Started Chemo 3 x EC then 12 x Weekly pacitaxel

Morning, 

I am about to have 4th EC, I started with hairloss about 2 weeks after first one, I am cold capping but have lost about 50% volume.

It’s very emotional and humbling when it starts to come out and frustrating when you are shedding everywhere.  As I’m cold capping it did not come out in clumps but I did have a few days when there was a lot of loss, handfuls in my brush, but my hair is quite long. I think if I had not capped, I may have cut it really short or shaved first. 

I did suffer mild constipation (especially after first)  but have found drinking lots before, during and after Chemo helps. 

Good luck, you can and will do this xxx

Hi DivaDent

As Harrigoose has said, drink plenty etc.

I had 3 x 3 weekly sessions of EC which I finished 22 April. Each time the first two days after, I was a little spaced out, couldn’t concentrate, no appetite but made sure I took all the prescribed tablets. I even took the additional anti nausea pills until day 4, to keep me topped up. Day 3 each session I was back to normal. I continued to walk my dog 2 times a day, and did all the normal tasks and gardening. 
I did do cold cap for theses sessions, but again as Harrigoose mentioned, lost approx 50% of my hair, which was already thin.

I stated weekly Pac a couple of weeks ago, and decided to stop cold capping. Unfortunately I caught Covid last week, so had to miss a session. My hair looks awful now, so decision made and appointment booked for hair to be shaved this Friday 5.30 pm. Something I can take control of. 

Pac didn’t seem to effect me too much at the first session, other than a metal taste in my mouth. 

Good luck x

Hi Harrigoose, thank you for your reply. My hair is short anyway but it will still be a shock when it starts coming out I’m quite scared for that. It’s just nice to hear from people having the same treatment x

Hi Sandrad, thank you for your reply.

I too found it hard to concentrate and on the first day found it hard to switch off my mind was racing. Hope your feeling better soon x

Hello DivaDent

I have just completed 4 x 21 day cycles of EC and had my 1st of 12 weekly paclitaxol yesterday.

My side effects on EC were mild nausea, I too was really hungry & I had a cracking headache for about 3/4 days. I put this down to the steroids. So after advice from my healthcare team I only had steroids whilst having chemo and didn’t take them at home, as for me the headache was worse than the nausea. I too had constipation for which they gave me a gentle laxative. By the time I got to the 4th cycle I had sussed that if I started on a low dose of laxative a couple of days before chemo, drank plenty of water and ate lots of fruit I could get ahead of game before the stools hardened to much. Drink as much water as you can. My side effects defo seemed to last longer each cycle, but everyone is different.

I didn’t use cold cap and my hair fell out about 2 weeks after 1 EC, I’m used to it now, but was a bit of a shock at first & have a fab wig (nobody ever knows I’m wearing it) …. Also last weekend I noticed tiny blonde hairs coming through all over my head (my hair is normally brown ha ha)  I was so excited about seeing hair, but they told me yesterday the paclitaxol might knock it out again :(  I have been using black caster oil on my scalp which I read promotes hair growth.

Feel fine this morning after 1st paclitaxol, however I didn’t get to sleep until 4am this morning, again steroids in chemo probably caused this & my husbands blooming snoring  

Good luck with your treatment, we have got this  xx

I've now finished my treatment,  I too was constipated and was given a bottle of lactose which was great and works better if you start it dame day as treatment, just one teaspoon a day is enough, I had 2 teaspoons the first time an left myself very sick. My hair also started to come away each time I brushed it the week before my second EC. I cried and cried so booked an appointment to get my wig sorted the day before next EC and the lady at the macmillan centre told me that it would be better just to shave it all off now as I was only putting myself through torture. And she was right, as my head was tender too with hair coming away. I was very emotional that day..but happy too. Good luck with treatment it will soon be over..xx

Hi, Divadent. I found the EC treatment harder especially the side effects and having to give myself the injections for 5 days afterwards. The weekly Paclitaxel is a little easier but different.I found the first 3 Paclitaxel Not too bad apart from a sore mouth and joint pain but I had my 4 th one last Friday and it was the hardest one yet as I think because the chemo is cumulative I found I had a lot of fatigue my gums were bleeding and I had nose bleed every day and the joint pain has been awful . I know everyone is different and some ladies have had very few side effects hopefully you will be the same.  I do get the phesgo injection every 3 weeks also. Jxxx