My young friend is finished with her A/C and moves on to taxol this week.  Any words of wisdom on dealing with side effects?  She's had a pretty rough time. Thanks for any information.

Jennifer
DCIS
lumpectomy 5/02/05
32 rad tx comp 7/07/05
tamoxifen
comp. hysterectomy 4/04/06
Paducah, KY

Taxol is usually much easier than A/C.  Nausea is also not usually a problem.  Fatigue and neuropathy can become an issue.  I'm not sure what else to add but thought I'd at least respond.

Linda from RI

Linda from RI

DX at 40
41 yrs. old
DX IDC 1/2/09, 4 A/C, 4 Taxotere
R Mast & sentinel nodes 7/27/09,
DCIS grade 2 found
Clear nodes & margins! 
No RADS!!!
tamoxefin starting 8/17/09

Jennifer,

I agree with Linda, taxol was far more tolerable for me than a/c and I needed no anti nausea drugs or neulasta shots!

It does come with it's own side effects of course, the risk of neuropathy (varying from mild to severe), there's also a good risk you'll lose your finger/toe nails although your hair will probably grow back. (mine did)!

The first infusion is giving very slowly so tell your friend to allow extra time that day, this is because there can be a risk of severe allergic reaction in some people, you'll usually be given high dose steroids to counteract this happening.
I was on weekly taxol so bone pain was not a big issue for me but can be for many who have it DD every two weeks. 
I did find however, the effects were cummalitive so by the 6-7 week I was feeling very depressed and worn out but this may have simply been weariness from having had the a/c right before this.

Overall, I still think it was easier and most people say the same.
I hope your friend does well on this med and her symptoms are minimal if any:)

Tricia Keegan...From Ireland Dx July '05 IDC 3/9 nodes pos..triple positive..a/c x 4..Taxol/herceptin x 12
Herceptin 1yr ..rads x35 oophorectomy Aug '06
Currently taking Arimidex
Carepage- survivortricia

I've had 7 of the 12 weekly taxol treatments so far. I don't have any major complaints, and I also did the 4 A/C treatments before the Taxol. I have had a hard time with my red blood count dropping too low, so am now on iron pills. Not sure if it's the taxol or the low iron that has caused headaches. I have some minor aches and pains usually days 3 or 4 after  treatment. I tried tylenol, and that didn't help. I like ibuprofen, or take 2 aleve. I am just now getting in my fingers and toes the numbness or tingling, it doesn't hurt but it's annoyng. My onc said if it gets much worse he'll stop the treatments. I also have had a stuffy nose this whole time after A/C. I think that's everything, like I said it's really not so bad. Most of the things I mentioned are more annoying than anything.

32 years old, single mom of an 9 year old girl in Oregon
Diagnosed March 20, 09
4 rounds of A/C started April 1, 09
12 rounds of Taxol - Done August 13,09
BRCA1+ / Triple negative 
Sept. 25th prophylactic mastectomy, ovary removal.
Rads - Started December 30th, 33 all together.
Recon sometime in the fall of 2010

My experience is pretty much like the others.  Stuffy nose, aches etc... My nails did discolor (red/purple spots) and when they grew out they lifted a little.  Eyelashes thinned towards the end and fell out after but grew back quickly.  I was on weekly as well.  Although 12 treatments seemed like a lot once you get past six it goes faster.

Best of luck to her....

KWJ

38 yo Rhode Island
DX 12.1.08
Mixed Invasive Ductal and Lobular stage 3
Triple + (ER 60%, Her2 +++, PR+)
Taxol/Herceptin 12 weeks - done 3.5.09,RB Mastectomy and nodes 4.2.09
A/C April 23-June 25 2009,Herceptin year July 09 --> ? (13 treatments)
Rads 34 treatments done 9/16/09,Taxoxifen 7.09 5 years
Ibandromate study 7.09 3 years
Bilateral Diep with LB prophylactic

oops, forgot to mention the stuffy/bloody nose too AND losing your brows and lashes:(

Tricia Keegan...From Ireland Dx July '05 IDC 3/9 nodes pos..triple positive..a/c x 4..Taxol/herceptin x 12
Herceptin 1yr ..rads x35 oophorectomy Aug '06
Currently taking Arimidex
Carepage- survivortricia

Jennifer,
    Please remember when you read this, that I am in the minority here as far as the side effects I had from taxol. Most ladies do NOT experience what I did...

