Re: pre-med side effects (was started chemo)

[Guest guest]

barb - i think you make an important point in there--we're all

getting chemo here - and we forget that we're getting pre-meds too!

I had a terrible time with the steroid - while I was getting the

A/C, it wasn't as pronounced - I didn't really know what was wrong

with me - just that I was weepy, weepy - like I was after first

giving birth, and then angry, angry...but it would go away, and

since I was going in once every three weeks, and since it wasn't

prolonged, i never mentioned it -

but, when I started getting the taxotere weekly, and 20mgs of the

dexamethasone via the port - well, that was a horse of a different

color! HUGE highs, followed by devestating lows--it was like my

brain was betraying me--and terrifying RAGES - there was a point,

when my son had gone into my bag - i flew into a rage - that

terrified me--I walked out of the house and outside - trembling--not

knowing what was going on, and thinking I was going crazy...you

know, I have never laid my hands on my son - hitting, spanking, is

*anethma* to me--and though I didn't hit him *then* i was terrified

that I would. I was afraid I would hurt him. And that was most

devestating and frightening of all...

and it was the fu*king steroid (you now, I was going every week

then, sitting in the chemo chair weeping, telling the nurses " I

don't know what's wrong with me " --telling my doc that too, and

they're responding to me " maybe you need an anti-depressant " ...but

in retrospect, I was describing a documented side-effect of steroid

use--there's even a word for it... " 'roid rage " ...and I'm pissed

that I was dismissed...and I have to say, it is so HARD trying to

advocate for yourself when you're going through something like

that...

- I got my last three taxotere treatments without taking any

steroids at all...the doc didn't want to do it, but then doc wasn't

living with me trying to raise an 8 year old boy, by myself - who I

scared...which breaks my heart...

It breaks my heart that I scared him so...

marisa

>

> Its important that you tell your doctor exactly what you are going

through. My first A/C ended me up in ER with a terrific headache and

nausea. After I got through that night with the help of some heavy

Morphine, my doctor decided my next treatment of A/C they would give

me the Cytoxin at a slower rate. I was also told (even though I had

been told NOT to take aspirin -- Excedrine) that if I started to get

a headache to take whatever I needed to right away to treat the

headache. The next treatments of A/C were much easier to handle...

no nausea and no major headaches. I got the neulasta shot after each

of the A/C treatments and was pretty sick (in bed, didn't want to

eat, just sleep, body aches, etc) Dr. thought it might actually be a

response to the steroid they give with the A/C so I was backed off

the original treatment with several days of steroid pills, lesser

amount each day and that helped. Then came Taxotere and again I

ended up in the ER and then the hospital for 4 days... but again, my

doctor looked at the treatment and what my symptoms were and was

able to adjust the treatment so the next 3 treatments went pretty

much without too much trouble.

>

> We all say it over and over again... each of us is different and

react differently, but your doctor should be willing and able to

help with the side effects... we just need to speak up and let him

or her know what is wrong.

>

> Barb

> Michigan

>

> started chemo

>

>

> I started chemo last Thursday,did really good Friday, went to

work got

> my shot of nuleasta and its been all down hill from there.

Anyone that

> has had to go through chemo,I am so sorry for you!!! They

finally told

> me to take something for no sleep.The leg cramping is awlful.I am

> hoping to get back to work maybe tommarrow.Only five more

treatments

> to get through!!!!!!!!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

especially when you've never been through it before!!!!!

I did not have the problems with the steroids you did, but I did have the

sleepless nights. Tapering off on the steroids helped my body pain and

headaches. I'm not sure what it was that tore up my stomach so, but I was using

every pill in my cabinet and 2 prescriptions to get that to calm down. That's

when I landed in the hospital with a bottomed out white blood count. Between my

stomach problems and I think dehydration, I was a mess. It wasn't until I

finally started running a fever that I knew this was serious. But 4 days on

fluids, antibiotics, nuepogen (however you spell that) and food, I was able to

get back home. The nuepogen, however, gave me terrible headaches.

You are right thought.... its not just the side effects from the chemo but the

pre-meds as well..... always that taking one pill to help the affects from

another pill.

Barb

Michigan

started chemo

>

>

> I started chemo last Thursday,did really good Friday, went to

work got

> my shot of nuleasta and its been all down hill from there.

Anyone that

> has had to go through chemo,I am so sorry for you!!! They

finally told

> me to take something for no sleep.The leg cramping is awlful.I am

> hoping to get back to work maybe tommarrow.Only five more

treatments

> to get through!!!!!!!!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> especially when you've never been through it before!!!!!

>

> I did not have the problems with the steroids you did, but I did

have the sleepless nights. Tapering off on the steroids helped my

body pain and headaches. I'm not sure what it was that tore up my

stomach so, but I was using every pill in my cabinet and 2

prescriptions to get that to calm down.

that probably was mucositis (i think that's what it's called - i'll

check) -- another *documented* side effect

(i rememeber the doc and nurses saying stuff like " I don't know

*why* you're having such a hard time with the taxotere - it should

be a breeze! " --as if there was something wrong with *me*--when what

I was experiencing, from the taxotere as well as from the

dexamethasone were ALL documented, and if not *common* side effects,

were side-effects nonetheless. I would advise anyone getting chemo

now to always bring someone with you. Somone who has a bitchy

disposition, or who can *be* a bitch - if possible to help

advocate for you...)

That's when I landed in the hospital with a bottomed out white blood

count. Between my stomach problems and I think dehydration, I was a

mess. It wasn't until I finally started running a fever that I knew

this was serious. But 4 days on fluids, antibiotics, nuepogen

(however you spell that) and food, I was able to get back home. The

nuepogen, however, gave me terrible headaches.

sorry...

>

> You are right thought.... its not just the side effects from the

chemo but the pre-meds as well..... always that taking one pill to

help the affects from another pill.

exactly - but how many pills can we take??

peace

marisa

>

> Barb

> Michigan

>

> started chemo

> >

> >

> > I started chemo last Thursday,did really good Friday, went to

> work got

> > my shot of nuleasta and its been all down hill from there.

> Anyone that

> > has had to go through chemo,I am so sorry for you!!! They

> finally told

> > me to take something for no sleep.The leg cramping is awlful.I

am

> > hoping to get back to work maybe tommarrow.Only five more

> treatments

> > to get through!!!!!!!!!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

funny, my onc said I could handle the Taxotere and the radiation at the same

time. When I ended up in the hospital the on-call onc told me Taxotere was a

nasty little drug.....

Barb

started chemo

> >

> >

> > I started chemo last Thursday,did really good Friday, went to

> work got

> > my shot of nuleasta and its been all down hill from there.

> Anyone that

> > has had to go through chemo,I am so sorry for you!!! They

> finally told

> > me to take something for no sleep.The leg cramping is awlful.I

am

> > hoping to get back to work maybe tommarrow.Only five more

> treatments

> > to get through!!!!!!!!!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >