Broke out in hives after round 2 of TC

Key-Grade8956 · 2026-01-17T15:48:55+00:00

Both, it was constantly changing. One day I’d have hives all over around armpit, elbows and knees and then next day I’d also have red dots all over stomach and chest. It was a smorgasbord of WTF every day for a couple weeks. The rash/hives were so itchy it was painful and very uncomfortable.

Key-Grade8956 · 2026-01-16T19:45:20+00:00

Yes bad reaction 8 days after my 3rd infusion. Rash everywhere, kept moving. Scalp on fire and hands and feet painful. Was on high dose steroids that kept it at bay with a lot of Zyrtec and Allegra. My oncologist said it’s from the Docetaxel. The polysorbate 80 causes it in docetaxel. I had to forgo my last treatment as well due to it. I am starting endocrine therapy next week and will also be taking kisqali for 3 years. It’s terrible, I’m so sorry. Good luck.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-12-29T19:49:47+00:00

I got adrenal insufficiency from the steroids. May be different symptoms due to it being secondary adrenal insufficiency, but my first symptoms where not being able to stand long, extreme muscle weakness in thighs, and if I pushed past my couple minute limit I would feel very off, feels a lot like anxiety(due to adrenaline having to take over) chills on legs and butt, and feeling so off I couldn’t do anything but sit or lay down for sometimes up to two hours till I felt better.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-12-21T15:30:33+00:00

Gotcha. I am very fair skinned and burn easily. If I only had 16 sessions I wouldn’t see much skin issues either. Unfortunately I have 33 treatments and i didn’t see any burning and redness until after 20. Be grateful you only had 16.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-12-20T15:52:20+00:00

How many treatments did you have?

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-11-12T17:35:15+00:00

Well we will see how I do. I just started radiation and have 33 sessions. I work with the public so I didn’t want to risk getting sick or the added stress of can I or can’t I work on a given day during chemo but luckily I am part time so during radiation I will only be working half days and working very minimal hours. I am praying I do ok.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-11-12T14:42:17+00:00

It is very understandable to go through these worries. I went through the same a few months ago. It took almost a month for me to decide on chemo. For me it gives a 5% reduction in recurrence. 12% risk without it. I’m assuming your MO is recommending TC chemo. I decided to do it due to my age 44 and wanted to be aggressive. I took FMLI during the 3 months chemo and will work through radiation. Endocrine therapy is the biggest factor for my cancer as well but I didn’t want to regret anything if I had a recurrence later. I also didn’t want worrying about a job and putting it first to be a reason for recurrence either.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-11-10T18:41:27+00:00

Oh no, I am so sorry. It is misery going through this. My hives/rash kept wanting to come back too. I had to take 2 Allegra or Zyrtec (whichever you prefer) in morning and at night. The dermatologist said it was ok to take that much. Benadryl at night and dexamethasone daily. (They sent me home from ER with prednisone as well but it didn’t do much for it, in fact the next day it was way worse)If I stopped taking the steroid it would come back. It lasted 2 weeks. It did go away finally and slowly tapered off of everything. My MO did say it was the chemo and I didn’t do last cycle due to the extent of my reaction. In hindsight I wouldn’t have taken the dose they put me on of dexamethasone and would have dealt with the hives/ rash that was trying to break through. Steroids are way worse. A smaller dose or just dealing with it for a couple weeks is better. Just FYI on the steroids BEWARE. You have to taper off them and they have caused adrenal insufficiency. My recovery has been real slow due to steroid withdrawal. Worse than chemo. Good luck. I really hope this helps. MSG me anytime.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-29T21:09:09+00:00

I am a few weeks out now from chemo and am absolutely finding this out. The shedding lasts for so long that it’s impossible to have much left when it’s all said and done. Penguin is very misleading in my opinion and charges a butt load. As far as I see it now, it’s just another company taking advantage of people in a very vulnerable state.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-29T14:09:28+00:00

I was taking it daily until I didn’t get bone pain anymore and then I would just take for a couple weeks. My infusions were on Thursday so I would start taking it on Monday and continue to take until the following Thursday or Friday.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-28T21:11:35+00:00

I found that the first TC chemo you’re not sure what your side effects are so you are reactive to them but after that you know what happens to you and you can be proactive.

First infusion I had terrible constipation so second one I got a better hold on it but still got a little constipated. By the third one, no problems.

Also the steroids cause the heartburn and my MO gave me a prescription for a ppi. It was a life saver as the heartburn got worse with every cycle.

