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Posted 6/29/2016 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
I am now day 6 post 1st docetaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy infusion. I would say days 4-5 were the toughest on me from an energy standpoint. I felt very "chemically" inside and had some definite fatigue. I now feel almost back to normal and can sense the toxins are working there way out of my system. Still no nausea, pain, hair loss, mouth sores, or other SEs of significance. Appetite is good.

Blood work Friday on day 8.

I plan to travel this weekend and be on the road so hope all stays calm.

Best to all,
Posted 6/30/2016 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
Day 8 post 1st infusion-

On Day 7, small cracks/breakdown in corners of mouth, seem to be stable, treat with lip balm, better hydration;
Dermatitis/rash is still ongoing, but localized as listed before, less itchy
Conserved energy during day for open mic performance in evening; clearly tired at end of day, chemical feel as described by john16


On Day 8, more extensive rash on arms and upper neck, those parts that get most sun when I am outdoors- not much itch though; have started wearing long-sleeve shirts when out

Walked three miles today in 50 minutes and enjoyed every minute- clearly I feel better than I probably look due to the dermatitis

Temperature = 98.4; I am in the predicted period of WBC nadir for docetaxel (7-10 days post infusion), so thought I would check for febrile neutropenia- hard to tell sometimes with so many hot flashes occurring. Clinical definition is any incident temp of 101 F OR 100.4 F for an hour; doc sez to call on any occurrence of 100.4 F or more. Assumption is if you got fever, you got infection somewhere and your WBC ain't helping. Now 100.4 F seems sort of mild for fever to treat- so I read up on it. It is a BIG DEAL as untreated febrile neutropenia has a mortality rate of 5-20%!!! Got my thermometer next to my computer.

Feeling great now, especially in the early day- much less fatigue as well. 1 down, 5 to go. Will only report in future if there are deviations from this pattern.

rf
Posted 7/1/2016 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

My dad just received his 2nd dosage of taxotere/carboplatin today. He had his blood work down prior to the 2nd infusion and the oncologist was happy that his ALP drop quite significantly. However his PSA only drop by a few points. But we are still happy because it's a drop!
And by the way, his knee and hip joints are kind of pain when walking for too long. Not sure if it's osteoarthritis or due to the chemo drugs?
Posted 7/9/2016 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Day 16 post 1st infusion

Hair began falling "off" not "out" 3 days ago- just a few at start, thought I would get away with thinning. Today, had to get out of shower before I clogged the drain. Got the buzz. I have not looked this up, but from my observation, the hair just breaks off close to the scalp (I have all my hairs close to the scalp it seems). My guess is that the cells that make hair grow do a poor job during the chemo, and once that part gets out of the scalp, it breaks off real easy.

the dermatitis on my arms has been the most visible SE; it still is present but descending in appearance (no itch hardly), some spots of skin breakdown and dry patches (small and sparse), but I get second cycle next week and wonder if another round of dermatitis will just pile on to what I have now- if so, this could get pretty ugly after 6 cycles; I will work real hard at hydration this round to see if I can minimize the skin inflammation.

I have felt great, energy good with a nap in the middle of the day, walking 4 miles in 65 min regularly.

the bell is about to ring for round 2. I will not post further on this thread unless SE/complications develop outside of the pattern I have experienced in this round.

rf
Posted 7/14/2016 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Ok I am now 20 days first treatment and I can report that days 4-5 were the worst with some fatigue. I have had no other side effects to speak of, although my hair is falling out in the last few days. Time for a buzz cut. Otherwise I feel strong and very good. I am living a very normal life and exercising regularly. I will begin round 2 next week as they are changing from docetaxel/carbotplatin to cabazitaxel/carboplatin to guard against elevated liver enzymes. Onward and upward.
Posted 7/14/2016 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
(I was asked to post here for my chemo journey. I have gleaned a lot of great info from here and I am sure it will all help.)

