Does anyone have experience in working while receiving Docetaxel? Also, what was your experience with hair loss, fatigue etc.? Any long term survivors after doing this treatment? Thanks, trying to get some answers because pretty anxious at this point when chemo may be my next best option.
Working while receiving Docetaxel - Advanced Prostate...
Working while receiving Docetaxel
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NDJIM
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I've known several men who have continued working throughout.
Some wear an ice cap during infusions to keep hair from falling out. Others shave their scalps. Some say the texture and color change when it grows back.
Thank you Tall Allen. Always good to hear your insight.
NDJIM, My docetaxel treatment was 7 1/2 years ago. My gleasons were 5x9 and a 10.
Along with chemo I had 2 years of Lupron and radiation to the prostate. I'm still alive
and well, almost 8 years from then. Yes, I experienced side effects from the docetaxel.
I recorded all my side effects on a daily basis for the 6 x 3week cycles of treatment. Week 1 of each cycle was the rough week, week 2 was a recovery week and by week 3 I felt pretty normal. My biggest side effects were a knee and bone pain during week 1, a little neuropathy in the fingers and toes, hair loss, loss of taste and watery eyes. I also ended up with high fever and general sickness during the first cycle. Problem was the chemo wiped
out my white blood cell count. On rounds 2-6, this was mitigated with a drug called "neulasta". All in all, it was tolerable so don't be scared away by my comments. I learned how my body reacted to the chemo in cycle 1 and 2 and so was able to deal with it on the remaining cycles. Good luck.
Thanks, informative for those of us expecting this treatment. I take it you did not use cold mitts and socks. Did your taste recover, and when ?
I did use cold mitts and socks. I even brought my own ice in a cooler, just in cast the
center ran out of mitts. (which they did) I don't know how effective they were, there's
no way to tell, maybe it would have been much worse if I hadn't used them. My philosophy was "what the heck, you only get one shot at this". What's the worst
thing that could happen, cold fingers and toes. Using the mitts/ice was an ordeal. After 10/15 min I had to give myself a break. I didn't want to get frostbite.
WRT taste, it seemed like it recovered fairly quickly for me. Maybe a week or two. Once again, don't be scared away by the treatment. With my high gleason scores of 9 and 10, I believe that the chemo got me through the last 8 years.
I just finished a 6 week stint with 20 days between. My taste came back totally 4 weeks after the last treatment. My hair fell out, my feet feel numb, which happened about a week after treatment. I definitely couldn't work, as it wore me down. I developed loose bowels followed by constipation, and ended up taking IV solution in between. My immune system is down, and I am not supposed to get any needle sticks or be around sick people. I'll find out how it all came out on Nov seventh. I am just the last 6 days able to be physical, as in walk for distance or ride my bike. My leg muscles hurt, but I am able to ride 2 miles. I don't get winded, just muscle soreness. I used ice mitts and socks, my hands are ok, but my feet are recovering.
Thanks for letting me know how things went. It looks like you’re recovering now. Hope you get positive news Nov 7.
Thanks so much. This is so very helpful. I’m having one of those down days….which we all do, and your reply lifted my spirits in terms of survival. Thanks again, Jim
I did 6 x 3 week cycles as well and was hit pretty hard by SEs. I had to go on sick leave for the last two cycles.
I worked full time through 6 cycles. I had each infusion on a Wednesday. My energy level was normal until Saturday when it dropped 50%. By the following Wednesday or Thursday my energy level was back to normal. Each cycle was pretty much the same.
My husband had no side effects other than hair loss with six cycles. I purposely would try to keep our weekend schedule light after his Wednesday infusion and he invariably was annoyed that I had no weekend plans. He was raring to go! He did ice his hands, feet, and mouth.
I had minimal side effects from doxytaxel and was able to continue working. One session near the end was pretty bad but I was still able to function. Hair did fall out and came back white. Unfortunately I did not get much time out of chemo. Most people do better. Next is Pluvicto if I qualify.