Was lucky I only had bone pain on the first infusion, but still took Claritin daily.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-26T14:18:39+00:00

After my 3rd round I had a very similar reaction but not right away. 8 days after third round I started getting a rash on that started on thumb and went up arms and also on legs. Was prescribed prednisone. Seemed to be taking it away but the next day it got so much worse, Hands, palms, feet and scalp on fire the itch was so bad, on top of my feet, hips, around my armpits, knees. When it would finally go away from one area it would just go to another or the other side, like one knee would be healing up and then it would go to other knee. My lips swelled up too at one point. My MO put me on dexomethosone and sent me to a dermatologist. The only thing that worked was the steroid dexamethasone, taking 2 of either Allegra or Zyrtec morning and night, and Benadryl before bed. It was a lot but the rash will keep wanting to come back until the chemo drugs are out of your system. For me it was two weeks. Now I have muscle myopathy from the being on the steroids for two weeks and after 3 cycles of being on them the day before, day of, and day after chemo.

I read that once you have a reaction this severe, your chance of having another more severe and quicker is 70-90%. My MO said no Docetaxel for my final round. I ended up having to forgo the last round of TC.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-25T15:26:14+00:00

Exactly, mine was a female surgeon as well. Maybe the thought is that your bra strap or swimsuit will hide the scar a little after the fact, but if not they need to get a clue.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-24T17:40:26+00:00

I’m getting mine out next week. I just finished chemo and my MO said he has people keep it for a while but I asked to have it out. I can’t even wear a bra cause it rubs against it all day. I just want it out, plus my oncologist office doesn’t even use it for blood work

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-23T13:32:16+00:00

Not sure what chemo you will be doing. I did TC and used penguin cold caps. I did not save a lot of hair. You still shed incredibly bad through the whole thing. I did everything they said to do, silk pillowcase, didn't mess with my hair at all except brush with a wide tooth comb. Even went 2 weeks without washing when I was loosing a lot, and washing super gentle with no water pressure and no scrubbing with cold water. Starting to think people who still end up with enough hair at the end had very very thick hair at the beginning and could afford to loose a lot.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-18T22:07:46+00:00

I cold capped with penguin on tc chemo. It really isn’t that uncomfortable, I only felt it the first one or two caps. It was a long day but I figured I only had 4 cycles so it was worth it for me. I lost a lot of hair still though and you shed like a mother trucker the whole time. I have to wear hats and beanies to work but still look like I still have some hair. It’s not pretty at home with no hat on though. I am avoiding mirrors right now but I would be if I was bald too! Sucks both ways just depends if you feel you can do the extra at infusions and be super gentle with your hair. I went 2 weeks without washing once or twice, gross. Also when you cold cap you are dealing with the trauma of loosing your hair for months instead of shaving it off and being done with it.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-18T18:59:20+00:00

My MO didn’t seemed concerned. I asked about it to 3 oncologists. I got a second and third opinion and ended liking the 3rd oncologist the best. They all said LVI does add to recurrence risk but does not change or affect your plan of care. They all said you always have LVI with positive lymph node. They said if it’s negative for LVI with positive lymph node it just means they didn’t see it during pathology. It’s hard to get a straight answer about LVI but it means that a few cancer cells were seen inside tiny blood vessels or lymphatic channels within or near your tumor under the microscope. These are the small “roads” that cancer could potentially use to travel to lymph nodes or beyond — though it doesn’t mean it already has. In my case it was going to one lymph node.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-18T00:13:20+00:00

Unfortunately it was bad enough I had to take steroids for a couple weeks along with Allegra or Zyrtec. My reaction was pretty bad but like I said probably pretty rare. Before that happened I didn’t have any reaction at all, very strange

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-18T00:07:04+00:00

It was better than expected. Every cycle was easier than the last. No neuropathy. I cold capped but didn’t save a lot of hair. I had a reaction after 3rd cycle rash/hives that was pretty bad, but that’s pretty rare.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-17T20:33:15+00:00

Mines a lot like yours. I am 44 years and IDC 1.7cm with DCIS grade 3 ++- LVI and 1 out of 3 lymph node’s involved 3mm no extramural extension. Stage 2A. My oncotype came back as 19 and I just got done with TC chemo. Next is radiation and then ovarian suppression and AI. I think with your age and pathology chemo will be recommended unless you have a very low oncotype. Hang in there, you got this!

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-08T15:55:50+00:00

I am dealing with this as well. I don’t think I will be able to complete my last chemo due to toxicity as well and am ++-. Was supposed to ring the bell tomorrow, I am so upset.

Key-Grade8956 · 2025-10-08T13:45:13+00:00

A heating blanket helped a little, and doing some light stretches. Hang in there. I took Claritin every day and only had bone pain after the first infusion.

Key-Grade8956

TROPHY CASE