First chemo - carboplatin/taxol - what to expect - side effects?

Dear Maria
So sorry you have to go through this. Be positive and try whatever you think will work for your body. We all react differently to treatments
I have found acupuncture works great for me. No nausea, on the 4th day after treatment I get neuropathy leg pain. But it’s manageable. I walk every day
My third Carbo-Plaxi chemo treatment is Monday and I’m going to try 2 acupuncture treatments that week. One the day after chemo and then on the 4th day to see if that will help with the leg pain. I wear light compression stockings daily. You may ask about taking gabapentin fir the leg pain also
Good Luck ❤️

I declined the same treatment that was prescribed for you, Carboplatin/Taxol. If it is not too difficult please keep posting about your situation. Our staging is almost identical. I am going to be 81 in March and I am was wondering how old you are if that is not to personal. I will be praying for a positive results for you. I also have a relative who has taken the same and he is 66 years old. He followed up with radiation. I can't stop researching.

I used makeshift frozen things for my first chemo with Carboplatin and Taxol. I successfully kept my hands relatively cold. I doubt it was as cold as the cryotherapy being studied, but I think that treatment pushes the cold to the limit of what one can tolerate. I also resisted the temptation to warm my hands at home for the following two days. I did not wear socks or warm slippers like I normally would in the winter. My core was warm enough so I did not mind it that much. I have not had neuropathy, but I don't think the first one is likely to do it anyway. My understanding is that this is a cumulative effect, so subsequent doses will make neuropathy worse. I have since ordered and received a set of hand and foot gloves/socks with ice packs that will be less makeshift. My understanding is that they are supposed to be recooled every 45 minutes, so, really, I should have bought more than one set. I will use the ice packs and maybe take salted ice to recool the ones I have. I also understand that if one experiences significant neuropathy one is supposed to tell the oncologist and they will decrease the dose. I see many responses that I had not seen already so this is mostly repeat. I wish you all the best. Take care and God bless.

I am on my 14th cycle of taxol/carbo platin since my first ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2008 when I was 48. To manage the neirotherapy, I take two acetyl l’carnitine tablets per day plus accupuncture weekly when I am in treatment and biweekly when I am not in chemotherapy.

I used the cooking gloves and four wraps for my five cycles of carbon/taxol. My husband was given access to the freezer in the infusion area abdceiujdcswap them out for me every 20 minutes. It definitely helped me.
Best wishes to all of you on this journey we never asked for.

I'm so glad that there are people who can report their experiences, especially with this topic - neuropathy. I had printed documents from my doctor and the chemo lab folks, and it did warn of things like neuropathy. They took it very seriously and want immediate reports of any neuropathy. Like most (all?) of us, I googled stuff all the time, and with so many reporting neuropathy here I did it again. Google searches indicate a high percentage of carbo taxol patients get neuropathy - as much as 85%. True? Hard to say, this is the internet. I had no idea it could be that high. The doses we all get depend on our illness and size/weight.
But very important: drink lots of fluids, don't go light on liquids. You want to flush out the toxins. The drugs deplete over days, most of it gone by 4 days? Constipation and diahrrea are common. As the drugs deplete in your body each week the symptoms should decrease, too.
It's weird - we can get different symptoms from this drug combo, but hair will fall out in large amounts usually starting by the 3-4 weeks of treatments. Cut your hair to reduce the bother and so that you look good. It's disturbing to have your hair falling all over the place and not be able to get even a wide tooth comb through without creating such a mess. I started with a single layer chin cut, a month later cut into long layered lengths to stall off the bald patches. And then I wore a hat. It was warm weather, lots of sun, and it sure helped to avoid sunburn on my balding pate. Colder weather makes wig wearing more desirable - it keeps you warm. This is very individual, of course. Some women simply shave off the remnant hairs, rock the look, wear knit or other hats to keep warm. A sudden loss of hair often makes us cold, as we're so unused to no hair. And dr.s offices & hospitals are cold for sure! Bring a warm sweater & scarf for treatments just in case.
Nausea is common enough with chemotherapies. Eat anyway, and it's better to eat junk food than no food, and this is what the nurses told me -- go for it if that's what you're tolerating. They will give you anti-nausea meds -- the nurses told me take them once the symptoms present, do not delay. If the 1st med doesn't do the trick, go to the 2nd med they prescribed (alphabetical O & P meds).
You can't tell who will have mild or strong side effects. People who are hale & hearty can have a tough time, people who are sensitive may not. Definitely not that predictable. So just make sure you prepare for possibilities, have supplies for toothpastes, mouthwashes, ginger candies (nausea). You may need them - but may not as well. Neuropathy? I had no idea it was that very common a side effect. I can definitely see how cooling would work. You could probably also carry a cold can of soda, like gingerale and hold the can.