Hi red

I am sorry to read that the chemo is hitting you so hard.If there is  a magic answer i never found it  but the things that were usefull to me were -dont eat befor chemo and walk afterwards.If you can get your body going-even if it is to the end of the road and back and you feel like crap I found it seemed to get your system going at least a bit.

Alternative therapies can help for relaxation althrough at th emoment i go for the glass of wine cure.

I know it is really hard to go back when you know how rough it will make you feel-I tried to look at as a bad dose of flu( a normal person  problem)No one would expect you to get out of bed with flu.

You could talk to your doctor about your concerns and see if they can give you a lower dose if necessary?They also have pills for most things-I was told that they could probably help with everything but the tiredness.

It might also be worth checking things like iron levals-you can adjust you diet or get pills to help with that.

I know that treats are not  offically  a cure but i try and put nice things in the bad days so not everything is about cancer .

If it is hitting you hard hopefully the chemo will be kicking the cancer in the teeth.

good luck

Hi Red1

Really sorry to read that you having such a s---- time with your current chemo treatment.  Cannot speak personally here other than as the wife of a hubby who had chemo at the end of 2012 and was equally 'lousy' with all the side effects. Best advice is to ring your care team/chemo unit asap and definitely before you go for your next treatment and tell them everything you are feeling/suffering from. As grumpy has already said there are many pills/potions they can introduce to help combat side effects - my hubby still has to take medicine to combat bowel problems due  to the coctail of painkillers he is now on.  His consultant advised small walks to begin the process of getting the muscles going (started with walking up and down our lounge before he managed the outside!!).He was also encouraged to leave the bedroom to night-time even if it meant setting up a 'day bed' downstairs (he managed with using our sun lounger indoors which gave better support than the armchair and enabled him to just drop off any time he felt like it.)  It is very frustrating when you just want to get on with life but he was advised to 'listen to what his body was saying and act accordingly' on an hour to hour basis if necessary.  Not sure this helps at all but as your op was so successful (and you must still be recoverying from the trauma of all that too) will hope that the treatment now will keep you well in the long term.  Best wishes  Jules xxx

Hi, not sure if my experiences will help you. I was diagnosed in Feb 2013 and had a rt mastectomy op in March. I was prescribed preventative FEC-T but because I was getting married and honeymooning in July, they decided to do the Taxotere first and cycle 3 was combined with my whole radiotherapy treatment. Cycle 1 was not too bad - aching legs and joints, lost toe and fingernails, numness in toes, soles of feet and fingertips,  sore mouth (had to eat and drink through a straw) and nausea. For cycle 2 I used a great mouthwash - Difflam and have had no sore mouth problems since. So would recommend this. I took nausea tabs even when I wasn't nausaus, but it made little difference. Worst effect in Cycle 2 and 3 was in lack of taste and the awful chemical tast in my mouth at all times. Drank gallons of water to try and flush it out. the feet problems still continues now and I have now lost all toenails and most fingernails - bu the important thing is that they looked great with fuschia Shellac for my wedding day and honeymoon! Had tummy issues mostly diarrhoea but managed to get a good stopper tablet.

I took Oestrogen suppressing tablets over July and August and restarted chem beginning of September with the FEC.

Have had one cycle of that and have the second next week.

It is so much easier than the taxotere, virtually no side effects at all. A little morning nausea for first week, a few headaches and sore lips.  And that's it!  Hopefully this will continue for the last 2 cycles.

It really helped me that there was a gap between the two sets of chemo cycles, gave me a chance to recover a bit from the taxotere before starting the treatments again.

I spent a week in hospital after the 3rd Taxotere + radiotherapy.

So I am sorry to confirm what you already know - the Taxotere is s*** and much more agressive than the FEC but you will get to the end of it. Try to get up and about rather than stay in bed - it was better for me to keep as active as I could and just didn't do anything at all on the really low days. However on week 3 of the cycle got more or less back to normal before the next onslaught.

Pineapple is good for helping the nasty taste and I know someone who sucked frozen pineapple cubes and this helped her a lot.

All the very best for the next treatment, I will think about you when I have mine next Friday.

Take care and chin up!

Roz x

Hi Red1.

I have just had 4 cycles of FEC and other than the 3rd one, coped OK and carried on working a combination of at home and in work on my good week. I had my first T part last Thursday and I to have struggled with severe tiredness but worst is the pains in my legs and arms. Paracetamol not helping at all I could scream! Any suggestions for the pain?

Hope you feel better soon

In response to rosie cliff

Can I just say thank you so much for the great advise, I am going through Taxotere part of chemo at the moment and it is just horrible, my poor hands are the worst, they are burning like mad but have been prescribed Piriton and paracetamol to try and rectify overnight and have to go to hospital in the morning  that does seem to have helped. Leg pain also bad tonight, I am on day 5 after first Taxotere chemo so I suppose it's working at its height at the moment, hope it gets better in the coming days!

Will try the mouthwash as that is also a problem, I have a drink and seconds later my mouth is so dry again! And pineapple sounds a good idea too! Thanks again for all the useful tips, it's good to share problems, you dont feel so alone, hope you are very well! X

Hi there

Yes you will have have to have the G - CSF  injections for the bone marrow stimulation after the Docetaxal chemotherapy - the same as the FEC.

I asked my Oncologist if there was any alternative as the side effects are so awful, but there isn't.

I am

due my third and and final Doxetacel next week, I am dreading it as it has taken me a whole 2 weeks to recover and I am still exhausted by 4pm!!

wishing you well 

Hello there, Two weeks to recover! No wonder you were dreading it. You will have got through it now though?

I've just had my first Docetaxel 5 days ago and boy am I suffering ...shooting pains in lower back, kidney area, legs and shoulders for two days now. I'm taking Codeine and paracetamol with little effect. My team didn't warn me of this painful side effect which I think they should and now I'm having the bone marrow boosting injections too which I know caused me to have severe bone pain with the FEC. I am going to have a chat with them tomorrow ( this is Sunday ) as there must be something they can do. Hope you are well now too.

HI,

I was diagnosed in August with Breast cancer. It was stage Three I though thats it, the end.

My doctors have been very good and have assured me that they caught it early. They have said I don't need to have a scan which I have found strange as I need the reassurance that all is okay and it hasn't gone anywhere else.

The care I have had from diagnosis to today has been quick, I begin Radiotherapy begining of March.

I thought I would need to have it for three weeks but they have said 5 days as new research has shown that it works just as well as the three weeks. So I feel that is a positive thought.

I had my last taxen (chemo) two weeks ago and felt okay the first three days and then it hits. 

i have been lucky to have good support but the weakness in my legs and arms and neck, have been bad and still are two weeks later I feel my body just wants to colapse when I get to the sink to try to do the dishes, so I have to sit down and wait until I feel better. I haven't been able to do anything. Each day from now I know I will get stronger and begin to do small task.Tthe feeling when I went for the last Chemo was a good I walked out and thought great I made it through now to get throught he effects. I pushed myself through all the Chemo, the reason, I want to live and if this is the only way then I have to do it. I know how awful Chemo is and I have been lucky that I haven't too many bad side effects I have delt with them as I got them.

My doctor did reduce the docetaxen for me after the first one e and it made a difference, My advise is phone your doctor or key worker and ask if them if they can reduce the doseage. Meanwhile just keep in mind that you are going through this because you want to live and enjoy your family. keep up the good work you have been doing and are still doing.

Best wishes for your your recovery

Ps Voltarol Gel is good rubbed in for the lower back pain.