reaction to paclitaxel on second dose

Hi Sue_w,
I think I had similar med from you. It was back in 2016. I remember having the steroids the night before and an antihistamine. On the day of the chemo, I would have the cortisone and antihistamine as well. Also, they will pace the chemo and administrated in a slower way.
That was 5 years ago, so it is harder to remember. 
The best thing for tbe side effects was walking and found exercise with a group of people going through cancer.
Do you live in Melbourne?
Riverside x 

Dear @Sue_w

Just keep an eye on your toes - it’s peripheral neuropathy and with any luck will get no worse but keep your team advised of any changes. It can continue a bit after your last treatment but then should start to improve. 

Very best wishes for the New Year - may it bring all the things you want. 

 Hi @Fraser and @Riverside, I hope you both had a wonderful Christmas. May the new year is a positive one for all of us.

@Riverside, can I ask what the premeds were? I had to have a steroid and antihistamine about 30min before the chemo and then the chemo given at a slower rate. What was your reaction to the chemo?

@Fraser, Thank you for your support and advice, I'm now nearly 2 weeks out of my last chemo, I'm still struggling with the side effects of swollen toes (they look like little sausages) and tender toes+fingertips+nailbeds. It's not too bad when it's cold but when it's hot, I have to soak my feet in very cold water to get relief. I've been told the numbness, tingling and infrequent nerve pains should start  to subside in 4-6 months. All of this is not too bad, it's do-able and better than most of the things you put up with while going through the chemotherapy. I'm glad to be having a break before radiotherapy, and feel very positive about moving forward.  :)

a@Afraser
I had the same, and I had to make sure I had the premed from the night before 

Hi @Sue_w
Now that’s really good to hear! Well done. I’m glad the nurses were able to help, I always found chemo nurses to be terrific!
I never had radiation but most say it’s easier than chemo. But as you have found, never suffer in silence, it’s almost always possible to make something a bit easier or simpler. Best wishes for the new year! 

@Fraser, I had my last two chemo treatments and as you said it would be, all was good. I did have one small reaction each time but they passed quickly. The nurses gave me antihistamines and steroids pre the chemo to stop or limit reactions and started each chemo treatment at a low does, building up each half hour. 

Radiation in the new year and then tablets, but the chemo is over and for that I am grateful!

Hope all is well with you, 
Cheers XXXX
 

Thank you @Afraser, its wonderful to have all of you on here to chat with and to get support from. I've helped other to get onto this wonderful network. I am so grateful for the support I've received from you and from everyone here. XXXX

The heart is a wonderful organ. I went through a period of tachycardia, and then a long time with an irregular heartbeat and I am fine. I always thought of my heart as something that had to be perfectly regular to be normal, or even to be safe. It’s proved to be much tougher and resilient than I thought.  One unfortunate incident, even two or three, doesn’t always mean a problem. Best wishes for your next two treatments, onwards and upwards. 

Hi @Afraser and @arpie, The only allergy I have is to bee stings.

Yes it was pretty frightening as it was so sudden. One minute everything is fine, I'm working on my laptop on the chemo chair, the next there is a jack hammer in my chest.

Within seconds I had a massive hot flush, a wave of nausea, dizziness and heart beat pounding in my head. a couple of seconds later my heart is slamming so hard in my chest it nearly painful and takes my breath away. My heart beat was erratic and it took a lot get my breathing under control.

The nurses were wonderful, three of them jumped into action quickly. They gave me oxygen, put medications in my port line and checked my vitals every five min for over an hour. The eldest nurse had seen the same reaction before and the younger two had only theoretical experience, but she told them the sudden red flush and other symptoms were typical of a reaction to the paclitaxel.

I still haven't processed it yet, I feel sort of numb to the experience. I am worried about next time and wonder if any damage was done to my heart? 

So Sorry to hear that @Sue_w.  Do you have allergic reactions to other things?  I hope they can get it 'right' for the next 2 treatments xx  all the best xx