If you’re living with breast cancer, you may be prescribed a chemotherapy drug called paclitaxel. Previously sold in the U.S. as Taxol, paclitaxel is now available as a generic medication and in a specialized, protein-bound brand-name formulation called Abraxane. Paclitaxel is highly effective at treating certain types of breast cancer and may be used alone or in combination with other medications.

Like any medication, paclitaxel can cause side effects. Learning about common chemotherapy side effects can help you know what to expect and how your care team may help manage them.

What Is Paclitaxel?

Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy drug used to treat breast cancer and some other types of cancer. Breast cancer treatment may be given weekly or spaced farther apart, depending on your treatment plan.

Your oncologist will tell you what regimen is best for you based on the type of breast cancer you have, its stage, and how you’ve responded to other medications.

Paclitaxel is given intravenously as an infusion, sometimes through a chemo port in the chest. It can irritate the vein, so tell your care team if you feel pain or burning during the infusion.

Conventional paclitaxel can cause serious allergic reactions. To lower this risk, you’ll usually receive medications before each dose if conventional paclitaxel is part of your treatment. Tell your care team right away if you develop a rash, itching, swelling, trouble breathing, flushing, dizziness, or fainting during treatment.

If you are being treated with Abraxane, pretreatment medication is likely not necessary unless you have had a previous reaction.

How To Manage Side Effects of Paclitaxel

There’s a variety of ways to manage side effects from paclitaxel so you can continue receiving the benefits of treatment while supporting your well-being. These tips can also help you talk with your care team about how to get relief from chemo side effects.

1. Eat Very Small Meals

If you experience nausea and/or vomiting, try eating and drinking small amounts throughout the day, rather than eating large meals. One MyBCTeam member shared, “I found that small, snack-size meals worked better.”

If nausea makes food or fluids hard to tolerate, ask your oncologist whether smaller meals and slow sips of clear liquids may help. Call your care team if nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea keeps you from drinking enough.

2. Rest as Needed

If you’re exhausted after your treatment, take time to rest. Making time for rest, eating well, and participating in safe, light activity can help manage fatigue for some people with cancer. Short naps or planned breaks may help, but long daytime naps can sometimes make nighttime sleep harder.

As one team member said, “After about the fourth treatment, I was very tired for a few days, but I just rested when I needed to.” If you have tasks to complete, try to pace yourself so you don’t overdo it.

3. Take Nausea Medication as Directed

Your oncology team will decide whether you need anti-nausea medication and when you should take it. Anti-nausea medicines are often given before treatment to prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting.

Over time, you may learn when nausea tends to show up and how your medications work for you. One team member explained, “I have to get the timing of the anti-nausea just right.” Another MyBCTeam member said, “Take the nausea pills if you need to!”

If your medication doesn’t work, call your oncology team. They may adjust your plan or prescribe a different one that might work better.

4. Use Pain Medication Only as Prescribed

If you experience joint, muscle, or bone pain, call your doctor to find out which pain relievers they can prescribe or recommend. Paclitaxel-related joint and muscle pain may begin one to two days after treatment. Use pain medication only as directed, and ask what to do if your pain isn’t controlled.

Warm water, heating pads, cold packs, and other options may temporarily relieve pain. Ask your care team how to use heat or cold safely, especially if you have numbness, poor circulation, or a port.

5. Choose a Hair Loss Solution

If you are concerned about hair loss while on paclitaxel, come up with a plan for how you want to handle it if it starts. You may want to:

• Wear a cooling cap to limit hair loss.
• Cover your scalp with something comfortable, like a hat, headband, or bandana.
• Buy a wig or two that you will wear until your hair grows back.

Hair often grows back about two to three months after chemotherapy ends, although timing and hair texture can vary.

Some people choose to donate their hair before they lose it. One team member who chose this said: “My hair was long enough to be cut and donated, so I did that. It made me feel better to think I beat cancer to the punch, giving it away before cancer could take it!!”

6. Use Gentle Mouth Care

If you get mouth or throat sores from paclitaxel, ask your care team how to manage them. Gentle oral care and mild rinses or plain water may help soothe sore gums and the lining of the mouth.

Prescription rinses may be used selectively for pain, infection, or other specific problems. Use them exactly as prescribed, and tell your team if sores make it hard to eat, drink, or swallow.

7. Talk to Your Doctor

If you experience side effects that you don’t know how to manage or if they get worse, talk to your doctor. They may know of solutions or therapies to try that you wouldn’t otherwise consider.

Your healthcare team is there to support you through your breast cancer journey and can connect you to resources such as mental health providers if you need someone to talk to.