Hello everyone,
My husband is having Docetaxel after
Thanksgiving. Can anyone recommend prescriptions that I should ask for before treatment for Nausea and Vomiting?
In case of Neuropathy, I bought the gloves and feet things with the ice things and I have Gabapentine.
How long do side effects usually last? Any recommendations are appreciated.
Thank you
Make sure that you have ice for hands, feet and head. You can order these on Amazon. It helps to have two sets to get through the infusion. We took a large cooler with us each time.
A big success! Also read up about fasting a day before and a day after. We're talking full-on 48 hours if fasting - but with water of course. May possibly reduce symptoms and may increase the effectiveness. Along with the cold treatments I got through okay with no problems.
I did modified fast, because I was working and needed some energy, but did 1000 calories 2 days before and 1 after. I felt it helped me recover more quickly. I didn't read about it until I had done two treatments and felt the last few went better even though the fatigue is cumulative.
You consumed no calories for 48 hours, with only water? I know it's doable, just confirming you were that strict. Thanks.
Yes, fasting 100% no calories for 48 hours. Interesting side note: my chemo was a year ago now. And my chemo started about 4 months into my diagnosis. I'm one of the lucky ones on triplet therapy. And we had been doing fasting. I wouldn't say we were crazy about it.
But you kind of learn how to do fasting and it's okay. It's odd how one used to panic when one got a little hungry. At a certain point one can start to get a little more energy during the fast, oddly. And fasting can actually be enjoyable.
My insight is this - if you're used to eating a lot of carbs through the day and if you eat a lot of carbs prior to the fast, you'll probably get ravenously hungry during the 2-day chemo fast and it will be harder for you. Maybe try some tea and coffee? And think about the big meal afterwards 😂
Update now: regardless of the benefits of regular fasting or intermittent fasting or whatever, it's not clear to me how this is possible on an ongoing basis to do while on ADT and ARPI etc. (and a few supplements).
Some meds you have to take on an empty stomach and some things you have to take with food, including food with fat. The thing that happened to me recently is I "over-trained" (a new word to me) - brisk walking with hand weights and then strength exercises.
But what I did not understand was this: I was seriously protein starved. I was probably eating only half the protein I needed to be eating. This is very bad. Showed up in my Fitbit HRV and in a blood panel I happen to have at the same. I did not know that I was short of protein. I crashed and got really really tired. So a lot of reading and calculating in the last week. Protein intake much higher. Feeling much better and numbers have begun to improve.
It's easy to say "fasting"! Fasting is quite likely very beneficial for the body. And there is some reasonable evidence that it's very much worth doing around a typical six Docetaxol chemo sessions. But I shared this long note above to provide more context. I think fasting is more complicated in circumstances of long-term PCa therapy. And lurking in the background is the fight against sarcopenia , i.e. muscle loss.
Thank you. I did a 10-day water only fast on Lupron (never done AA) so not a huge deal. Also twice with Colonoscopies while on Lupron. Still, each one requires getting psyched up, especially with water only. Plain coffee or tea go a long way.
Excuse me John but wouldn't that be 72 hours. Day before, day of and day after? Just a thought 🤔
Uh, good question Sailameme. I think I only did 48 hours, including the "day of". I once did a >60 hour fast but per my notes above I can't do that anymore. I think a full on 72-hour fast for chemo would be hard for most people. I recall reading at the time about the half-life of Docetaxol. If my memory serves me correctly I believe it is metabolized fairly quickly so that by the third day fasting doesn't give so much benefit. If someone more knowledgeable can weigh in on this that would be great.
(It would also be great if there was cancer coaching available for sensible possibly helpful things such as fasting and exercise. There are a lot of details to get them right - and it's kind of a waste of time for everybody to have to figure out the same darn thing all the time.)
Great thread, JITM. Yes, "cancer coaching" (perfect wording) would be ideal - not simply the vague pamphlet-driven cheerleading information we usually get. The system is willing to drop so much time, money, and effort on our treatments without consistently and timely educating us on how to best to help our bodies get through - and ultimately get the most out of - the treatment.
Say that it brother!
Doctor should prescribe anti nausea drugs and steroids as part of preparation for the chemo.
The steroids are standard - but I never took the so-called anti-nausea drug and I was fine. It turns out that I didn't need them - but if you look them up they are antipsychotics and pretty strong.
