Forum Discussion
Taxol side effects
Hi all, I’m starting paclitaxel chemotherapy this week (once a week for 6 weeks). I’m wanting some insight into how I might feel. It’s a busy time of year and I’m a single mum. We have dance conce...
Hi
Side effects can range immensely and what affects one person can be a non-event with others, so be prepared for something out of the blue! Avoid neuropathy if you can, it's not uncommion with Taxol and while the effects can abate after treatment, they don't always. I've had funny feet (hands are fine) for 13 years and lately they have got worse. In spite of the quack 'cures', pain relief is about the only real treatment and I don't have pain, just abnormal sensations that affect my walking and balance. So discuss any tingling or pins and needles early with your oncologist, consider a lower dose or any other means of ameliorating possible damage.
Other than that, my main side effects of 12 weeks on Taxol were a bloody nose and losing my taste buds! I'd already lost my hair on 12 weeks of A/C( it all grew back, starting when I was still on Taxol) but Taxol can be hard on soft tissue (said my oncologist) and effects on eyes, mouth and/or nose are not uncommon. My nose got sniffly, bled (not a lot) easily when blown and then got unpleasantly scabby and dry. It was not very noticeable to anyone else and nose oil from the chemist (refined sesame oil) helped! The conventional wisdom about loss of taste buds is to eat stronger tasting food, like spicy food. Didn't work for me. The only things I could eat and taste were lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, bananas and avocados! All mild flavours, but at least healthy so I ate a lot of them. Alcohol tasted vile. Just a case of eating for strength and health rather than for pleasure. My eyes were fine, but some people can get blurred vision at times - if so, it's best to put off any treatment till you finish Taxol as, like my nose and mouth, it may be strictly temporary and clear up very quickly when treatment ends.
I had no fatigue or nausea with either A/C or Taxol - worked and lived pretty normally throughout. This is hugely variable and you really can't tell if these side effects will occur for you until you start.
Best wishes - count down each treatment, it's amazing how quickly it can all pass.
Counting down the treatments is such a good practice.Yesterday I felt dreadful.Day 4-5 of second chemotherapy cycle and I kept reminding myself that I am making progress and that I am in excellent hands. It is horrible at times, so do not want to minimimise anyone's feelings of distress.
Thanks so much for your detailed reply, I really appreciate it. Hopefully I get through ok. I exercise mainly for my mental health, so super keen to try to avoid neuropathy. Did you get it straight away after starting on taxol?
Sorry for the delay - from memory (truly, all this will be hard to remember one day!) it was about week 4 or 5 of weekly Taxol. Just tingling in my finger tips, to begin with, as per the written information my oncologist gave me on both chemotherapies. My fingers didn't get much worse but my toes and feet did. As you are having a shorter exposure (I had 12 weeks, nearly stopped after 10 but didn't, whole different story!), you may not have the same problem at all. Good luck.
