I have read several posts of those who have done docetaxel and done a little research on the Internet and YouTube to try to offset side effects. I am 51 years old and was diagnosed five years ago with advanced prostate cancer Gleason score 9 and a few spots to the bones. pelvic area, spine and ribs. So far I have had several things as far as treatments. I have been on Lupron since the beginning, I had radiation to my prostate and my bone Mets within the first six months of diagnosis. I have since had about three more radiation treatments of new spots that have shown up on my bones. I took zytiga, and then Xtandi for about three years. I became castrate resistant about two years ago as my PSA was slowly rising. I have done Provenge and then lastly a clinical trial through Duke University. My PSA is now around 14, which is the highest it has been since my diagnosis. My latest bone scan showed one new spot in my femur , so my doctor recommends starting docetaxel. Thankfully, my quality of life for the last five years has been very good. I continue to work, and take care of and raise my kids. I exercise regularly, including running a few miles every other day and lifting weights. I eat a very healthy diet . It was plant-based but now not so much. Most of what I have seen is that it is good to fast before treatment and a little after. Also ice caps and ice, mittens and socks to help neuropathy. Also having ice in my mouth to help with , not affecting my taste buds. The last couple of months I have not felt as well and my exercising has diminished considerably. I’m hopeful to minimize side effects as much as possible and hopefully get a good response from docetaxel. My doctor also recommends Xgeva shots to strengthen my bones. I know not. Everybody responds to docetaxel, but it appears that , about two out of three have a response and maybe one out of three have a good response. My PSA in the beginning did reach undetectable after about nine months from my diagnosis, and it stayed there for almost a year. Since then, it has slowly crept up, and gone down with radiation or the clinical trial drug, but it always comes right back up after any treatments. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to all.
advice for docetaxel : I have read... - Advanced Prostate...
advice for docetaxel
Hey, Oct18. Sorry about the new phase, but it looks like you are prepping well. Fasting before and lots of fluid intake (and output!) in the days after infusion definitely help.
My only recommendation is to not needlessly start Xgeva. I tolerated bone pain and jaw discomfort for about 2 years before a hiatus for dental work made me realize it was this drug and not my disease process. I also wonder now if it made chemo side effects worse for me.
Ask for a simple DEXA scan. You are young and in good shape and bone health can be monitored. Why pile on now?
While I am slowly disintegrating (56 now, 7 years post-diagnosis) and a bone-densifier is likely in my future, my bone health is normal even after continuous ADT, second line hormonals, Pluvicto, and more radiation.
Good luck! - Joe M
I have posted before about my experience with chemo, so you may have read this already, but in addition to what you wrote above, I add these notes:
The steroids before and during each treatment meant that I was wired that day and the next, and then on the third day my mood and energy crashed and I was miserable for the rest of the week.
I had the expected hair loss. Body hair first, then scalp hair. What surprised me was when I lost eyebrows, eyelashes, and nose hair. It took a few months, but eventually it all grew back.
Nausea became more of a problem as treatments progressed. Ginger (ale, tea, candies) helped somewhat, but eventually I needed the prescription anti-nausea meds.
Chemo can be hard on the immune system. Mine held up pretty well, but some people get injections of Neulasta to prevent neutropenia. Be meticulous about your normal self-care to avoid any infections.
Week 1 starts great, then finishes awful.
Week 2 usually has gradual improvement.
Week 3 is almost back to normal. Then you get to do the cycle all over again.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourself. Conserve your resources. Stay hydrated. Stay fed. Stay rested. You can get through it.
Thank you so much!!
Great information Woodstock. I totally agree with your assessment. This is how it was for me and your points are spot on. I will add that I used cannabis 50/50 oil to help with appetite and was able to gain weight during chemo.
I am on zytiga now and just reading to learn for the future. I turned 50 in July. Best wishes for a successful and long lasting treatment.
Good luck, I will start soon too. How does one "follow" content here so i can see new replies to this post?
Thank you sir.
