wish your Dad well.
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