I had my 1st treatment on July 6th. For that day and the next two days, everything seemed fine. I figured it was the steroids keeping going. By day three, boom, the crash. I woke up with bone pain in my joints and pelvis. Based on that, I took it easy in the morning. By 4pm, I thought it was weird that I had the chills and was shaking. So based on the "what to watch out for" sheet from the doctor, I checked my temperature. It was 99.5. I thought that wasn't to high but I started pounding more water, opened the window, turned on the fan. Within a couple of hours, my temperature was averaging around 101. Continued with trying to cool down. But by 9:30pm my temp was consistently 102. My wife called the medical oncologist and I went to the ER. The rest of the story is on this thread. www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3664461

THEY TAKE HIGH TEMPS very seriously at the hospital. They err on the side of caution and they check you in and pump you full of fluids and antibiotics. They don't let you out until the risk is low by having at least 2 blood cultures come back negative. I finally got out of the hospital after 3 days. We are closely monitoring by blood and tempuratures. I am trying not to over do it, but I am trying to keep walking. My legs and arms feel sore and chemo fog hit today. Onward... -JR
Posted 7/14/2016 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Well. I am wide awake from decadron so I will file a report instead of staring at a ceiling in the dark.

Due to the dermatitis, the docs at Nih decided to increase my decadron from 12 to 20 mg, figuring I was showing signs of potential hyper reactivity. Oh wow.

Within one minute of start of my second infusion I felt burning and tightness in my chest, then lots of stars dancing as my vision grayed (or I closed my eyes?) and I had a distinct feeling of receding in conciousness. I yelled for help and all symptoms quickly dissipated when med was turned off. 50 mg Benadryl iv and infusion at half rate worked like a charm. Future infusions will include oral steroids predosing with Benadryl and iv steroids and half rate. All is well now but then I am still on decadron high.

Rf
Posted 7/25/2016 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
I have been doing fairly well after the stay in the hospital for the high fever. Final diagnosis from hospital was sever sepsis. They don't know how I got it. I am glad it is over. My last blood test had my white blood counts up fairly high, but that was after my stay in the hospital, all those antibiotics and the Nuelasta shot. So far everything okay but there are days that I feel exhausted. Mostly in the afternoons. On day 17 after the 1st chemo my hair started falling out. I knew it was happening as my scalp felt sore. I ran my hand through my hair and tons of it was falling out, as if shears were cutting it off. Luckily my son came over and he buzzed my head. What little hair is there is also falling out. So I can imagine that all of it will be gone sometime after treatment #2 which is Wednesday of this week. The journey continues... -JR
Posted 8/6/2016 5:18 AM (GMT 0)
I am 2 days post infusion of my third cycle of docetaxel, which is administered at NIH as part of a clinical trial.

I have demonstrated hypersensitivity to this drug in a different way with each infusion-

1st: rash on both arms and upper chest
2nd: severe epigastric pain and decrease in vision and conciousness
3rd: some epi pain, starting to see stars, then excruciating pain as my pelvic floor went into spasm; infusion stopped, more steroids given, drug rate reduced (making a 4 hr infusion out of the original 1 hr infusion) and infusion completed

All of these reactions are within range of known hypersensitivity reactions. SOP is to add more steroids/benadryl/ranitidine and slow down infusion.

Now it is clear that my lower legs are swelling and this is new. Again, a not-unexpected side effect, believed to be caused by drug-induced capillary leaking, but it usually resolves before next cycle according to the literature.

Hydrating fine, crash present but not debilitating, no aches/pains- just fat legs.

Ugggh. It sure ain't a walk in the park. Something new each time. Three down, three to go.....

rf
Posted 8/26/2016 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
RADIATION RECALL DERMATITIS

I completed my fourth taxotere infusion on August 24.

After third infusion the rash on my arms and chest became exacerbated and spread a bit up my arms and down the dorsal surface of my hands. It raised concern regarding whether I should get another infusion at this time.

Dermatology consult: this is likely a manifestation of radiation recall dermatitis; treat with prescription strength cortisone cream BID.

I spent two glorious years (3rd and 4th grade) running free in the high desert of Elko, Nevada. Add to that a preference for button short-sleeve shirts most of my life, and I get a radiation burden in skin cells in arms and neck/chest area. Chemo comes along revealing cell fragility, inflammation ensues, lots of rash. In my case only mildly and intermittent itchy. Makes sense anyway.

