My father had his 1st docetaxel chemo 2 weeks ago and feels much better after the treatment(significant reduction of bone pain,appetite is back).
However, he is still having incontinence problems.
His ankles and feet seem to be swollen as well.
Has anyone had a similar experience?Is the swelling a serious problem?😐
This is a common problem with Docetaxel. I had this after around 4 cycles. I had my chemotherapy during the hot summer months and that made it worse. At some points, it was painful for me.
It's counterintuitive, but drinking a lot of fluids helps along with getting off your feet and raising your legs as much as possible.
It's best to talk to your doctor to see if there's anything that could be prescribed.
Here's some information from an article on the subject:
Fluid retention
Docetaxel therapy frequently triggers fluid retention presenting as swelling of the extremities, pleural effusions, ascites, and pericardial effusion. One of the proposed mechanisms underlying this adverse effect is increased permeability of the capillaries resulting in leakage of fluid into the surrounding tissue. The severity of this reaction is proportional to the cumulative dose of the drug administered. Premedication with glucocorticoid starting 24 hours prior and 48 hours following each docetaxel dose decreases the rate of fluid retention from 20% to 6% and increases the tolerability of this drug among patients.46 Studies have indicated that a single dose of dexamethasone, rather than the standard 3 doses, may be sufficient to prevent docetaxel-fluid retention.47,48 Patients should be advised to monitor for signs of increased fluid accumulation in their fingers, ankles, and mid-abdominal areas. Treatment with diuretics may provide symptomatic relief and limit the severity of fluid retention.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Thanks sirHow long after stopping chemo did the swelling subside for you?
All of the side effects were gone in around a month if I remember. The leg and ankle swelling plus the watery eyes were the worst side effects for me.
Being out in the hot weather definitely made the swelliing worse so I tried to stay out of the heat as much as possible.
Fluid retention is associated with docetaxel. Besides the steroids given with the docetaxel could cause some fluid retention as well. This is the info from the FDA
What Gregg57 said. Elevating his feet above his head--put your legs up a wall if you can for at least 10 minutes--can help; also consider firm compression socks (20-30mgHg). Instead of the ugly white socks you're familiar with, spring for a couple of the cooler-looking pairs from a company like Sockwell 
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Enzalutimide and swelling ankles
Halfway through chemotherapy🙌
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