I took time off at the start because I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to work. Then I went back to work for the last three sessions when I found I was OK. I was mainly working from home at a desk so it depends what you do I suppose. I also went skiing during chemo and took it easy but still had a good time. First week after each infusion is the worst and after that it gets better. Also I used the cold cap and didn’t lose any hair - the first 10 minutes it is painful but stay with it and the pain goes away. In the last week I made sure to eat at a nice restaurant before my taste buds would get blasted again for the next round. I had Clexane injections on each round for white blood cells but a month after chemo ended up back in hospital with a bad infection that I couldn’t shake off. So it was all doable but I was definitely glad to put it behind me. Good luck and hope it goes well.
I'm 3 infusions into a 10 infusion treatment. I've continued working and working out. The steroids make a huge difference, although I've gained 10 pounds and dream about food! I had a morbid fear of Chemo due to witnessing what it did to my mother. Docetaxel is one of the gentler chemos. I haven't even lost hair yet!)
Good to hear. Good luck.
My husband did docetaxel and ADT as his initial treatment over 6 years ago. You can see details in my profile. Gleason 9 PSA >677 at start. He worked throughout. Fatigue built- and he did lose hair. He was already bald- but lost eyebrows and body hair. He went to the gym 5-7 days a week during chemo which helped a lot. Extra protein and hydration helped as well! He's doing really well still.
Hi - strongly recommend icing hands and feet, it helps prevent neuropathy, which is often permanent (hair grows back!). Also sucking on ice chips - my husband had no mouth/tongue issues and did not lose his sense of taste. The ice constricts blood vessels which minimizes how much chemo toxin affects those areas. Fasting or modified fasting before & after helps mitigate SEs, and helps chemo be effective. Lots of info on this site and online about all of this. And hydrate!!
I did docetaxel 5.5 years ago, right after diagnosis. It's not fun but easier than I expected. I shaved my head when the hair started falling out. I wore ice mittens to protect my fingers. The fatigue was tough on days 3 to 5 after infusion. I stayed in bed during those days. I had neuropathy in my toes and my taste buds were affected. All side effects disappeared a few months after completion.
I did not work. I was a teacher and my oncologist told me to avoid places with lots of viruses during that time because the immune system is compromised. Fortunately I had a lot of sick time to use up.
Docetaxel and ADT brought my PSA down from 103 to 0.17 and I have been doing well for 5 years. I hope you have similar success.
I had my first cycle of docetaxel a week ago and have been totally wiped out since so far. I'm hoping my energy will return in the coming days. I iced hands, feet and mouth. They gave me a dexamethasone infusion before chemo and prednisolone tablets to take every day. Also filgrastin injections to help WBC.
I'm now 50I have mortgage and financial commitments
I live on own with my (15 at time) son's staying with me
I'm self employed elecrician.....
I needed money.
I felt crap basically all the time 6 sessions of doxetal every 3-4 weeks.
I left expensive tools on jobs, and couldn't recall where
I cut through live cables, in front of customers!!!
I sat with handfuls of coloured cables unable to fathom what they were or who I was!!
It was like (and still can be)
Trying complete a puzzle with lots bits missing.
Trying follow old paper map with a page missing.
It was like small but massively important pieces of info were just missing???
So depending on your job
Depending on your finances
Depending on what you want.
Some people got nothing better in there lives than their work???
Ever think of changing careers and becoming a butcher?
When you look in the mirror wearing your "work" hardhat, you'll notice the word "krow".... So I say to you, won't it be a bitch singing "Whistle while you krow"? See WORK is better.
youtube.com/watch?v=lcNkanA...
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Saturday 10/28/2023 2:22 PM DST
???I read your reply 3 times and still not a clue what it means?
I'm not god with American humour.
whistling, mirrors or hard hats.
😁 let me translate- John is referring to a few items. 1) whistling while you work is intended to keep your spirits up while doing various labors and to make the time/job go by faster. 2) he’s making a pun about reversing the word work to krow which is basically a nonsensical word thus the joke is the word work is better. 3) hard hats are used as personal protection equipment (PPE). Several jobs put names on the front thus the work would be reversed in the mirror. Hope this helps.
Thank you M.A.!!! I couldn't have said it better.......(You don't translate Greek by any chance?)....
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Saturday 10/28/2023 4:12 PM DST
Wow.It was a joke.
And In 3 parts.
Thanks for explanation.
I'll read it again.
👍
in reply to Mrtroxely
j-o-h-n is an acquired taste.