Steroids will clearly help the rash because the IV doses they give me with chemo to suppress hypersensitivity have greatly reduced inflammation in past two days.

We seem to have licked the hypersensitivity problem with a combination of premeds and a slow ramp up infusion rate over a four hour period. This infusion went off great.

With regard to lower leg edema mentioned in last post: keep your legs up, it goes away easily, and you will void more as you dump that fluid.

And by golly, if you get abrasions or cuts, make sure you keep a tube of Abx ointment handy. It greatly helps in healing and might prevent sepsis, eh?
Posted 9/1/2016 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Update: completed third chemo cycle on August 17th. Almost didn't happen as my MedOnc was concerned about my small bowel obstruction issue that put me in the hospital. He is worried that the chemo may be exacerbating whatever the issue is. I of course came to far to stop now. I enjoy the discussions of the pros and cons and the fact that he just doesn't order me to stop. The fact is, I am young and I don't want this beast to come back later, the reason I am doing this "quad play". I told him I was seeking help from a GI doc and we will figure that out later. We settled on a lower dose of Taxotere. So infusion was done. So far I am happy that I invested in those elasto gel hypothermia gloves and booties to prevent the neuropathy. I just couldn't do the bags of ice that they had there. No real issues this round... Knock on wood. My next cycle is on September 7th, right after my upper GI endoscope(with follow through) procedure at the hospital. Colonoscopy will be done the week after. It is assumed at this point that I have some radiation issues in my small bowels after IMRT and we have to find the trouble spot. Okay, onward! -JR
Posted 4/7/2017 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, what a wealth of information you have shared. From the wife of a "newbie" getting ready to start Taxotere (every 3 weeks for 6 cycles), THANK YOU!
Posted 4/7/2017 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck to your husband and you. It is a little rocky on the crash days but doable. Since he hasn't done any other primary treatments, he may do better as he doesn't have those side effects to compound the chemo. We are here if you need us. Keep us posted. Take care. -JR
Posted 4/14/2017 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and unfortunately new to Prostate Cancer. Looks like a great support group here for people in the "club".

I just started Docetaxel a week ago. I had quite a bit of anxiety about it as I'm sure most others had, but went ahead mainly due to the findings of the two recent studies done on early chemo with ADT. So far I have absolutely no regrets.

I'm only cycle 1, but the side effects for me are quite minimal so far. I've been able to have a "normal" life more or less. I should be starting the recovery now for the first cycle so it's 1 down and 5 to go.

I have a question about hot flashes which seem to be the worst side effect for me. I know they are mainly from the ADT and not the chemo, but I am also taking a small dose of Prednisone daily (10mg). My hot flashes have gotten a lot worse since starting chemo and I am wondering if this is because of the Prednisone addition to treatment or if it's still just the ADT alone. At times, particularly in the late afternoon/evening, they come in one after the other. I'm really hoping it's going to go down after chemo is over.

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience with this to share? Thanks in advance.

Post Edited (starfinder) : 4/14/2017 8:30:52 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/14/2017 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Starfinder. Welcome to this little club, sorry you had to join. You have a good attitude and that helps a lot. As far as I know predisone doesn't add to hot flashes, but who knows. I have times when my hot flashes seem to be at its peak and then times it is not so bad. You could ask your doctor to increase your Gabapentin (neurontin) to help, or give you a prescription if you don't already take it. It doesn't make the hot flashes go away, but helps take the intensity down. At least that is my experience. I am up to 1,800 mg daily. I wish you luck with your treatment plan and your whole PCa journey. Take care and keep us posted. -JR
Posted 4/14/2017 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the help.

I'm really glad we have excellent treatment options available for PCa.

Trying to keep a positive attitude about everything. That actually hasn't been too hard, especially after having a PSA of 400 with extensive bone pain and weakness prior to treatment. Looking at my bone scan "lit up" like a Christmas tree was the low point for me. At that point I could barely stand up. I am so grateful to have my life back again.