Some are, but many aren't. My husband got Zofran/ondansetron, which is not an anti-psychotic (compazine is). Please don't scare people off using these meds - there are lots of choices.
We were told to stay ahead of the nausea - i.e. take the anti-nausea meds for a few days prophylactically. He may well get those meds with his infusion, my husband did, plus he was prescribed pills. Secondly, he fasted, which is supposed to mitigate toxic side-effects as well as make the chemo more effective. He had virtually no nausea, but I don't know if he was just lucky or whether the fasting helped. Definitely ice hands and feet at least - my husband had no neuropathy. Best of luck to you!
Fantastic result! As for nausea, I had a bottle of olanzapine (I think). I didn't take any. And I didn't have any nausea either. I looked up the drug - it's an antipsychotic. Didn't sound like a good idea.
Were you taking any other medication during Docetaxel treatment?
Firmagon, Abiraterone, Dexamethasone and Lapelga (against the chemo-induced risk of infection). I think I may have taken an odd hydromorphone too.
I'll just add to Hydrate! Lots of water day before, day of and 2-3 days after.
For mild nausea, I found that ginger did help somewhat -- ginger ale, ginger tea, candied ginger, ginger candies, I tried them all.
Later, when I needed something stronger, Zofran (generic is ondansetron) worked well. The trick was to take it early enough that I didn't throw it up five minutes later.
AlvinSD (Bob Downey) generously contributed this detailed description of what helped him through docetaxel chemo about a year ago. It's excellent. healthunlocked.com/advanced...
Vitamins B6 and B12 to avoid neuropathy. The oncologist (or nurse assistant) should be able to answer all such questions.
What about chewing on ice chips while icing hands and feet?...
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/20/2023 5:21 PM EST
Only when I'm frustrated.
Your fingernails chewed down to the quick?
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/20/2023 6:24 PM EST
Lame
Lame too? Sorry to hear that.....Time for an Orthopedist....I know a team of them who you can bet your life on:.........Harpo, Chico and Groucho....
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/20/2023 6:40 PM EST
My orthopedic surgeon suggested I chew on ice while icing my cake.
Hmmm a penalty? Does the doc have to return the cake to the freezer for icing?
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/20/2023 6:48 PM EST
Only if the doc crossed the blue icing...else it's fair play.
I don't think that's a regulation sized paddle
Ohhhhh my mistake........... not Pickleball.............I meant Dickleball........
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 11/20/2023 7:43 PM EST
In that case, it's a regulation size stick
Was that comment necessary?
I did normal diet and a bit of rubbish in between.I wish i had known about the gloves and footware. As after 18 months neuropathy a bit worst.I see the doctor in 3 weeks .Last time PSA was .008 but maybe expect a rise as i have not seen him for 3 months .Make sure he exercises on a regular basis light weights resistance bands or the gym as i have lost a lot of muscle tone I have been on hormone therapy for over 18months and and have a substantial tummy lucky i am tall so not as noticeable I teach first aid 4 days a week and keep active.Best wishes
ps - someone reminded me about sucking on ice chips during chemo - do it!! My husband had no mouth sores, loss of taste, etc. Well worth it. The icing, wherever used, constricts blood vessels, so therefore less chemo toxicity gets to those areas (hands, feet, mouth). We didn't bother icing his head - did some research, and it's hard to do a good job (i.e without patchiness) without renting a crazy-expensive system (~$400 per session). He actually didn't lose all his hair and 6 months later it's lush!
CHEWING ON ICE CHIPS: I see posts periodically here on the forum on how chewing on ice chips during chemo is both enjoyable and a prophylactic against sores, or something. And doctors even recommend this.
Apparently chewing on ice chips or ice cubes at any time is a bad idea. Because the cold shock from the ice can create micro fractures in the enamel. Which are then entry points for future dental caries.
I don't know if this risk is real. Certainly a large number of dentists seem to like to post about the dangers. One begins to think this might be a dental urban myth.
However, if you're planning to chew ice maybe worthwhile looking into it. If it is true, then any doctor recommending it should wise up.
This comment is definitely unnecessary. I take it you're one of those who gets kicked off and the rejoins under a new moniker. Anyway, get a life.
This is good...who am I really?
Nausea- Zofran
Neuropathy- B12
Tooth paste/dry mouth-biotene products
high fever(100.5) acetaminophen
I had no reaction during dosing.
They will give you Decadron prior, during and after dosing.(5 tabs)
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