I just finished 7 cycles this summer. I was v nervous about this getting into it but I was lucky enough to have dodged any major side effects. About 2 weeks after my first cycle, my hair started falling out so I let my kids shave it. It then stopped falling out haha. I had pretty bad heartburn after a few of the cycles, I got dizzy a couple of times, but that’s about it. I’m younger than most going thru this tho at 46. That helped no doubt. Good luck!
I had six cycles of docetaxel, that finished after Thanksgiving 20219. The side effects were cumulative, so I was very glad to be able to combine my remaining annual PTO with the holiday break and have most of December off work so I could recover.
Chemotherapy with docetaxel (Taxotere) was not nearly as bad as I had feared before I started. I had many of the most common side effects.
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 didn't get thrush or mouth sores, but my tongue did feel like it had been scalded for that first week after each treatment. There were significant taste perception changes, none of them pleasant. Some people chew ice during treatments to reduce the mouth problems. I like the theory, but I don't know whether it really works.
Nausea became more of a problem as treatments progressed. Ginger (ale, tea, candies) helped somewhat, but eventually I needed the prescription anti-nausea meds.
Neuropathy in fingers and toes built up over time. Some people chill the feet and hands during treatment. Again, I like the theory, but I don't know whether it really works.
Fatigue became a problem with the later treatments as well. It was an odd feeling when walking to have my knees wobble and my legs shake, but not be out of breath at all.
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.
I didn't lose any fingernails or toenails. I am glad to have been spared that.
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.
I had chemo per CHAARTED back in 2015, I was 55 years old and still working at the time. I had an understanding employer and was able to work from home a lot. Side effects were significant - fatigue, chemo brain (brain fog), bad flu like feeling. Lost my hair, eye brows etc. Fingernails became weak and brittle and loose. Lining of my mouth would peel and I lost my sense of taste. Dealing with the way people look at you knowing you’re a cancer patient (it’s pretty obvious) took a little while to get used to but after a while you get used to it. It was very difficult for me, it was a grind. I got through the 6 treatments, 4-6 being the worst and decided to retire and take care of myself. Work had lost its importance in my life, I wanted to enjoy my time here and take care of myself. After all I have never heard someone giving a eulogy at a funeral comment on “what a good worker he was”, but they always talk about time spent together.
Ed
People have commented on hair falling out but nobody mentioned beard hair. Does it fall out too?
All body hair except eyebrows and eyelashes. They grow at a different pace.
Woodstock 82 above said he lost eyebrows, eyelashes and nose hair.
Everyone is different. So you have a 50/50 chance of losing your all hair. The chemotherapy usually attack’s actively growing cells and if the hair cells are active it will be attacked. We may have been lucky. Here’s hoping you get to keep yours.
I’m not at the chemo stage yet. Just getting info
I swear I have read “they grow at different places” 😀
“How long does it take for eyelashes to grow?
The life span of an eyelash can vary from 4 months to as long as 11 months. There are three phases to this life span: the growth phase, the degradation phase, and the telogen phase.
Growth phase. Also known as the anagen phase, this phase may last between 4 and 10 weeks. A typical eyelash grows between 0.12 and 0.14 millimeters per day.
Degradation phase. Also known as the catagen phase, this phase occurs when your eyelash stops growing. The hair follicle begins to shrink.
Resting phase. Also known as the telogen phase, this is the final phase, at the end of which the eyelash falls out.
Generally speaking, this cycle is much shorter than the life cycle of the hair on your head. Experts suggest that may be because the anagen phase is longer for the hair that grows out of your scalp. In fact, the anagen phase for the hair on your head tends to last between 2 and 4 years.
How long does it take for hair to grow back after chemo?
Not all chemotherapy drugs will make you lose your hair, including your eyelashes and eyebrows. But some do. And if you’re undergoing chemotherapy treatment with one that does affect hair growth, you can probably expect to start losing your hair within 2 to 4 weeks of beginning treatment. Once you finish chemo, your hair will likely begin to regrow within several weeks”.
healthline.com
I lost my eyebrows and they never grew back very well, same for body hair.
Yes, but with some qualifications. I wasn't keeping any beard when I started on docetaxel, but I have a vague memory of not needing to shave as often.