I realize how much I have to be thankful for. The side effects are an annoyance for sure, but I always compare everything to the cancer and so far everything else, even the bone biopsy was better than the cancer.
Posted 4/15/2017 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
about 3 1/2 years post prostatectomy (G9) my PSA began to rise. After about 1 1/2 years it reached 19. Surg. Onc. put me on Casodex December, 2016. Then Lupron January 4, 2017, and sent me over to Med. Onc. Started 6 rounds Taxotere January 20,2017.

The issue being that after starting Casodex and Lupron Psa dropped from 19 to 3.96 (1/20/17). in a matter of three weeks. Then it fell to 3.17 (2/10/17) in the next three weeks.
Then a drop to 2.42 (3/3/17) and 1.98 (3/24/17). Now today 4/14/17 it goes to 2.09. Low and behold an increase.about 3 1/2 years post prostatectomy (G9) my PSA began to rise. After about 1 1/2 years it reached 19. Surg. Onc. put me on Casodex December, 2016. Then Lupron January 4, 2017, and sent me over to Med. Onc. Started 6 rounds Taxotere January 20, 2017.

The issue being that after starting Casodex and Lupron Psa dropped from 19 to 3.96 (1/20/17). in a matter of three weeks. Then it fell to 3.17 (2/10/17) in the next three weeks.
Then a drop to 2.42 (3/3/17) and 1.98 (3/24/17). Now today 4/14/17 it goes to 2.09. Low and behold an increase.

It almost seems as if the Taxotere slowed things down; as my first infusion was on 1/20/17 after which PSA drop slowed dramatically.

Cyclone Fan respoded with the encouraging post below.

The ADT hormone shots have the "easiest" work, in a manner of speaking, as they often greatly reduce PSA scores because they "starve and strangle" those hormone-sensitive prostate cancer cells.

Many of us here have experienced the significant drops in PSA, as ADT hormone treatments began. My initial PSA was over 100, and the ADT shots knocked my PSA down to low levels in the first few months.

From there, then I started the TAXOTERE treatments, which is right where you are at currently.

My oncologist reminded me that the chemotherapy treatments have the HARDEST job, in a sense ... the chemo treatments have to attack the stubborn, more resistant, hormone-INSENSITIVE prostate cancer cells ... the ones "left over" that aren't impacted by the ADT hormone shots.

So, my oncologist reminded me to "stay patient, stay determined, stay the course" throughout my entire series of chemotherapy treatments...

Chemotherapy is a SYSTEMIC treatment, so it is traveling all over the body, attacking those resistant cancer cells ... and it is attacking the cancer cells that your LUPRON shots can't attack. Think of your LUPRON shots and your chemo treatments, working together now ... like loading up a DOUBLE-BARRELED shotgun ...

That's the visual image that was helpful to me, as my TAXOTERE infusions continued ...






Post Edited (mr bill) : 5/7/2017 1:20:11 PM (GMT-6)
Posted 4/15/2017 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
It looks to me like the chemo is not as effective as ADT, but kills a broad spectrum of cancer cells vs. the ADT which is more efficient but more specific. The effectiveness of the chemo is also limited by the dose we can tolerate without damaging the healthy cells too much. That's probably why doing chemo early in combination with ADT is more effective than saving until the end which used to be the standard methodology. I'm very grateful for the studies that were done to prove this.
Posted 4/15/2017 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
For what it is worth.
Now on my 5th Taxotere infusion (April 14, 2017). As I was somewhat concerned about Neuropathy I decided to try the ice pack infusion. I purchased two of the gel pack booties on line (kind of expensive), and a 22 can C********an roller cooler with retractable handle at the local W***mt. A couple of days before infusion I put gelpacks and 4 one gallon ziplock baggies, filled with ice, in the freezer. The day before infusion I buy 5lbs. of dry ice and put in roller cooler, which I put in garage.
The day of infusion I load it all in the cooler and drag it a long behind. about 10 or 15 minutes before actual infusion of Taxotere (after the Benadryl, etc.) I put booties on (they are definately not a fashion statement), and tuck my hands between a couple of ice packs. Or just lay them palms down on one pack. Then I ask nurse for a cup of ice chips to chew on during infusion.
about 10 to 15 minutes after infusion I remove all the ice, and hope I did some good.
Some say the gel pack for your head will save your hair. However, one of the infusion nurses told me they are almost unbearable and some patients just take them off, while others tough it out.
The medical oncologist told me they do not have much of a problem with Taxotere and Neuropathy. However, I explained to him that if the precautions state that only 1 out of 10,000 people will suffer adverse side effects, then I am that one.
That is why my screen name is,
Mr. Bill

