Taxol Side Effects

Taxol Chemotherapy Cancer Treatment

An Introduction to Taxol Side Effects

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Taxol^® (paclitaxel); however, not everyone who takes the medication will experience problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.

(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Taxol. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Taxol side effects with you.)

Common Side Effects of Taxol

Taxol has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which a group of people taking the drug have side effects documented. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they occur, and how they compare to people not taking this drug.

In these studies, the most common Taxol side effects (used alone or in combination with other chemotherapy medications) included:

Neutropenia (low levels of white blood cells called neutrophils) -- in up to 100 percent of people
Anemia -- up to 97 percent (see Chemotherapy and Anemia)
Hair loss -- up to 96 percent (see Taxol and Hair Loss)
Muscle pain or joint pain -- up to 93 percent (Nerve and Muscle Problems During Chemotherapy)
Nausea and vomiting -- up to 93 percent (see Chemotherapy and Nausea)
Leukopenia (low levels of white blood cells called leukocytes) -- up to 90 percent
Diarrhea -- up to 90 percent (Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea).

Other common side effects, occurring in 3 to 80 percent of people, included:

Unusual sensations, such as burning or tingling
Low platelets in the blood (see Blood Clotting Problems and Chemotherapy)
Mouth sores or sores in the digestive tract (see Mouth and Gum Problems During Chemotherapy)
Changes in the heart rhythm seen with an electrocardiogram (ECG)
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Bleeding
Slow heart rate (bradycardia).

(Taxol Side Effects Continued: Page 2)