A year later I had a set of six infusions of cabazitaxel. One of the major differences was that I did not lose much scalp hair, but I lost a lot of the Van Dyke I had grown, so I went ahead and shaved it off.
I have a photoset here: flic.kr/s/aHsmMT74fr
The good news is, most of it came back, albeit slowly. My eyelashes are still pretty sparse two and a half years later. My nose hairs are also much more sparse. I still sniffle a lot, and blow my nose a lot.
Those are great pictures. Thanks.
I did six cycles in Summer / Fall 2022. My last infusion was 10/24/22.
My hair started coming out about 2 weeks after my first infusion. I elected to shave it all off. It was back to normal (same color, thickness) after about six weeks after my last infusion. (Initially it came in thin and white but after 2 more shaves, it was totally normal.)
I walked every day (6-7 miles) through chemo. I think that helped me to manage well over all.
Hydration also is very, very important all the time while you’re getting chemo (Even during the weeks when you’re not getting an infusion.) I would quickly start to feel shitty when I started to get dehydrated
The first few days after each infusion were the most tiring. I got my infusions on Mondays and I was pretty tired from Tuesday evening (once the steroids wore off) to Friday. By Friday, I was back to normal. I was still able to walk every day, I just did it at times when I had more energy.
I continued to work from home and also did domestic travel during chemo. I just didn’t plan any trips during the first week of each cycle because that’s when I felt the weakest.
I work even while getting chemo IV (I'll have the third soon).
IV is always on Thursday every 21 days, I workout at the gym heavily on Wednesday, then the chemo on Thursday, then I workout (quite heavily) on Friday (under cortisone), I workout (not too heavily) on Saturday. On sunday I am quite tired so I basically do nothing, ad light work the following days till Wednesday, when I restart the workout routine.
Side effect are cumulative in my case, after the first chemo I worked out without any problem on Fri and Sat, but after the second chemo, working out on Sat was harder (it was last week, I have just worked out today with zero problems).
From day 5-6 after the second chemo I experienced some peripheral neuropathy that is bugging me a little because I am a musician, but that is disappearing. Next time I will try to freeze my hands and see!
No side effect on my hair or eyebrows (yet), but I have lost my beard! It fell off just rubbing it after the second chemo.
My personal way to prepare for it: no dietary supplements from 48 hours before chemo to 72 hours after chemo (I prefer not to risk any interaction). Fasting or very low calories diet (300-400/day) from 48 hours before to 24 hours after chemo.
Hubby had 6 doses… had I known about this site I would have been more in tuned to his reactions and SE. Unfortunately I didn’t know them. Yes, I did expect his hair to fall out- our hairdresser cut it off for free. I didn’t expect him to become so weak. The day of his sixth dose he said he didn’t think he could make it. I thought he was just upset about getting another dose. What he was trying to say was he was weak. And couldn’t walk well. The very next morning he fell and cut his eyebrow. We ended up in the ER for 5 hours and he got stitches. The next day he started using the wheeled walker.
I worked throughout the treatment, though did cut back to halftime the last mo th.( I’m an ER doctor). Steroid high for about 36 hours post infusion the muscle aches and fatigue. Fatigue peaked around post infusion day 10.
Used the iced mittens/sockz. Still ended up with slight neuropathy. The Penguin cold cap worked for me, kept my hair.
I’m almost 5 months post last infusion. Feeling much better, back to full work outs, etc..
Hang in there, once it’s over, you recover fairly quickly.
Hi, my chemo saga - 15 Taxoteres in 2015, 6 more in 20/21, and 18 Cabazitaxels in 21/22. Fasted 2 days prior to them all, lost hair only with Taxotere. During chemos I'd do squats, leg lifts, scissor kicks, and even would play music and dance in the chemo bay. I'd do a hike after when I got home. I worked 5 or 6 days/week through them all, no neuropathy, nausea, a wee bit of dysgeusia - metallic taste.
As the ads state "Individual results may vary" 😁
Despite 39 chemos, PSMA still had L of prostate light up with PCa growing into the perineum. SUV Max at 87.5!!! The 28 IMRTs did the trick tho, made my 9th Cancerversary . PSA down at 2.9
Rock on Brother
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