Docetaxel Update

[MJCA]

Hi Gents,

I assume this is SOC. I always have a blood draw one day prior to my chemo infusion. Prior to starting Docetaxel, my PSA was 23.6; after 3 rounds, my PSA is 10.7; a decline of 12.9! Yes, the SE are BAD. I have lost all of my hair. My fingernails are discolored, lifting off and sore. I have aches and pains, I can’t walk well because my balance sucks. Food does not always stay down. I have become a couch potato. But, I put up with all of this because the results are fantastic. Tomorrow I am to drive one hour to visit friends in San Francisco; I hope I can muster the energy to do that! Best of luck to all!

[Tall_Allen]

I like your iridescent nail polish.

[MJCA in reply to Tall_Allen]

Hey Allen

Unfortunately it was not allowing my nails to breathe. Right now my nails are going commando!

[MarkBC]

I had all of those same side effects and they got progressively more difficult. It was after my fourth infusion that my taste buds started to be affected. It was difficult to find foods that tasted good. For me, milk and apples were the best. I went through many bags of apples at the time. 😀

Stick with it. The side effects go away quickly once treatment finishes. Chemo really knocked my cancer back. My PSA started at 103.0 and was at around 1.0 when I finished. It continued to drop for months afterward to a nadir of 0.17.

[MJCA in reply to MarkBC]

Thanks for your words of encouragement! From one Canadian Mark to another. Dual citizen, Mum born in Montréal. I know BC has great PCa treatment. Best of luck to you!

[anony2020 in reply to MarkBC]

Yea. The taste buds are real problem. You drive pass the MacDonald or Pizza and really want that burger and fries. But after one bite, you dont want anything any more. LOL

Icecream and something like that still OK.

Dont mind me. I am a layman. 😊

[MJCA in reply to anony2020]

Actually I have had no issues with my taste buds. I get hungry, eat a little and it then comes back up. Today I am going to try protein shakes.

[leebeth]

Are you icing hands, feet, and chewing on ice the whole time? My husband, brother and myself have all been on docetaxel and avoided those side effects entirely. My headband and brother had no side effects except hair loss. I had GI side effects but that’s it. Cryotherapy really works.

[MJCA in reply to leebeth]

Yes, my dermo-oncologist recommended cryo. I started on my hands with infusion #3.

[leebeth in reply to MJCA]

Ice in your mouth makes a huge difference with eating! Good luck.

[velobard]

I went through docetaxel in 2018 and yeah, it's rough. Lost my hair about 2 weeks in. The doc promised it would come back of course, but it not only came back a little thinner, my moustache never really did (just a few stray strands) and my beard isn't what it should be. I don't like going bare-faced, so now I look a little Amish with a scraggly beard.

As for the nausea and weird tastes sensations, I microdosed with cannabis oil every 8 hours throughout chemo and that pretty well took care of it. Quite honestly, I hate to think of having to go through it without cannabis. A gram lasted me roughly 12 days, putting tiny doses in empty capsules. The nausea pills the doctor gave me barely touched my symptoms, in comparison. I know my oncologist has a huge stigma about cannabis, so I never told him about it and just did my own research.

[icanwintwice]

hang in there MJCA! Not far behind you….i heard the treatments get progressively easier. Hoping that for you!!

[MJCA in reply to icanwintwice]

Thank you. All the best to you.