Hi jane84, your side effects sound like they are from the chemo, steroids and the Antinausea meds.
If it is any help, my symptoms improved with each dose, partly perhaps because I knew what to expect and also managed them better.
The steroids can have you a bit "up" for the days you are on them, and a day or so later you drop like a stone, mood wise. Knowing that that is just what it is can help you.
Weight gain is often fluid and my experience was it dropped off pretty quickly after finishing chemo. My specialists and Dietitian were adamant that I wasn't to worry about it or try to do anything about it until after I had finished, it made me panic though. What goes on has to be gotten off again.
Just get through chemo as best you can doing what makes you feel relatively human, eating as well as your taste buds and stomach allow and exercising gently.
The drugs are usually given to you for a reason, be guided by your team if you want to vary them.
In the 10 days following my first three chemo sessions (FEC) I could not concentrate enough to drive, read or even watch TV much, my eyes didn't focus and I felt quite unwell, but by the third week I was feeling pretty good.
It was just a matter of taking care of myself, accepting the limitations and using all the tips I had from other people on here to get through the first bad days.
Changing to Docetaxel for the second 3 doses was different, not nearly as much nausea, brain fog or mood swings ( though I think having cancer treatment of any sort gives you those anyway)
I was on a little more Dex with that, so I don't think it was that causing the major side effects, more the chemo itself.
Definitely I found the mood drops after finishing them was Dex related, but know it would happen seemed to the best help. And doing some nice things for myself during the couple of days it was most evident helped nurture my soul too.
Good luck with your chemo, the first lot is always the worst.
Jennie
