Hi everyone, I've made it through my FEC treatments and am starting 8x weekly Taxol treatments as of Monday. Just wondering if anyone having had taxol could share their experiences so that I know what to expect? The doctors and nurses keep telling me that is easier to manage than the FEC or 'more tolerable' however I made the mistake of googling a few things and seem to have stumbled on to more horror stories than positive experiences (bad idea when sleepless at 4am) Thanks in advance Peta x

Hello Peta. I had 4 fortnightly AC treatments to start of with and now I am up to number 9 out of 12 weekly taxol treatments. I was very apprehensive before I started on taxol also but I have had no real major side effects. I have had no nausea, my nails are not black and haven't fallen off and my hands and feet are not numb and tingling. Apart from the usual tiredness and a little bit of constipation, all has gone well. If you didn't have any major troubles with your first treatments, I think you will be fine with the taxol. As I am nearing the end of my taxol I have been feeling more tired than usual and a little dizzy but that is to be expected. Try not to worry. You'll be fine !! Lisa x

Hi Peta, I made the same mistake as you readding all of the horror stories. I start taxol next Tuesday so let me know how you go :-) Best, Janina

Hey Peta, Congrats on finishing FEC! I've done 4 rounds of AC and just had my 10th round of Taxol yesterday. Personally, I've found Taxol a comparative walk in the park after AC. I have no nausea, no headaches, no neuropathy and feel generally much better than I did on AC. Fatigue has kicked in and I do get some aches and pains in my muscles and bones - but it's bearable and can be managed with osteo panadol. My hair has started to grow back too which is good! Hopefully you'll have a similar experience :) All the best, Kerryn

Taxol - What to expect? | BCNA Online Network

28 Replies

ElizabethRose78
Member
11 years ago
Thanks Meggs67. I've found I crash on Monday, start to revive Tuesday afternoon. So I'm just letting Monday and Tuesday morning be my sleep as much as I want times and put everything off to the other days. Liz
Meggs67
Member
11 years ago
I hope the first one is behind you now and that you haven't found it to bad. My experience was that FEC was a breeze compared to Taxol and in fact my Onc said to me recently that everyone complained about FEC until Taxol. I think I experienced every common side effect he listed on the schedule he suggested. I've told him the only thing he got wrong was when my hair would come out - sooner than he expected. Taxol is taxing, listen to your body and take the time you need when you need it. If you're having a down day, let yourself have a down day, sleep/rest when your body tells you it needs it.
Meggs67
Member
11 years ago
I hope the first one is behind you now and that you haven't found it to bad. My experience was that FEC was a breeze compared to Taxol and in fact my Onc said to me recently that everyone complained about FEC until Taxol. I think I experienced every common side effect he listed on the schedule he suggested. I've told him the only thing he got wrong was when my hair would come out - sooner than he expected. Taxol is taxing, listen to your body and take the time you need when you need it. If you're having a down day, let yourself have a down day, sleep/rest when your body tells you it needs it.
ElizabethRose78
Member
11 years ago
Hi Peaacal. Yes, I suddenly became very drowsy/floppy during the infusion and them the nurses explained they'd given me phenergan, the antihistamine. The Doctor today explained it is in same drug class as Valium. My belly is a bit all over the place, and I have some joint aches, more so just in the evening, but paracetamol settles them fairly easily. I also got told I could double my dose of magnesium. Hope the rest go fairly easily for both of us! Liz
peaacal
Member
11 years ago
So I had taxol no one today - all went well though I felt pretty groggy during the process, perhaps the antihistamines / pre meds. No terrible side effects except for some toilet issues afterwards and this evening (seriously if it's not one extreme it's the other - I think I may buy the entire stock of Imodium from my chemist) Overall a bit tired as the day was long with bloodwork, onc appointment then the treatment. So far so good and feeling a bit more reassured after seeing my onc as well today.
Arbonnemum
Member
11 years ago
I did find salt and black pepper helped food taste better :) I also preferred tomato to cream sauces and added a bit of Cajun to chicken. Chilli was ok but got indigestion from it couple of times !! Hope this helps abit it's so personal it's hard to know what to eat I just mainly went off sweet and I did love a glass of wine but it truly is yuck at mo so looking forward to enjoying one in a few weeks
NaturalBel
Member
11 years ago
Its funny you know, now that I have reached almost a year since I had chemo, I struggle to think of what I experienced with Taxotere now. I do recall aches and pains, but only had to take Panadol. I have a yoga mat, and although Im not the most flexible person in the world, always do stretches and found the DVD of Pilates was very important for my recovery stage. I stuck by the advice from nurses, physio and the local nurses who came to my house. The same message from them all was to move, stretch, stroll or walk when you can. Movement helps. I recall warm baths. I had indigestion from my Dex, so I had to have Nexium for that, that was the worse part for me, yet it is rare. So dont think about what might happen, think about it if it does!
ElizabethRose78
Member
11 years ago
Ooo, metallic taste is no good. Out of interest, was there any particular seasoning/herbs that are best? Salt, pepper? Garlic?
Linda27
Member
11 years ago
I had the tingly fingers as well as numbness and in the fingers that weren't numb I had some pain. I was still able to get some hand sewing done on some of my patchwork projects. My oncologist kept a close eye on the peripheral neuropathy and would have given me a bigger break between treatments if necessary.

Don't listen to Dr Google
ElizabethRose78
Member
11 years ago
Yes, Thanks. The onc did prescribe Panadol osteo just in case and said I could double my dose of magnesium if low in energy or have muscle pain