Yes she found the EC quite a bit harder. The paclitaxol was still uncomfortable but nothing like as bad as EC.
There was a bit of an issue with the paclitaxol was tingling in the fingers and toes. It was only mild but as soon as she mentioned it they started talking about stopping the treatment. So ended up having to try and convince them it was fine to continue the treatment but not really knowing for sure if it really was fine.
Also the dosage was reduced a bit due to the tingling and it was pushed back a week once due to low blood count.
I had 4 cycles of EC ( fortnightly) followed by 4 cycles of paclitaxel, also fortnightly. The EC was for me bloody awful. So the pac was like a holiday in comparison! In all seriousness-I was tired and i did have a lot of leg pain on the pac, but i was able to control it a bit with paracetamol. Also had neuropathy in my feet and hands. I still have some issues with my feet and i finished a month ago. But it was much, much easier than the EC.
I am currently on EC for three cycles. The first week I had FEC but it made my mouth ulcerate so much that they cut it to EC. I have one to go. I had paclitaxel every week and every third week carboplatin as well. I took a few weeks to get used to the nausea and fatigue. Unfortunately I had recurring infections which made me feel awful on occasions, but leaving those aside I found it easier to cope with than the EC. You don’t get much recovery time with weekly, but generally I was okay after day three. Much preferred it to this. My hair held on top with a cold cap until FEC. Hope that helps.
I’m on 12 weekly Pac with 4 carboplatin spread over the 12 weeks. After 1st week my liver function is abnormal so I’ve had to miss 2 weeks. Hoping I can continue this week but having an ultrasound on my liver and more bloods first to eliminate any infection. I suspect it’s a reaction to my first chemo but nobody gives you that reassurance so it’s hard not to worry. I have 3 x EC to come after this.
