Docetaxel

[Sebsmum]

Finished fec now going for docetaxel now anybody had this I’m getting really worried is it worse than the fec

[biddenden_sue]

Don't be afraid. Just be ready. Make sure you have plenty of paracetamol & ibuprofen in the house. On day 3 after you had the docetaxol, start taking these every 4 hours, and keep doing this for the next few days. Tax causes severe bone/muscle aches, which if you haven't prepared for them, can be excrutiating. If you do this, it will drastically reduce the effect. It eases off by about day 10-14, giving you a week or so to recover before the next dose. Another side effect to watch out for is oral thrush. This chemo also causes your nails to come away but that won't happen until long after you have finished having chemo.

Don't fret. Always remember, if it is hurting you so much, focus on how hard it is hitting that cancer! That's what it's all about. Bring it on! x

[Berylynn]

I felt like that but when it came, head was clearer than fec, i rested a lot more because sleep was at a minimum. Only ever took the lowest of pain relief at night, nothing hurts if you rest, its the moving. Stairs etc. I had night sweats, to add to everything, soaking wet pillows for a few days but after the 21 days, the pattern is set and the end is closer.

[Vic1970]

Hi,as sue says-don't panic,it has different side effects but you will find a way to manage them.Do take ibuprofen and paracetomol alternately and be prepared to need plenty of rest even if you're not sleeping.If you're on docetaxl it means you're halfway through -and it will destroy the cancer,just focus on that.Good luck with the rest of your treatment and be selfish and kind to yourself and ask for help when you need to.Love and hugs to you,Vicky.

[carolinenailsea]

Hi there, I understand that you are feeling worried, I tolerated the fec well but I too was scared about the docetaxol (T ) bit. I found it was a little bit worse than fec but I put this down to having already had 9 weeks of chemo and my body being a bit beaten up at this stage. The positive about the T for me was that my dry itchy spotty skin (caused by FEC) cleared up. I didnt really experience much in the way of aches. What I did have however was the oral thrush. The hospital gave me something for this which helped but to be honest it didnt really go away until the chemo had finished. Its not much fun to be sure but you just have to hang on in there and hopefully the chemo will get rid of the cancer. Its a horrible few weeks, all you can do is take each day at a time and be kind to yourself. Rest when you feel like it if at all possible. Good luck. The chemo will be history by the summer. xxx

[Sebsmum in reply to carolinenailsea]

💕💕 got a friend who had mastectomy but refused chemo at this point in m feeling like giving up on the chemo just want to start feeling well again 🙁

[LaineyG]

I got the tax first because I was on a trial, I felt it was worse than the fec, because it was better not to be hit by the chemo train. But in all honesty, like everyone else I totally agree if you have your pain relief ready to take as soon as your steroids finish you'll be fine. I used to get my chemo on a Friday and would feel unwell by the Monday to the Wednesday, but you know what, it's bearable and it's probably only 3 sessions, so you're passed halfway by the time you've had the first. Keep fighting, cos these meds are extortionate and while we suffer the side effects it's because it's killing those cancer cells! All will be fine- good luck xxxx

[Debster2016]

Hi sebsmum bless you sweetheart you are now officially over half way through well done!! It’s all downhill from here. Every treatment from here on in gets you closer to the end, it’s a good thing, you can do this!

The advice about pain relief is also top of my list. I received my first docetaxol on a Friday and it was the following Thursday at 4pm (!) when I got a back ache and went for a lie down and very soon after was squirming and crying in pain! My back was spasming in synch with my heart beat. Argh. I took 2 neurofen and in 10 minutes felt a bit better but still rang the hospital to ask what else I could take and when, and was advised I could take 2 paracetamol at the same time so I did and the pain went away, mmmmmmm. So for the next 2 treatments I started the pain relief 4 times a day from Wednesday through to Sunday and suffered no more pain.

This is when I lost most of my eyebrows but not all! And found a fabulous product online called Wonderbrow and I still wear it. I considered I looked no different to anyone wearing eyebrow product as opposed to someone going through chemo. Mind you I woke up one morning and thought oh I’ve got no eyelashes; that was bit difficult but didn’t fret as it was like the last thing to go and I just shrugged it off and wore my wig and Wonderbrow with confidence!

I applied lots of dark nail polish for the first few weeks and then just got fed up with it and my nails natural colour took on a sepia / cigarette smoke hue. This slowly fades as the nails grow but this took a damn site longer to do than I expected, maybe a year?

I didn’t get oral thrush!

The steroids kept me awake more and I splashed out on an eye test and a pair of reading glasses to keep me company when awake at unsociable hours as my eyes had changed so much. They returned to normal pretty quickly, maybe a couple of months after last treatment.

I couldn’t manage the gcsf injections myself due to my poor eyesight and got a bit shaky and damp palms when trying and failing to self administer - luckily my husband prepared them for me and I injected them. I looked like a pin cushion as I was also self administering daily blood thinner due to a couple of superficial blood clots! 😄😄. I got one very big bruise on my lower abdomen no doubt where I’d caught a blood vessel with one of my needles 😅 but that didn’t develop into anything sinister but do ring the hospital and let them know if this happens.

You have got this! 👊👊👊. You are an amazing person who can and is winning this battle, not long now ☺️. Keep going, be kind to yourself and keep posting.

Sending hugs 🤗 and love xx

[Sebsmum]

Thanks so much tears running down my face as I type this

You sound so strong I seem strong to everyone else especially my 10 y old but inside I’m so frightened this horrid Thing is taking over my body my life a little more everyday

Thanks for your reply 💕💕