Posted 3/10/2016 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
My experience with taxotere, over a treatment period of an infusion every three weeks, went through six infusions before doc decided to switch to a different treatment, but I wrote down what my side effects of treatment were so I wouldn't forget them later. Normally the day of the infusion I was fine, did not notice any side effect of the treatment, and even 2 or 3 days afterwards. I would get infusion usually on a Thursday, on Saturday morning I'd wake up with white lips and inside of mouth coated in a white substance. Looked it up, and it was mouth thrush.
1. Mouth Thrush, looks worse than it feels, some difficulty in swallowing, tongue was sensitive but no blisters forming. decreased appetite during this phase which normally lasted about 2 to 3 days before it went away and the next side effect would start. Do not try to wipe thrush off tongue or mouth, drink water or juice and wash it off with fluids, wiping it off can cause bleeding. The week after thrush, i'd notice foods didn't taste right, like some taste buds were killed off, and it took a week or so to grow new ones. I could eat just fine, but things just didn't taste right, old favorites didn't taste as good as before, but was happy to get anything down during this phase. I tended to lose weight during the mouth thrush period, and didn't eat well. A self treatment of rinsing mouth with a mixture of salt (gargling salty water helps an irritated throat) and baking soda, I believe it was a teaspoon in a 12 oz cup, rinse and spit it out. drinking salt water isn't good for you...makes you nuts. so try to avoid it if possible, but it was a recommended magic mouthwash that helped get thru the thrush.
2. Second SE was necropsy in my fingers and feet, tops of my feet are numb feeling, bottoms feel like the skin is thick on the soles and foot doesn’t flex like it should when walking. Not a serious problem, put some lotion on it and it will moisturize both fingers and feet at same time, May or may not do much good, I do worry that the necropsy can become a permanent problem. Doc recommended a lotion called udderly smooth, and have to admit it works pretty well. Unfortunately, after treatment ended I still have minor issues with necropsy on parts of the feet and the very tips of my fingers tingle all the time. Makes typing on keyboard troublesome but like the rest can get through it. I've read it may take a year or so before the tingling stops. If it tingles, i'm still alive so that is a good thing.
3. Third Effect was a reoccurrence of the rash around my groin, sores appearing in crotch/leg joining area, or right where the underwear rubs, may have to go commando for a day or two, or wear looser underwear, may have to get some jockey shorts. Never worn those before. Have to apply ointment to reduce friction or better, baby powder which helped alot. Pain meds can’t help that so don’t bother taking it for that. Udderly smooth lotion helped out. This side effect didn't happen every infusion, but it happened more than once so I wrote it down.
4. Nausea and upset stomach, really curbed my appetite about half of what I used to eat in a single serving for just myself, nausea meds helped sometimes, sometimes it didn't. As a last resort would occasionally smoke a joint which did make nausea change to hunger, and i'd be able to eat more afterwards. Also helped me sleep.
5. Peeling skin. about a week after I had the tingling spots on hands and feet, they'd start to peel, usually just one layer of skin, but i'd lose the skin on my palms and my soles of feet as one of the last side effects before I started feeling better, usually the week before the next infusion I had few side effects.
6. I had hot flashes throughout the treatment, but thought that was more likely the Lupron than the taxotere. Eventually they subsided as I worked off the last of the leftover Lupron in my system. Now on my Xtandi treatments, I get minor hot flashes still. but after a few bad ones, the minor ones are easy.
7. Lethargy, was tired and run down all the time during the taxotere treatment, even moreso than I felt during Radiation and Lupron treatments. I've been run down now for 2 years from various treatments, I didn't exercise much before, but now as I come out the other side of chemo, I can tell its lack of muscle that I lost from inactivity that holds me back, so I am forcing myself to exercise more now. Just to get better.
After 6 infusions, it was taking longer and longer to recover from each infusion, and then we noticed my PSA's were doubling every two weeks. PSA went from 5 to 45 before we changed treatment to Xtandi. Have not had a PSA test since starting the Xtandi treatments, but I do feel a lot better than before, less pain, have gotten off pain pills.
One note though, after infusion 6, I had a cyst form under the skin, I have suffered from polynital cysts for decades, and had gotten used to their cycle of pain then drain and recovery, but the new cyst wasn't in the back, it formed in the front near the scrotum, and grew to the size of an egg before I begged the doc to lance it, but as I was showing it to him, it decided to start draining on its own, got antibiotics that cleared it up in a week to 10 days, and also got some really strong pain meds that helped for the first few days that were very painful. I do not know if the cyst was a side effect of treatment, but I hadn't had a cyst anywhere in over a year, so thought radiation had cured me of those. Was not happy to have one form in front, or as deep as it formed, one half drained and was better in a few days, other section was too deep to drain and antibiotic had to fix it.
Chemo (taxotere) ended up being the first treatment in two years of trying, to halt progression of cancer spread. And while it made me feel like death warmed over, or very close to death, it managed to halt a very aggressive cancer.
Oh, should mention, hair loss. You most likely will lose hair about a week to 10 days after your first infusion, at first it comes out gradually, after 2nd infusion I was shedding hair worse than either of our long haired dogs. I eventually had it cut off short as I didn't want to watch clumps come out. Get a few hats if baldness bothers you. I had to wear a thin beanie type hat at night in bed or my head would keep me awake from being cold. Once hair grew back, and it WILL grow back once treatment ends, it came in soft and is still black in color on top of head, beard and mustache however have turned white.
I also experienced occasional dizzy spells, vertigo, and I kept a cane around or took it with me everywhere until I feel like I don't need it anymore. I still use a cane occasionally, helps when I over exert myself walking through a store, can lean on the cane.
Good luck, while the side effects of chemo are dramatic, I did not have a problem dealing with each one throughout treatment. And I got the same five or six side effects on each infusion, in the same order, duration would vary though.