Bl@@dy Dexamethasone.

Hey Shaz

I will try taking my Dex earlier this cycle.  I am due for my last Taxotere on Wednesday YES YES YES!!!!!!!  I have sleeping tablets to take if I need to get a good nights, especially if I haven't slept for a number of day/nights.  I not good without sleep.

I have been to the doctors again today to check on the pain patches she prescribed for me.  Unfortunately 10mg isn't doing the job so I am going to try 15mg.  I suffer excruciating pain at present which could be a combination of the chemo and Neulast injection.  She also sent me for an X-ray today to check there is nothing more sinister going on mmmmmm

I am up to day 17 after my 5th cycle of chemo so should definitely be in a lot less pain by now so we will see if the pain patches give my some relief and what the outcome of the X-ray will be.  Doc didn't want to do anything more invasive like CT's and MRI's at the moment. 

I am glad I still can read cause I love my reading now.  I have also recently watched a part of a series of DVD which is very unusual for me as well.  I guess when you got no energy there isn't too much else you can do.

I hope you are continueing to travel reasonably well and glad you not getting too much pain as I find the pain totally debilitating.  It has managed to bring me to tears a few times recently and it has even managed to cause me to vomit. 

You take care, stay as well as you can and keep yourselves out of them hospitals :-)

Mich xoxo

I was not given anything to help me sleep (and still don't have anything - but i only have 2 cycles to go -- YAY!), and my oncology/ chemo nurses told me to take the Dex at breakfast and lunch becasue if you take it after 2pm, you will have a Really bad nights sleep. I take it at these times and only have the occasional bad nights sleep, didn't have it too bad this 4th cycle, with midnight'ish being my worst night (not too bad at all).

I was also given dex to help wif I need it with joint pains from the Neulasta, I now have to take to prevent another febrile neutopenic episode. But luckily I havne't had to take it because (touch wood) witht his 1st neulasts I didn't get any bad joint / bone or muscle pains (no worse than I normally get with chemo anyway.

Reading is no good for me now, as I can't concentrate enough to read, I haven't read any of my book since 2nd cycle :-(.

Ask your oncologist or oncology/ chemo nurses about taking it at breakfast and before 2pm (i.e. lunch) and see if they will let you do that. MUCH better, for sleep...

Good Luck with the rest of your chemo cycles. Take it easy and rest.

Hi Shaz,

I started taking my Dex yesterday before chemo today and I had the same problem of getting to sleep.  4.00am and I finally got to sleep but was awake again at 6.30am but managed to doze until 8.00am after that.  No-one told me to take it at lunch time so I have been taking it with dinner.  Hmmmm maybe I need to change that time.  I am so glad that we only have to take it for 3 days though.  Last time I spent a couple of hours up reading until I got sleepy, I didn't get so frustrated reading.  I have been given something to help me sleep and I will be using it tonight. I will be taking Alodorm, has anything be prescribed for you??

Hoping that things improve for you too. 

Cheers,   Elayne xxx

So glad you were able to get some sleep.

Rest well and take care.

Hi, my oncologist gave me Tamaze to help me sleep when I was taking Dex. It is short acting, and one or two tabs usually worked nicely. Love Chris xx

Ah the 3:00 am chats, how I do NOT miss them but boy did they save my minds some nights on here.

I never used gel for my Port. and felt nothing but a little sting occassionally so not sure what you can do there.

I am further along in treatment than you as I finished my TC in mid November and have 5 more Herceptin.

You seem to be at the clinic for a long time, mine was 7 hrs for the first but only 4 for the others, unless of course I had to be raced of for emergency tests!

I wish you well for the rest of your chemo and feel for you as I got so sick and fatigued in the end so here's hoping yours goes better,

Regards

Cheryl

Ah the 3:00 am chats, how I do NOT miss them but boy did they save my minds some nights on here.

I never used gel for my Port. and felt nothing but a little sting occassionally so not sure what you can do there.

I am further along in treatment than you as I finished my TC in mid November and have 5 more Herceptin.

You seem to be at the clinic for a long time, mine was 7 hrs for the first but only 4 for the others, unless of course I had to be raced of for emergency tests!

I wish you well for the rest of your chemo and feel for you as I got so sick and fatigued in the end so here's hoping yours goes better,

Regards

Cheryl

Hello to another early morning walker :)

My dex was halved this cycle and whilst I felt so much I am still wide awake and am now in day 5 and crashing big time.  I am still numb (not as bad as last cycle) and the tiredness is piling on .  My dex intake stops on day 3 of my program - last time I had one "normal" day  before my next dose of chemo.  Hoping to get a couple more this cycle so I can have a break.

Up side is that the chemo is killing any little cancer cells that are pinging around my body, therefore when I finish all my cycles, I will be well and able to sleep when and where I want! 

Onwards we go :)

Hey Shaz

I agree with you about the b..... Dex.  I only took mine @2pm day before and 9am morning of chemo as instructed.  I halved the dose for the next two mornings and then haven't had to take it anymore.  I think there is some in with the potion you get for your chemo as well but not sure.  I was on such a high the next day that I did heaps of washing, made 2 quiches and a salad, cleaned by house and so on.  It was a huge bonus and my hubby thought wow she will be fine and sail through this and then I crashed and have been crashed ever since with the pain.  I am now day 6 grrrrrrrrr

I guess all we can do is go with it.  Sleep when we can and do things when we can.  There is no chance of resting while having chemo that is for sure, there is always so much going on.

My body is telling me right now it is time for more pain killers, the pain is like an electric shock that goes through every part of my body in like a sequence.

I hope you get through today and then unlike me can get to rest this evening.

Lots of healing hugs coming your way,

Mich xo

Got a total of 2-3 hrs sleep last night - more like 2 than 3 <grrrr>.

Now so tired but have to get ready for chemo at 9am.

I can see I am going to crash big time later (if the dex today lets me).