Weekly Taxol

[Purplerose12]

Hi all I’m about to start weekly Taxol have any of you any experience with trying the cold cap and was it successful. Many Thanks

[JR1MF]

I had 6 sessions of 3 weekly Taxol but cold cap worked really well. You need to make sure it is tight and use a small cap close to the scalp. I have short hair and during the chemotherapy I only washed it every few days with mild shampoo. Good luck it is worth it but you have to put up with the first 15 minutes of extreme cold then it is fine. You will need a distraction at first to take your mind off the cold. No one could even tell I had chemo ! Go for it.

[Chick44nzrn]

hello Purplerose, I hope you are feeling well and if you go ahead with cold cap it’s best to get a very tight fit and as it’s uncomfortable for 10/15 mins as it cools your hair I took paracetamol half hour before it but I had it for 6 months through FEC and Paclitaxol. . It saved a lot of my hair but as luck would have it I caught pneumonia ( low white cells side effect) and lost the lot! But I now have shoulder length thick hair , as it’s grown back quickly .

I wish you the best of good results with kicking out the cancer and staying robust and well.

Warm wishes from Denise 1988

[Lind58]

hope your treatment is successful! And thinking of you. My mom used the cold cap during taxol/carbo and did loose 75% of her hair but the 25% helped her cope. She also had extremely thick hair before treatment which worked negatively with the cold cap. It is very difficult and added stress but if You want to try it, it could be worth it.

[Shan67]

Hi - I also used the cold cap and had thick hair and it worked really well for me - my hair thinned a little but other than that it was fine and I am pleased I persevered with it. You can always start and see how it goes. I took two paracetamol before treatment and an extra blanket as you can feel cold. I used simple shampoo too and tried to wash my hair only once or twice a week. I really hope all goes well for you. Love Shan

[audhilly]

I didn’t try it although I bought it. I sent it back. Several friends tried it. It only reaches the hair on top where the ice can reach so the hair underneath the top layer will likely fall out anyway. I was thinking about cutting my hair short that it could reach every layer, but it’s a miserable process to save myself a couple of months. I opted out

Since we’re talking about icing, let me tell you about icing hands and feet. You want to ice bc it can keep you from getting neuropathy in your hands and feet; that will handicap you and be a lot of pain if you get it. I was told to ice using ice gloves and booties (available on amazon). I did that, but I didn’t ice 30 minutes before and after infusion and I should have! Also, I fell asleep and let the boots get warm. I got serious neuropathy in my feet by the 5th infusion which caused real pain and unsteadiness. If you get boots and gloves, I recommend getting three sets of each and an ice chest to keep them in. That way you can ice in advance and afterwards and swap out any time they seem to be losing their iciness. If you get neuropathy, PT is essential and cymbalta (dulocetine) saved me.

Wishing the best for you, sister

Audrey

ps If you decide you really want to cold cap, you might want test out if you can handle it. Try ice packs all over your head. That will give you a good preview of the pain of it.

[Shan67]

Hi - if you are in the UK you don’t need to buy anything and your nurse will ensure it is fitted correctly - my hair was shoulder length (in my photo I was using the cold cap) and it worked well, so please don’t feel too worried. Xx