Taxotere is known to have some severe side effects including allergic reactions. To combat the allergic reactions and nausea, patients are placed on steroids a minimum of 24 hours ahead of time. This will happen with each of my next two cycles of Taxotere treatments.

The steroids certainly were an experience. They made me very hyper. A lot of things got done around the house while I was under their influence. At best, I got three hours of sleep nightly for the two days I was on the drugs. Then there was the crash the next day after the steroids were flushed out of my system.

The crash felt like a hangover, but with drugs instead of alcohol. It was a very strange sensation. I get to have these same steroids two more times in the subsequent Taxotere chemo sessions to come. I can expect similar behavior while taking the drug in the next two-chemo cycles.

The infusion of Taxotere was different than FEC. Patients are infused, observed for allergic reactions, infused again, and then observed for an hour after the injection is completed. This is done only on the first treatment to monitor allergic reactions, and is not repeated with the subsequent Taxotere treatments.

With Taxotere, patients are issued ice gel packs for their hands and feet to constrict the capillaries in these areas. The numbing cold gel packs limit the amount of chemo coming into the capillaries to minimize hand and foot complications. For comfort, the cold was offset with heated blankets and hot tea.

With Taxotere, there is also an increased risk of heart palpitations. To monitor heart function, patients are hooked up to a blood pressure machine the whole time they are infused. The machine periodically reads blood pressure levels, which become part of your patient history for subsequent treatments. My heart function remained healthy and is expected to behave similarly in the next two Taxotere cycles.

Taxotere unlike FEC, does not have the same side effects with nausea and vomiting. In this regard, it is quite tolerable. There has been an increase in acidity levels in my body with my stomach becoming more sensitive with this new chemotherapy. My appetite is still nil.

I now have a constant acid-sour taste in my mouth. Dry mouth has also been more severe with Taxotere, affecting more severely overnight. I have to hydrate my mouth four to five times a night so that I can sleep more comfortably.

As well, Taxotere will rid my body of any remaining hair that FEC did not shed. I can expect that it will strip the hair on my legs, arms, eyebrows, eyelids, face, and head. Chemo fatigue is increasing, and simple daily tasks are getting harder to do.



There has also been a further attack on my white blood cell counts with Taxotere, which has resulted in two different infections and more frequent nose bleeds. Overall, Taxotere has been less impacting on nausea and vomiting, but it has been dramatically more difficult in dealing with the side effects that have come with it.

I only have two more cycles of Taxotere. I’m two-thirds through the chemotherapy phase of my treatment. I will get through the tough times with Taxotere with Strength, Courage, and Determination.