My first Chemotherapy treatment

Hi there,

On the first post of this thread there are helpful hints (like using a non alcohol mouthwash at least twice a day and a soft toothbrush, Evonail (or similar) on nails etc.

What chemo did you have, as symptoms vary. I had my first one last Monday, and took all the anti nausea drugs until Thursday, when the really expensive one finished and I was SO queasy! I've also had a temperature spike, which after tests was probably an allergic reaction to the steroids, pains, dizziness and today a neuralgia pain in my lower legs all afternoon, but apart from that (day 10/21) feel much better.

I know what you mean about eating though. You should have phoned the contact number about the nausea, as my hospital pharmacist had a chat with me over the phone on Thursday and emailed a prescription to my GP which my daughter collected.

I was constipated at the weekend and took some senocot, then started having coffee at breakfast time and that does the trick.

Fingers crossed it gets better next time!

I’m on EC I think and for the first 3 sessions I have been having strange feelings in my joints aswell nothing major, yes I had anti sickness and steroids for 2 days after also I had to have an injection in my belly every day for 1 week, um hoping that it doesn’t happen again on my next cycle and it was just a one off it is for bone marrow? Hope you are feeling a little better, nice to talk to someone else going though it xx

 Hi there, 

I had Akynzeo tablets prescribed by the oncologist as I suffer with travel sickness, morning sickness, I’m sick with antibiotics and migraine.

It could be worth asking for a different tablet. Ring your emergency number and tell them, it’s not a one size fits all, they completely understand and as it was your first chemo they will want to help you get it right for further treatment. Please don’t suffer in silence.

, joint pain is a side effect of the filgrastim injections, ask your GP or chemo team for painkillers, they are there to help ease any side effects of chemo.

Best wishes to you both x

Hello

Not sure anyone has welcomed you to the community so just in case i wanted to say welcome to the group none of us expected to be a member of. Its an amazing place and will give you support and advice on anything you may find yourself wondering about.

You've already had some brilliant advice but i will just say reading your post reminded me so much of my first treatment. My first treatment was also on a Tuesday and by the Sunday i remember crying and crying thinking, i'm not going to be able to do this. Today i am cancer free and the chemo worked wonders. So when you feel poopy remind yourself that its the chemo doing its thing. 

Was you sent home with anti sickness medication? Take these straight way, don't wait until you feel sick, and mention to your chemo nurse how you felt this time and they may be able to give you something to help for next time. They don't want you feeling poorly and will do all they can to prevent it. As for eating its a vicious circle, because you feel sick you don't want to eat. Because you don't eat you feel sick. I use to eat little but often and lived on Chicken soup and cheesy garlic bread. Find something you like and stick with it. I lost my taste buds for the first week but they came back for the second and third. 

When you go for your next treatment also tell them about being constipated and they will give you something to prevent it. Also mention your throat and mouth, i was prescribed a mouthwash which helped with any infection. 

Don't be pushing yourself too much, if you feel tired then rest. Its a funny thing chemo because you forget its still working even when your actual treatment has finished, so take it easy and rest when your body needs to. 

I use to say week 1, poopy week. Week 2 Not so poopy and week 3 nearly back to normal then start all over again.

Go take a look in the July Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Chat Group there will be people in there going through the same as you or who have been through the same and they offer great advice, and sometimes its just nice to know you aren't on your own.

Thank you so much for your email. I am feeling much better now going into week 3. I’m am already preparing myself for my next chemotherapy and am trying to arrange any catch ups, shopping etc.. week 2 and week 3. My first 3 chemotherapy sessions are Epirubicin And Cyclophosphamide and then weeks 4,5 and 6 I am having Docetaxel (Taxotere) and am a bit worried about the side effects as my oncologist has already said it is the worse out of the two. I don’t know if anyone has had this ?

So pleased to hear you are now cancer free. 

Zoe x

you'll just get use to the EC and they swap you to docetaxel.

I had the same as you and i didn't find the docetaxel worse for SEs i didn't feel sick at all which was the worse thing in my opinion. But i did end up with a short stay in hospital after my first docetaxel because i got an infection. So make sure once you switch that anyone with anything keeps away, you make people use handwash when they visit and you're careful when you go out to eat anywhere, especially in the first week. If you don't already use a soft toothbrush swap to one and get some mouthwash as i got a couple of ulcers. 

Because i ended up in hospital after my first docetaxel i banned visitors for the first week after treatment, by the second week my immune system had started to recover. 

But once you switch you will be passed the half way and on the road to having it finished.

Oh thank you so much for replying and those tips about hand wash. I have got those already and wipes, but luckily with the summer there aren’t many colds, bugs going around, but again thank you I will ensure nobody who has any ailments come in visit especially the first week. I have already changed from my electric toothbrush to a soft brush, I have had a few ulcers but nothing major but got some spray but spoke to the nurses and they have ordered a mouth wash for me.

I have thought about eating out as I went out to a local pub on Friday but we ate earlier on so it wouldn’t be so busy. It’s really hard when I have felt ok to remember these things, my friend said let’s go to the cinema and I said oh not sure especially if it’s busy and such a confined space.

Thank you so much again it is nice to speak to someone who has experienced the same and knows his it feels. 

Oh can I ask did you have the injections in your belly for the first week? If so is this every time you have chemotherapy you have to inject for the week after? 

Love 

Zoe 

I remember going to the cinema with my friend while having treatment. She told them we needs to sit on our own with no one round us  they did it when she explained why. Was also good because when the lights went off I could take my wig off. 

Yes those lovely injections, I never got use to doing them but not once did they hurt. When you go onto docetaxel they’ll give you some steroid tablets to take starting the night before, you can wave goodbye to sleep that night, think I fell asleep around 5am the first time I took mine, luckily it was only the first night I couldn’t sleep. They are to help boost your blood count.

Oh no re injections I was really hoping you were going to say oh no they are a one off, wishful thinking! My mum or sister injected me, but my mum on the last one decided to pull instead of push so had to do it twice and she drew blood! It just makes me queasy, I may inject myself and my nurse told my sister to hold it like a dart which is what they both do! 

Do you take steroids every night ? Or just the night before each session of docetaxel? 

I just read your story and we are very similar, I found a lump in April this year I was 48, had biopsy after biopsy and was told the lump wasn’t cancerous then was told I had a cancerous mass which needed removing. I had a mastectomy on 20 May and my lymph nodes removed. So a bit of the other way round treatment wise. I am hopefully having the reconstruction after my radiotherapy, prob next year.

Zoe x

I was told to take the injection out of the fridge at least half an hour before you do it. This stops it from stinging, and do it into your tummy fat, do it in a different area every night to prevent it from getting tender. I was also told to inject at an angle not straight. I did my own like I said and it never hurt. The nurse also said to do it just before bed so if it causes your bones to ache you’ll be asleep. 

I think the steroid tablets were for 5 days, but apart from the lack of sleep on the first night no other issues with them. 

I had an immediate reconstruction when I had my mastectomy. Go back to see consultant in November about getting them evened our if I want them doing.  At the minute I’ve seen enough of hospitals to last me a life time, but might feel different in November.