Chemo question ; AC-T. What’s the difference?

Ha! My onc would just wait patiently while I got out my glasses and my list of questions!

Thanks lovely ladies for your informative responses. Really appreciate them.  I have much more of an idea of what I might or might not expect now. :) Forewarned is forearmed!
Will definitely speak to my onco about PN this Friday. She must think I’m a crazy woman as I always seem to have heaps of questions.

It was different but not easier for me. No nausea and constipation and tbat knocked out for a week then recovery. 
However it was accumulative fatigue as the weeks went on with reflux issues for me, very sensitive skin (had to stop wearing necklaces and be carefull of shower temp), watery eyes, blood noses. I had leg pains with mine and towards the end some numb toes, legs felt like walking in wet cement and has some balance issue.
So my comment is ...it's different but for me not easier.  But hey I finished and recovered. I found counting down helped..

Hi, I got through the AC pretty intact, I had a wide range of side effects but I could tolerate them all.

Around the third one, I got pretty tired but I was okay after a short nap most days.  

When I started the Paclitaxol weekly doses, I breezed through the first five without much of anything, runny nose / eyes and yes a few blood noses.  They kept asking me if I had any numbness and tingling in my hands and feet but I didnt.  After the sixth dose, I was hit quickly with the PN, it was pretty severe, both hands and feet and my right leg.

They decided to suspend the final 6 doses for two weeks to monitor it.  It got worse over those two weeks.  So they said no more chemo as I seem to be "sensitive",  which is a good thing I was told?  My surgery was bought forward and fortunately for me, the tumour was obliterated after the chemo I did receive, only dead cells left.

It is five months since I finished chemo, my hands are almost normal , just the fingertips and nails are numbish.  My feet and right leg are taking longer but there is a definite improvement, I can drive again :) I will be okay with this even if there is no further improvement.

I have met many women at the hospital, some had similar symptoms to mine, some who got very few, some who got PN and others that didnt.  Good luck, hope you get nothing, that little puppy will help!

Hi @Caz1
I’m another one who was very fortunate to not have any major issues with AC or taxol. I was also able to go to work throughout my treatment. I did experience things like nose bleed, nails peeling off, taste changes etc but nothing that really stopped me from functioning day to day. I still have a bit of peripheral neuropathy in my toes a year down the track so I guess that’s permanent but it’s really not that bad. I had it in my fingers and that’s completely gone now. Best of luck with it all and have fun with the new puppy! Xxx

Hi @Caz1
I am currently at the tail end of my Paclitaxel weekly infusions. 
The side effects are less but it is a long haul, and accumulates so you will probably feel better initially but slow down as it drags on! I found bloody nose and aches and pains are my current concerns.
There is another post here where I detail my experience with cold therapy to stave off the common side effect of peripheral neuropathy. Fingers crossed I have minimal effects this far in.
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21149/anyone-tried-cold-therapy-to-prevent-neuropathy-in-taxol-chemo#latest
Good luck with it.

I was chagrined to find that I was one of those who did experience serious chemo-induced fatigue, nausea and reflux.  The latter two could be managed with meds but the fatigue just had to be got through.  The taxol stretch is not as tough generally (apart from the possibility of peripheral neuropathy) - the problem is that you may already be at a low ebb after the AC and you don't get any chance to recover between taxol treatments.  The bonus is that the end is in sight.  I got pn sometime around Week 7? (can't really remember) and it was carefully monitored for the rest of the treatments.  Most of the sensation has returned, now.

Hi @Caz1,

I found taxol far easier to handle than the AC.  Drove myself to treatment and back which I could not do on the AC.  I had some minor side effects, mostly sun sensitivity and a bit of a weird skin rash (that's not common).  Minor PN for about an hour after treatment then it went. That's about it.  Like @Afraser I never really had the fatigue with either of them.  Hopefully you'll sail right through.

All the best lovely.

by the way, that is one cute pup.

I actually had very little energy impact from either A/C or Taxol - no fatigue or general tiredness. I went to straight to work after my Taxol hits (day oncology was close to work). Have never found any consistent rationale why some people are genuinely exhausted by their treatment and others not, just seems to be the bad luck of the draw! Ditto nausea (didn’t have that either).