   I had dose dense, every two weeks, on Thursdays. The infusions were fine, and I felt fine on Thursday and on Friday. On Friday I usually did a little bit of shopping, then went to get my neulasta shot, and I felt great.
  But when I woke up on Saturday morning, it felt like I had been hit by a mack truck. I was so sore, I could barely move and I was in pain. I would find a comfortable spot on my bed and not move for as long as possible. On Sunday I was moving a little bit, and my husband would drag me to the mall so I could walk, but my legs felt like they weighed 500 pounds each, it took a long time to walk the mall. I was able to go back to school on Monday for 3 out of the 4 treatments, if I pushed myself I could have made it for all 4, but finally gave in and took the day off.

If your friend has this reaction, make sure she calls for pain meds, and to call for something stronger if she needs it. I don't remember what exactly I got for the first go round, but I got something stronger for the next three. 

Remember that I am in the minority here for this type of reaction. I hope it goes well for your friend.

take care,
cindy d.

Mass.
48 yrs old
dx 1/10/07
Stage IIIa
ER/PR +,Her2 -
chemo: 4ac/4 taxol  5/24/07
lump: 6/18/07
mast: 7/16/07
tamoxifen: 7/25/07-2/9/09
rads:  10/25/07
clinical trial: avastin and xeloda, 12/07-11/08
arimidex/lupron: 2/09/09

Jennifer,
I can only talk from my friend's experience. I just came from her 7th treatment of weekly taxol. She is handling it awesome, I think the big difference is NO NUELESTA. She said she feels overall tired but even manages to work four of the five days a week. She takes off the day of treatment. She is a trooper and when  I feel sorry for myself  I think of her.

40 years old, mother of four teenagers (yikes)
 Awesome hubby of 19 years.
Dx 2/09 Double Masc with trams flap 3/04.
Estrogen and Pr+ Her -, Grade 2 Stage2
1/10 nodes micro positive
Chemo 4 rounds of TC
August 26 ooph and nipple reconstruction
Femara/Zometa

Taxol is up next for me......tomorrow is my last EC of total 4.  Out ot 3 cycles...2 I had Neulasta and one i had Neupogen.....I have to say the one with the Nepogen went the best, least pain etc.  That Neulasta sure does keep my WBC's up but at a high pain and S/E cost......ouch...

50 yrs, Rt breast lump found 4/12/09 during shower. 5/7/09 Organs, bones & head clean. 5/8/09Bilateral Mastectomy/ skin sparing surgery, implantation of skin expanders, removal 3 lymph nodes,one pos., tumors 1.5 cms x 0.8 cms & 0.8 cms x 1 cm, one tumor surprise, hidden. DX:Mixed Lobular and ductal adenoca. rt breast with badly defined borders.
Est. Pos. nuc. ( +/+++) Prog pos. nuc. intense ( +++/+++) Her2- non-amplified, KI-67 pos. less than 30%

i had the taxol weekly for 12 weeks first, then the f-a-c. taxol had its side effects, including: insomnia from steroids the following day,leg aches at night,toe neuropathy, not painful, but tingly,finger and toenail issues, discolored and look like fungal,tiredness on certain days after infusion,funny red marks on foot and ankle skin from shoe pressure , not painful,confusion and forgetfulness,hairloss over time, including brows and lashes now returning,weight gain over time,dizziness esp b/c we live in houston and it's been HOT! please note that NONE of these side effects was enough to make me want to quit!!