Post Edited (mr bill) : 5/7/2017 1:22:38 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/29/2017 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Here's my update on Taxotere chemo treatment:

To keep things in perspective, I try to compare the chemo side effects to other experiences in my life.

I'll update this post as I go along.

Cycle 2

April 28- Day 1: Got my "cocktail" at local infusion Happy Hour. Able to get the entire bag down without incident. Did quite a bit of work yesterday, decent energy and no nausea despite the fact I was working on a very bad-smelling clogged toilet drain. If nothing else, kept my mind off the chemo and cancer.

April 29 - Day 2: Mild hangover this morning, feel a little out of sorts. Similar to mild alcohol hangover, mostly head effects. Coffee helps a lot for me. Stomach is slightly upset and stools looser, similar to, but not worse than some of the trips to Mexico I've had. Very mild nausea coming in waves in the late afternoon starting after lunch. Not as bad a 5 minutes of map reading in the back seat of a moving car. Much better than ANY significant level motion sickness. Walked a mile and a half today. Quite tiring, feels like someone got ahold of the Increase Gravity Knob and cranked it up a few turns. Feels like I carried weights up a steep hill. But all in all, pretty good so far.
Posted 4/29/2017 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck Starfinder... Glad it is a good run so far.
Posted 4/30/2017 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Cycle 2 Con't

Day 3: Got up this morning with the usual "hangover" feeling. Had the morning coffee, better already. The nausea after eating seems less today, although it was pretty minor yesterday. I've decided to eat smaller meals more often as was suggested.

Brain fog slowly burning off. Tongue has slight sensation of having had something too hot to eat. Can't say I have more energy today though. I do a little bit of work around the house, then get out of breath and have to sit down for a while. This also happened on my first cycle and it's a small problem.

On the positive side, I'm starting to notice a reduction in some residual lower back pain that I still had before starting chemo. It didn't really go down on the first cycle, so I don't think it's the Prednisone. Pretty sure this stuff is whacking the cancer pretty well.

Day 4: Noticeable improvement after getting up this morning. Feels like I'm going to have a lot more energy today than yesterday. If I remember, on the first cycle I starting noticing improvement on day 4. Still have that slight nausea, gets a little worse after eating. Improved a bit from yesterday. Slightly burned tongue feeling has spread out a bit over about the front half of my tongue, but still much better than the tongue burn from a bean burrito I left in microwave a bit too long. Energy level is definitely up from yesterday. Stopped Prednisone today (just using it now to help with side effects as per Dr.) Got very tired around 9:00 and had good night's sleep. Prednisone does kind of hinder sleep somewhat.
Posted 5/3/2017 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Cycle 2 Con't

Day 5: Feeling better today already, energy level almost back to normal. Slight nausea still here. A little worse today, but could be because I stopped the Prednisone yesterday and it does help with nausea. I'm also not as "wired". Burnt tongue feeling completely gone. Stomach still feels a bit upset and stools are loose. This seems to be the most lasting side effect for me so far. Having somewhat of a "crash" in the afternoon/ evening. I'm guessing that this is because of getting off the Prednisone. Others have also reported this happening after stopping Prednisone. Next cycle I may take it for a few more days to help a little longer with the side effects.
Posted 5/3/2017 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hey starfinder... if you haven't already, ask you doc for a prescription for zofran. Knocks the nausea away in minutes. Always good to have handy. I still carry one in my pocket as they are individually wrapped. Good luck to you. -JR
Posted 5/3/2017 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks CaliJR. Will look into that.
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