Best to you, Oct18 ;
I have now completed my 3rd Pluvicto treatment at Duke Cancer center and the side effects are much less than Taxotere treatments of Docetaxel and Jevtana which for me increased water retention in legs and reduced muscle mass, still recovering 16 weeks later.
You know chemo effects are different for everyone and advice is good, but trust how you are feeling and consult with doc about everything.
Thank you and best of luck to you!!
Most importantly, make sure that you receive Neulasta after each chemo treatment. This will help stimulate the production of white blood cells which will reduce your risk of infection. It does have a side effect of bone pain, but Claritin/Loratadine helps with this. My DH is tolerating chemo very well, so much so that his oncologist has extended the prescribed six treatments to ten. He plays pickleball three to four times a week, three to four hours at a stretch. Chemo #7 is scheduled for this Wednesday. Staying active helps greatly as does eating a plant based diet.
Great to hear! Thank you and I hope he continues to do well!
I've had two rounds on docetaxel so far. PSA dropped in half after first round, Side effects for the first week after treatments are hell. Forget your exercising during that time. I spoke to my onc doc and she's going to switch me to Jevtana from Docetaxel. Published literature says the Jevtana has the same efficacy as docetaxel but with far fewer side effects. You may want to ask your doc about it.
I read that as well, I guess the issue is usually insurance.
When you do feel like exercising, do it as much as you can. Otherwise get your rest when the chemo knocks you down a couple days after each infusion. Beware of brain fog which you may not consciously feel. The only three times I ever caused a car accident were all while I was on chemo. Good luck.
Will do. Thank you!
Hi Oct18,
Best of luck to you with your treatments.
I had 10 rounds of Docetaxel because I responded well to it, so my MO recommended 10 rounds instead of 6. My PSA dropped from from 3.5 to 0.1 during the 6 months on chemo, then recently started increasing to 0.6. So I got less than a year out of the treatment. I am scheduled to start Pluvicto in November.
I did the icing of hands feet and ate ice chips during all treatments. I believe this helped reduce neuropathy. I only have slight numbness/tingling in my left foot. I also fasted for 24 hours before/after each infusion, eating only chicken broth and water. I also started Neulasta after the first infusion due to a fever and very low white blood counts. I am getting Xgeva shots because a bone density scan showed borderline Osteopenia. My side effects were minimal, just increasing nausea during the first week starting at infusion 6. Also developed swelling in legs at infusion 7 which has decreased considerably, but my left leg is still swollen at the end of the day (I wear compression socks and elevate the leg which helps). I was able to lift light weights and ride my bike during chemo, which helped with side effects.
all great information, thank you! I’m sorry it didn’t work longer. Hopefully the pluvicto gives you a great results.
What does the fasting help with?
From what I read, it reduces the toxicity of the chemo to healthy cells and decreases the resistance of tumor cells to the chemo
Thank you! I went over that with the physicians assistant, who explained to me all of the possible side effects, and she was not familiar with it. It seems like in the medical world they sometimes are blind to things that can be beneficial. I know they want data and proof but those who have experienced it should be enough proof
How to combat fatigue and low energy from Docetaxel treatments?
From 3 months ago. This question was answered by several members and may be helpful to your similar question. Review History file............ if you can't review then ask me for help.
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Jdhanoa•
3 months ago•10 Replies
Hi all,
My dad is currently going through chemotherapy treatment for stage 4 prostate cancer (see bio for full details). He had his 3rd chemo treatment one week ago. He is feeling extremely tired and very low energy (I.e. he gets tired from even going on short 5 minute walks). Does anyone have any tips or tricks to combat this? Thank you
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Jdhanoa
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NOTE: TWO MORE DAYS TILL THE 18TH.....
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 10/16/2023 6:56 PM DST
Agree with Woodstock82's experience. Would suggest using the Penguin cap to prevent hair loss. I used the mittens and ice socks but still have slight neuropathy in fingers. toes. After treatment #5 I felt like crap. Better after #6 but just glad it ws all over. Takes about 3 months to totally recover. Encourage you to stay active, exercise when you can. I worked during the whole time.
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