Cutting down on steroids

I’ve tried to cut down my steroids -think its a mistake!!!

The chemo nurse said I could try as my side effects have been relatively good. she said last time round to take the 2 in the morning and only 1 in the afternoon - reducing it by a quarter - tried this last time and it worked well - did feel naseuas but average antsickness dealt with it.

well this time around I thought I’d go 1 step further and reduce them again - MISTAKE!!! i have felt very naseuas and totally yuck. Next wednesday after my next dose I THINK i’d better listen to the experts!!!

this was all to do with weight gain and sleepless nights!!! I’ve decided I’d rather be a beached whale and watch TV through the night!!!

Hi Kelyn

Just thought I’d let you know I suffered bad effects with the deextramethasone and when I realised that it was too late to take one one day I gave them a miss and felt fine. Told onc and he said OK carry on like that. He still gave me pills but I didn’t take them. Just took the backup antisickness pills when I felt queasy and was OK.

I couldn’t cope with not sleeping and the tears that brought.

Marilyn X

Hi Kelyn,

sorry to hear you’ve been feeling yuk! Much as it pains me to do it as I never feel hungry that early I always take my 2nd dose of dex no later than 1pm. I really think that by taking it this early I haven’t suffered with the insomnia that others have. There was one occassion when I had sleep troubles and I realised it was because I hadn’t taken my dex 'til 2.

That piece of info is prob nothing you don’t know already and its just me waffling again! LOL. Hope all goes well on weds, I’m ‘being done’ at 10.30!!!Really nervous and feel sick just thinking about it!

Take care,

Kelly
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Does anyone know if the dex does anything other than anti-sickness?

As I haven’t felt especially sick but found that the steroids gave me bad constipation for 4 days I decided not to take the tablets last time round. It was great being able to sleep, etc, etc; but I had other ‘chemo’ side-effects much worse than in previous sessions … really achy bones, headache, sore scalp, increase in fatigue. It made me wonder if they suppress other side-effects as well as the nausea? Will ask chemo nurse when I go for next one tomorrow; but I’m very reluctant to take the little devils again.

Stockbeck

Hi Stockbeck

The constipation will probably be caused by the anti-sickness tabs - mainly ondansetron. You need to take some sort of laxative at the same time you have treatment. Movecal is very effective for this.

Fuschia
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I wish the bcc nurse would come on here and answer this question - Why are steroids given with some chemos? I believe that dexamethasone (steroid) is given for a lot more than just nausea. A few years ago I was on ECF with dex - and found the effects of the steroid so awful - the sleepless nights, the racing pulse, the shakes, the constant search for food!. Next time I was on chemo it was Taxotere and when i heard i had to take dex with it again I begged the oncologist to find an alternative - he even went so far as to contact the manufacturer but was told - no alternative - dex essential. (That was in the days when they didnt mix & match the chemos and taxotere was given for the full 6 cycles). Since reading bc forums I have often followed discussions where patients have cut back, or cut out, their steroid dose and I believe this is dangerous. We should never take these decisions without discussing it with the oncologist or chemo nurse as kelyn did.

Dawnhc

HI Dawn

The steroid pre-taxotere is given to prevent fluid retention/oedema (swelling of ankles etc), caused by the tax, so yes you are right.

Fuschia
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PS Steroids also help with sensitivity reactions to chemo.

Well, I asked my chemo nurse today about taking the dexamethasone tablets, which I hate.

She said that they are definitely NOT part of the treatment in any way; they are simply there to suppress nausea. As the side effects of the dex have been worse than the side effects of the chemo itself she said it is up to me if I choose not to take them - the only likely negative is that I may find I feel sick after all, in which case I can start to take them again though they may be less effective later on. She did not think the dex is likely to reduce any of my other side effects, as it is prescribed specifically for sickness.

Having said this, I do get three pre-med drips including another steroid before the paxlitaxol/gemcitabine. I certainly wouldn’t suggest anyone else stopped taking anything they have been given without checking first.

Stockbeck

Hi Stockbeck,

I hope I haven’t caused confusion - my concern was that anyone might think it ok to stop taking their steroids under the mistaken impression that they were only for anti-nausea. With some chemos they are certainly used for a lot more than that, as fuschia with her wealth of experience says. The Cancerhelp site states “Docetaxel can cause an allergic reaction. To try to prevent this, your doctor will give you steroid tablets to take for 3 days, starting the day before each treatment”. That is why my oncologist insisted that I had to take them with Taxotere.

Dawnhc

Im way to chicken not to take dex or ondawotzit after having chemo. Ive got the first part of my last CMF cycle tomorrow. Ive been fine on it, tired, well ok exhausted now…but with the pills…apart from hoovering up any type of food in a 3 mile radius from my stomach ive been fine. I usually find the first day of taken the pills the worst day…trying to convince myself to eat to take the pills…but on the second day…well its stopping eating thats the problem. Hate blowing up like a barrage balloon…movecol usually does the trick after lots and lots of sachets…but its the bloating side of things I cant stand.