update and question--I had radiation to my structural bones METS in my arms and legs the last 2 weeks of June, My bone pain is almost gone. (keeps getting less and less.) I thank the Lord for this and have much to be thankful for!!
Looking at doing Chemo in August after a trip to Alaska--(a dream come true.) -6 rounds of taxotere-. My question--what kind of side effects can I expect? How rough is this treatment going to be? Any advice anyone can give me.
thanks
Expect the unexpected. I had zero side effect, none. My weekly activity's never skipped a beat. I keep running 4 days a week, lifted, worked around the house, etc. Lost some hair but so what. Others are going to tell you about the horrors of chemo. Sick on the couch for days, puking up supper, fever, on an on. You will find out if and when it happens. Don't let it worry you a bit. If your extremely concerned slap a Kodiak when your in Alaska, your problems will be over.
thanks, that is what, after reading profiles on here about different things, everyone reacts differently so it is like wait and see.
Get ready to eat spicy food... Kielbasa and sauerkraut with spicy mustard was good the whole time... with ice cream sandwiches on the side. Taxotere was OK but when I added Xtandi the side effects became intolerable after 9 cycles. 6 should be ok without many problems. Good luck..
This link has interesting information about chemo by an expert in PC:
grandroundsinurology.com/dr...
thank you
thank you
My dad is on his 3rd round of Taxotere now. So far he has barely had any side effects. He has felt a bit tired for a couple of days in the week after and his hair is thinning. No nausea, no neuropathy.
I just washed out of a trial because I couldn't tolerate the Docetaxel. Shortly after starting the IV, I had problems breathing and my blood pressure bottomed out. Don't ignore these symptoms. Know where your call button is and don't be afraid to use it or call for help before you can't. I wish you better luck than I had.
I had six rounds of docetaxel (a.k.a. Taxotere) in the autumn of 2019.
Chemotherapy with docetaxel was not nearly as bad as I feared when I started. The side effects do build up over time, though. Here are the notes I have from when I went through it:
1) neuropathy - tingling or even pain in feet and hands
What you can do to mitigate it: chill the feet and hands during treatment
Some go so far as to use ice in booties or mittens
2) mouth and tongue - sores, sensations, and changes in taste perception
What you can do about it: suck on ice cubes during treatment
I didn't get any sores, but my tongue would feel "scalded" for about a week
Changes to how things tasted were very noticeable, and thankfully temporary
3) nausea - gradual build-up as treatments progressed
What you can do about it: ginger for mild cases. I tried ginger ale, ginger tea, candied ginger, and ginger candies. All helped.
Bland foods were easier.
Later in the treatment, when the nausea was worse, I took a prescription medication "Zofran" (generic is ondansetron), and that worked very well at relieving the nausea. I probably should have taken it more often instead of trying to "tough it out."
4) fatigue - gradual build-up as treatments progressed
What you can do about it: move, exercise, get into a routine, push against limits, keep morale up, rest when needed, stay hydrated, keep up nutrition.
5) hair loss - lots of variation
I lost body hair first, then scalp hair.
Later lost nose hair, which felt odd, had to blow my nose a lot more
Later lost half my eyebrows, and most of my eyelashes
The good news is, although it took some time, much of the above was temporary for me. It took about a month after my last docetaxel treatment for me to feel normal again, and the hair did come back. I still have some lingering tingles in my feet, but it's not bad.
One other thing. Each night before a docetaxel infusion I had to take an oral prescription steroid, dexamethasone. Then again the morning of the treatment. And then more dexamethasone by IV infusion before the docetaxel infusion. The result was that I was wired the rest of the day, had insomnia that night, was wired the next day, and then energy and mood crashed the day after that. Every one is different, but be prepared for similar effects.
thank you--good to read
Just finished 5 rounds of Taxotere. Everyone is different. My biggest issue was and still is 30 days later, neuropathy in my feet. I used "ice gloves" during my treatment on my hands and feet, but still have numbness in my feet.
Chemo worked for me - PSA went from 15.5 to 0.16. No picnic - hair almost gone and severe constipation in the first week and diarrhea in second week. Drink lots of water and exercise as much as possible . Fatigue increased significantly after 3rd infusion.
I have been battling the beast for 19 years and would do it again if it worked.
Good luck. We are all here to help.
Tom
"Everyone is different" This seems to be so true and I am finding out, thanks
You MUST stay well hydrated. I didn't do a good job of that, since my sense of taste went haywire, and even plain water tasted horrible to me. I ended up taking fluids by IV on a regular schedule, but you can probably avoid that if you do a better job of drinking water than I did.
thank you, i will remember the hydration
Chemo experiences anyone who is undergoing or has undergone I need to know what to expect 
What to expect from chemo, if doesn't work what is next?
What scan should I get?
What should I do next?
