Today I switched to a different chemo that is supposed to be less toxic than the AC chemo I've completed. The main side effects I am supposed to expect are fatigue and body aches.
Taxol also has a potential side effect of neuropathy, so I did some reading about how to prevent that. According to some small studies, taking substantial amounts of L-Glutamine (an amino acid) may prevent neuropathy, and the patients who took it were also more likely to stay on schedule with chemo. My oncologist said there never were any large studies to confirm whether it's effective, but it would be okay with her if I take it. I'm going to try it according to these guidelines.
Glutamine is also supposed to help with mucositis. I'm still also chewing on ice during the chemo to try to prevent that.
Apparently many people have an allergic reaction to a preservative in Taxol. For that reason they give you a high dose of Benadryl and steroids and watch you carefully for the first hour. Thankfully, I didn't have a reaction, so they were able to speed up the infusion. It still took 3 hours. Overall, it was definitely more pleasant than AC chemo.
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