How do you cope with severe side effects during breast cancer chemo?

Managing the side effects from this intensive treatment regimen can be incredibly challenging, and it's encouraging to see you working closely with your oncology team. Many others in this community have navigated similar symptoms and may have helpful strategies to share - from small daily routines that helped with energy management to specific products that provided relief for mouth discomfort and digestive issues.

The A/C regimen gave me mouth sores too. Just awful! Your oncologist should be able to give you a prescription for “magic mouthwash” that can help numb your mouth so you can still eat. Also, chewing on ice chips and drinking very cold beverages during the infusions helped with subsequent treatments. Hang in there!

Nancy, Best wishes and prayers. My triple negative BRCA 2 invasive ductal carcinoma required weekly aggressive doses of Carbo Taxol for 3 months and every 2 weeks for 3 months of Adriamycin Cytoxan, followed by 3 months of Xeloda and now, Lynparza. I had literally every side effect and yes, unpleasant but so necessary. My oncology team helped me manage all symptoms and I made myself walk every day, to keep strong as able. I’m normally active, and recently retired as an ICU RN, and the cancer journey is not easy but manageable. I used Abreva for lip and nasal blisters, my dentist recommended numbing rinses for mouth sores, I used limited scripts of Zofran and Compazine for the nausea and heartburning, but kept to foods and soup that was tolerable. I kept good nutrition and supplements of Carnation shakes, as Ensure was not pleasant to my gastric system. I also live with Sjogren’s and dry eyes, so special eye drops kept at my bedside were another necessity. I also had very sore foot and finger blisters, using a zinc ointment and loose dressings, and podiatrist care with some debridement. Nothing easy but you will manage. I’m a church organist and managed to continue onwards as religion was also a key for me. Take one day at a time, one treatment at a time… not easy but you will get through this. My most difficult time was chronic low white cells, treated with injections, and the low red cells, that added to severe fatigue. You will get through this. I learned a new meaning of strength and family and God helped me. 🙏❤️

I was told by a friend to chew ice while getting chemo and I never had mouth sores

Thanks so much everyone. I’ve now completed my four “Red Devil” cycles of chemo and move on to 12 Taxels. I’m literally waiting for the mouth sores with great dread but for being 70 yo I’ve weathered this pretty well. My team is the best! I just have given myself some grace and lay on the couch reading or doing little things. All I can manage. I hope the Taxel is easier cause it will be weekly. Can’t even get my head around the mastectomy yet but that’s not till after July. I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it. Thanks again breast friends!!

Because I have a history 28+ years of peripheral Neuropathy my oncologist pulled one drug and put in another along with immunotherapy I’m taking CHEMOTHERAPY/Immunotherapy Each pembrolizumab (Keytruda), doxorubicin (doletaxel), and cyclophosphamide (carboplatin) treatment is repeated every 21 days. I just had my second treatment and again minimal side effects. Only had some “bone pain” last time that I took anti histamine for. And I also lost my hair. That is it. Maybe just me. I had been prescribed over 65 Rx over the past 30 years that gave me horrible side effects so about 20 yrs ago I studied them and titrated off all but the nerve pain drug that I reduced from 50 mg per day to 2.5 mg and replaced the others with supplements that would actually repair issues not cover up symptoms. Every one is different so maybe preexisting issues and meds make the difference with some. I’m happy I’m not having all the horrible side effects I had heard of. Best of luck to you.