I suffered an immediate severe reaction to chemo drug Paclitaxel and had to have an antidote administered in order to recover.The other2 drugs were ok(Carboplatin & Bevacizumab).
I was told that some ladies have this reaction but when they take this drug a 2nd time they have no problem.
I decided not to take the chance as I felt so bad.
To those who suffered..how did you get past this hurdle?
I had a reaction to paclitaxel on my 1st and 3rd infusion. On both occasions the nurses were onto it straight and within mins I was fine. To stop this happening again my Onc put me on desensitising medication which I had to take the day before chemo, day of chemo and the day after chemo and they slowed down the infusion from 1 hour to 2 1/2 hours. I never had a reaction after that but did find it a hit nerve wracking at times. These reactions are common as evidenced by all the people sat round me with red wristbands 😃, Kerry
I had a reaction to paclitaxel on my 2nd session. I had the next 4 sessions at half speed which meant 6 hrs just for paclitaxel. I was fine after that and finished the 6 cycles with no issues. I had to take 10 steroids the night before and 10 in the morning which meant I couldn’t sleep much the night before. Stick with it. I had some sessions with the scalp cooling which were over 10 hours. Good luck with it ! I finished last month and feel great now
I had this reaction too, and thought I was going to die. I now have anti histamine through the line, wait for thirty minutes, then have the Taxel. I am always very anxious, but so far I have been fine.Jenny
I had this reaction too 1st time (very scary); 2nd time as well though less as the nurse was on hand to stop it and flush through the antihistamines. Then for the rest of the time I had a desensitized dose as described above (took 5 hours) with no problems. It did make chemo days very long (8 /9 hours) but I took plenty to do and had a snooze! Wishing you all the best. Xx
Hi I also had an immediate reaction to Paclitaxel. I had facial flushing and an electrifying feeling through my chest. I was then switched to Abraxane.
I'm very sorry to hear that but never had a reaction to paclitaxel. I'm so sorry to hear you've been unwell
I had a severe reaction twice but was rechallenged after extra Benadryl and steroids with them making the drip super slow. Alternatively you can get taxotere which has the same chemo in a different base. It’s the thing they mix the taxol with that causes the reaction. Xx
How unlucky for you to have an alarming reaction. My team were ready and waiting for a reaction and gave me meds to prepare me(antihistamine and steroids) and gave the infusion very slowly whilst someone observed me. I didn’t suffer any reaction due to this procedure. I hope you can find a good alternative. Don’t lose heart. There’s always alternatives. Good luck!🤞🏻
I had a reaction too the first time, but the nurses were quick to bring me round. They gave me steroids and antihistamines after that and I had no more problems. Stick with it. Take all the chemo you are offered to beat this hellish disease. Best wishes x
reaction to carboplatin
Reaction to carbo 
1st Chemo down,
Allergic Reaction to CT Scan
