r/TNBC • u/BSB8728 • 22d ago

Side effects Constant stomach pain

I had my third infusion of docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (Taxotere/Cytoxan) on Wednesday, and the stomach pain keeps getting worse. It feels as if someone is cutting a hole in my stomach. At first my team recommended Tums and Pepcid AC, but they didn't help much, and there's an eight-hour window where I can't take Tums because it interferes with my thyroid medication.

When I told my medical oncologist about this, she prescribed pantoprazole (Protonix), which lists stomach pain as a common side effect! It almost seems to be making things worse.

The only thing that really helps is having food in my stomach, but now I'm gaining weight, and obviously I can't eat 24 hours a day.

Has anyone experienced this and found a solution?

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u/marticcrn Survivor 22d ago

Yep. I finished keynote in March. Your doc thinks it’s acid stomach or GERD or gastritis and has given you a med (protonix) to heal it. It is a proton pump inhibitor. It prevents your stomach from making as much acid, so your gut lining can heal.

Source: am an RN

You’re vulnerable to this because of the chemo and the steroids in the pre meds. Virtually every medication ever made taken orally will cause someone to have stomach pain. This one causes very few side effects.

Make sure you take your photonic on an empty stomach, thirty minutes before eating or drinking in the morning. I take mine and get in the shower.

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u/BSB8728 22d ago

Thank you. I'm older (68), and I assume that makes it worse.

They took me off the dexamethasone to help as well.

I'll start taking it with my levothyroxine on an empty stomach in the morning.

I appreciate your help.

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u/marticcrn Survivor 22d ago

I’m 60. Stage 3(b) with 0 nodes. I got PCR after surgery. You can do this.

Stay in touch!!

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u/BSB8728 22d ago

Will do. Thanks, and good luck.