Sue--Sorry to hear that Neil's having a tough time. You both have been in my thoughts and prayers daily. Things here aren't too good. I've been in my room just crying my heart out. We went to Pgh today and the recurrence on his jaw is malignant. The doctor was going to start him on avastin, but since our first round of chemo ended July 7, we can't start the avastin til 6 mos after the first chemo stopped. So, we will start taxol soon. He'll get a CT scan next week. I asked the dr. why not a petscan and he just said that the CT scan would be enough. I was too upset to ask more questions. I don't know if i'm posting this in the right place. Bear with me, as I am a wreck and not very computer savvy. Love to all--------------Claudia

Claudia- I'm so sorry. Neil is on the Taxol now also. He is also just having CT scans as opposed to PET scans now. I believe because they are more accurate when looking at a specific area. The last PET scan he had showed some false positives and God knows we have enough true positives! Hang in there-it's all we can do.

Sue

Sue

Just thinking about you and Neil, hope he is doing well.

Hi Sue,

I'm so sorry to hear your husband is having such a tough time with this round of chemo.
My husband was on taxol and carboplatin combined. they warned us that taxol has a much higher rate of hypersensitive reactions and so watched him very closely with each infusion. From the first day he did have reactions. The first 2 infusions it caused terrible muscle spasms and he was very tired and achey afterwards. The MO told us that taxol does cause muscle aches, pains and unfortunatly in my husbands case severe spasms. they treated him right away during infusion with strong muscle relaxers and pain meds. and slowed down the rate of infusion. On his 3rd infusion he had a mild hypersensitivety reaction he got real red from the neck up and was feeling in his words "strange". They stopped infusion gave him benedril and steroids and then started it back up very slowly. Needless to say chemo days were ALL day events with hubby being totally wiped out all that night and the next day.
On his fourth chemo he had a much more systemic reaction with the bright red neck and face followed by a rash that night. this time when he reacted they stopped chemo and did not finish the taxol. they pumped him with benedryl and steroids again and when the reaction resolved they gave him his carboplatin only that day. His rash was itchy but that was a day or two later. they had him on steroids and benedryl at home for the rest of the week.

Our MO changed his chemo to cisplatin for the last two treatments he had left. He explained cisplatin has a very low rate of hypersensitivity reactions but the side effests are stronger. Mainly nausea and vomiting. Well, boy was he right on that aspect. I can't say what was worse the reactions to the taxol.( at least it happened there and they had all the meds at hand to counter it) Or the extreme nausea and vomiting from the cisplatin. Hubby has been vomiting on and off since Monday. Even with his nausea meds every 4 hrs on board.

The good thing about taxol if you don't have a reaction, the side effects overall are usually less severe then cisplatin. At least that's what I've been told. He's had more energy on the cisplatin but the vomiting is awful. He didn't have any nausea when he was on the taxol just much more tired and achey. I'm jsut glad he wasn't on the cisplatin the whole time. Not sure he'd be doing as well as he is if he had.

Have you talked to your dr's? I suppose you have, it's been a few days since your last post. Most likely they will stop the taxol. Sounds like your husbands rash is hives. If it starts to itch cortizone cream works well and the dr can also prescribe a stronger salve then what is over the counter. Personally I think the cortaid worked better for my hubby then the prescption salve he prescribed.

All my best to you and your husband.

~Ija~

Sue

Hows Neil?