Night after chemo

I've played around with my post-chemo meds a bit as I didn't react well to high doses of dexamethasone (racing & erratic heart, dizzy and so hyperactive I was awake all night bouncing off the walls).  The godsend in anti-nausea medications is ondansetron. I had chemo for bone cancer 33 years ago and was so violently nauseous for a week and I would have anticipatory vomiting. This time around, with the new medications, nausea has been minimal. I'm on a different regimen to you (CMF) but nausea can be a bad side effect with my regimen. I have dexamethasone and ondanstetron iv at time of infusion. Then ondansetron tablets at home for the next 2 days. I also have one low dose (4mg) dexamethasone tablet for the next day or two after chemo as well. Just make sure to have the dexa well before 2pm and it shouldn't affect sleep (although having breast cancer, chemo, stress etc will affect sleep on its own!). I also keep a diary to record how I feel and what I've taken, as it soon all blurs into one. This has helped to to work out what appears to work for me best in terms of minimizing side effects. I think I cut back too much on the dexa as I then had problems with inflammation throughout my body from the chemo (dexa is also an antinflammatory), so I'll take it a day longer this time than last time and see if that improves things. In the day or two after chemo I have started to feel nauseous, but then taken an ondansetron tablet and it quickly passed. 

I would ask your doc about ondansetron, or at the very least maxalon to have along with your dexamethasone. Maxalon is a very old drug and works, but from what people say, and in my own experience, not nearly as well as ondanstetron. Ondansetron can cause problems with constipation, but I just drink prune juice and have prunes on my oatmeal, and drink plenty of fluids while I'm taking it, and haven't had a problem.

All the best!

I've played around with my post-chemo meds a bit as I didn't react well to high doses of dexamethasone (racing & erratic heart, dizzy and so hyperactive I was awake all night bouncing off the walls).  The godsend in anti-nausea medications is ondansetron. I had chemo for bone cancer 33 years ago and was so violently nauseous for a week and I would have anticipatory vomiting. This time around, with the new medications, nausea has been minimal. I'm on a different regimen to you (CMF) but nausea can be a bad side effect with my regimen. I have dexamethasone and ondanstetron iv at time of infusion. Then ondansetron tablets at home for the next 2 days. I also have one low dose (4mg) dexamethasone tablet for the next day or two after chemo as well. Just make sure to have the dexa well before 2pm and it shouldn't affect sleep (although having breast cancer, chemo, stress etc will affect sleep on its own!). I also keep a diary to record how I feel and what I've taken, as it soon all blurs into one. This has helped to to work out what appears to work for me best in terms of minimizing side effects. I think I cut back too much on the dexa as I then had problems with inflammation throughout my body from the chemo (dexa is also an antinflammatory), so I'll take it a day longer this time than last time and see if that improves things. In the day or two after chemo I have started to feel nauseous, but then taken an ondansetron tablet and it quickly passed. 

I would ask your doc about ondansetron, or at the very least maxalon to have along with your dexamethasone. Maxalon is a very old drug and works, but from what people say, and in my own experience, not nearly as well as ondanstetron. Ondansetron can cause problems with constipation, but I just drink prune juice and have prunes on my oatmeal, and drink plenty of fluids while I'm taking it, and haven't had a problem.

All the best!

Keep a diary and tell your Oncologist exactly how sick you feel and how you arent sleeping.  I was given extra meds for nausea, and some different ones for helping with sleeping too.  Take every thing on offer.  I did question mine too, after researching on line about the anxiety meds/ given to help settle stomach, and to help sleep.  I was advised by a Pharmacist that they are perfectly safe, short term and taking them isnt a problem.  I only took a couple.  silly me.  I was honest with my Oncologist and he said to keep them and take one if Im having anxiety/ trouble sleeping - it wont hurt.  (used for short periods, and randomly, its not an issue he advised).  I had issues of digestive problems with the Dex too, as well as not sleeping.  My husband spent 8 months in the spare room, so he could sleep, and go to work rested.  When I woke up, I would read.  I woke up constantly through the first week of FEC, to drink water!  I even wrote down in my diary what I ate.  Some times it was watermelon, or a few grapes, but they advised me to eat, or Id feel worse.  I went ala natural, and research a low acid diet.  But once I was put on Nexium for the discomfort of indigestion, it was a lot better.  Thanks to the ladies who advised me to go on it from here.  Keep a note book by your bed, if you wake up, write down whats in your head, it helps.  get some meditation discs from the Cancer Council library, and learn to deep breath and calm your thoughts.  I took baths to relax, herbal teas, and made myself do stretches or laps of the house during the morning when I had no energy.  I didnt have coffee or tea during that time, or any sugar, or red meat.  Just me. (I only have red meat occasionally now).  I didnt fall into the trap of rewarding myself with junk food, cos I didnt want to wack on the weight.  I lost 6 kgs, and have kept it off after 5 months, so happy about that too!  X Bel

Keep a diary and tell your Oncologist exactly how sick you feel and how you arent sleeping.  I was given extra meds for nausea, and some different ones for helping with sleeping too.  Take every thing on offer.  I did question mine too, after researching on line about the anxiety meds/ given to help settle stomach, and to help sleep.  I was advised by a Pharmacist that they are perfectly safe, short term and taking them isnt a problem.  I only took a couple.  silly me.  I was honest with my Oncologist and he said to keep them and take one if Im having anxiety/ trouble sleeping - it wont hurt.  (used for short periods, and randomly, its not an issue he advised).  I had issues of digestive problems with the Dex too, as well as not sleeping.  My husband spent 8 months in the spare room, so he could sleep, and go to work rested.  When I woke up, I would read.  I woke up constantly through the first week of FEC, to drink water!  I even wrote down in my diary what I ate.  Some times it was watermelon, or a few grapes, but they advised me to eat, or Id feel worse.  I went ala natural, and research a low acid diet.  But once I was put on Nexium for the discomfort of indigestion, it was a lot better.  Thanks to the ladies who advised me to go on it from here.  Keep a note book by your bed, if you wake up, write down whats in your head, it helps.  get some meditation discs from the Cancer Council library, and learn to deep breath and calm your thoughts.  I took baths to relax, herbal teas, and made myself do stretches or laps of the house during the morning when I had no energy.  I didnt have coffee or tea during that time, or any sugar, or red meat.  Just me. (I only have red meat occasionally now).  I didnt fall into the trap of rewarding myself with junk food, cos I didnt want to wack on the weight.  I lost 6 kgs, and have kept it off after 5 months, so happy about that too!  X Bel