How are others handling their first chemo cycle with minimal side effects?

It's wonderful that you're experiencing minimal side effects so far during your first cycle - that's something many patients hope for when starting treatment. Others in this community often share their experiences with managing side effects, and it sounds like you're off to a positive start with just that temporary glucose spike that has since normalized. Your experience might be encouraging for others who are about to begin similar treatment protocols, and many would likely appreciate hearing how your journey continues to unfold.

Having a bit of achy hips and collarbone (where the port was inserted it is achy) icing it and frankincense balm help a lot!) Just hard to get comfortable.

How’s it going? I finished 7 of 12 yesterday of my chemo for TNBC. My glucose numbers were high too if I ate before the port draw.

Had blood work Thursday 3/26 and Dr measured tumors. 6.5 cm to 4.5 m on one and the other down significantly as well. !!

Dr felt steroids may have increased BG skipping that in IV next round.

My blood glucose spiked before every treatment. I was diagnosed with TNBC August of 2025. Began chemo October 2025. I was stage IIIB. The cancer did NOT metastasize. Chemo every seven days for five weeks. Suppressed my immune system so they added a medication to increase bone marrow production. Every long bone in my body hurt. Another chemo patient said Claretin taken daily would help. It helped a lot. At week five I told the doctor that would be my last chemo treatment. She was stunned. So she ordered an ultrasound to find out how the tumor was reacting to the treatment. It went from 2.97 cm to 1.4 cm. It had backed out of the pectoral muscle and could be surgically removed. Just remember you are in charge of your treatment. The doctor prescribes the Medical Standard of Care. Every body is different and you know yours better than anyone. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to lobby for yourself.

Actually the tumor went from 2.97 cm to 4mm after five weeks of chemo and a lumpectomy with four lymph nodes removed from my armpit four weeks later. I have decided not to follow up with oral chemo drugs. For me/my situation the benefits don't outweigh the risks.

Marilyn H, CONGRATULATIONS! That is great news!

My tumors are visible. The one in Breast went from 6.5 cm now 4.5 3/12/26 to 3/26/26 it’s even smaller now. It was about 1/2 “ tall as well. Completely flat now. The one in my arm pit had all the lymph nodes swollen in that arm, but only had one tumor. That one was maybe 5+ cm on 3/12 was 4.2 cm on 3/26/26 today about the size of a pea. I used 45 mg ivermectin 10 days before the 3/12/26 1st session of chemo. Have taken about a week 30 mg ea this time. I read many articles on ivermectin’s benefits found this one specific to TNBC from 2021 by an oncologist.. oncology times Use of the Anti-Parasitic Drug Ivermectin to Treat Breast Cancer Lee, Peter P. MD Oncology Times 43(9):p 10, May 5, 2021. | DOI: 10.1097/01.COT.0000751988.88253.c3 Best of luck to you !

Really bad day. Last night for two nights bad achy legs and arms. 7 am severe nausea this morning. Took zofran and went to sleep. Much better sleep. 8 hrs later when it was nine for the zofran again I started feeling nauseous again. Worse than first round of chemo by far.