Hi everyone, I have had 4x EC and 4x docetaxel, had my last one on the 9th dec. I have noticed over the past few weeks that i am having little mind lapses.I can be talking and forget what i am saying mid sentance.I can also be shopping and struggle when looking at a load of items, to see which one i want. I am not sure if the way i am describing that makes sense? I am worried as have just had nodes to central chest and clavicle area biopsied, and i am worried this is a symptom of it spreading to my brain. My OH has noticed this too. Or is it merely an after effect of chemo and the stress of it all? I have searched the threads and cant find anything there. I dont have headaches as such, sometimes feel a pressure but again i dont know if its my imagination running away with me. Please if anyone has any advice or ideas?
Hi Anna35 - I am also finding that my memory is not as good, putting it down to chemo, stress and generally not using my brain as much as not working as moment. Have seen lots of mention of “chemo bain” on many posts on different sites so it dows seem to be as normal as these things can be. Good luck with your biopsies. Marlix
Thanks Marlix, yes i have also read posts about chemo brain, but this seemed to be worse over the past few weeks and i had my last chemo 9th Dec. I guess i just wanted reassurance that it is quite normal, so thankyou.
Hi marli & anna,
I remember noticing similar problems when I would say I had been approaching the menopause, before dx of bc. I am wondering if the common factor here is oestrogen - or lack of it! as a chemo side effect in the case of bc, just as it would be in approaching the menopause. I suspect it is all par for the course 
Dawn
Thanks Dawn, i guess thats something i didnt consider. Although i have had period type pains (i think maybe my system trying to kickstart again) i havent had a period since around October, so maybe could be that? I automatically have thought the worst, and it has really scared me.
Hi Anna. I seem to suffer quite a lot with “chemo brain” I can be mid sentence as you say and just completely forget the word I wanted to use.
Good luck with your biopsy results.
take care, love and hugs. Debbie. xx
thanks Debbie, maybe its just all catching up now, and then with worrying too? Its good to have reassurance that other things might well be to blame, thankyou. I hope things are going well for you.
take care
annaxx
Hi Anna
I too get lost mid sentence and also muddled in shops, and I’m also forgetting what I’m doing around the house
putting it down to chemo brain
hope thats some help
monica x
Hi Monica, thanks, that certainly makes me feel a bit better. I am worrying a lot at the moment as we all are im sure.I am trying not to let things get to me so much, but 1 other concern i have is the skin around my mastectomy scar, it looks a little orange peel like. I did show my BCN last week and she said i see what you mean, but went on to say that my scar is healing nicely though. So i cant remember if she actually answered me about if it was something to worry about. Sorry to whoever reads this, i think maybe im losing the plot at the moment.
take care
annaxx
just bumping this up to see if anyone else has experienced this?
thanks
anna
hi everyone,
some time ago I was sent a link to a new American journal - ‘journal of cancer survivorship’ - if you can get past the title (!) then there are some really interesting articles in there this issue - one on chemobrain - the link is
springerlink.com/content/ru4 … lltext.pdf
Hope you find it interesting! I know I did as I have always contended that my brain functioning has been affected by my treatment. It is 2 years since I finished chemo and I am still nowhere near as sharp as I was before treatment!
Pauline x
Thankyou Pauline, i will take a look.
take care
anna
I have felt like that since stopping HRT. I think it is a consequence of low oestrogen, poor sleep, stress, etc. I didn’t have chemo.
Ann x
When I had FEC 4 sessions from august to November, there were times when I thought I was loosing my mind, names , words,places mid sentence, shopping often escaped me, with Taxotere this was so much less but now I have finished chemo I do still have the some of the lapses of memory but I think some of that is about trying to do to much and getting tired at times.
Glad I’m not alone. I’ve just had 4th FEC and throughout the treatment my mind has totally gone to pot. Have to write lists of everything I have to do. The worst thing I’ve found is that I just forget vocabulary mid sentence, and leave people guessing what I’m trying to say or ask them for the word.
Have also notice when I’m typing on the computer, and then read back over what I’ve done, my spelling is awful and have loads of corrections to make.
When I’m stressed waiting for scan results and such like, my husband plays Scrabble with me, and I can barely put together 4 letter words.
I do hope it gets better when FEC over and I go back to work.
Regards
jane
I am two years post dx and still have memory problems. As others have mentioned, I don’t think I can blame chemo alone as now menopausal. The combination of these and stress of dx and treatment I think is to blame. My memory has improved though during the year but cannot rely on it in the way i used to (lots of lists) It is no bad thing as carried everything in my head before. I am now much more organised. I returned to my old job but no longer what i want so starting a new one in march.
I hope this helps. The chemo brain did get better but life now is different. My priorities have changed and my old job used to be my life.
Rachy xx
thanks everyone, i think because i finished chemo in December i expected that i would be functioning better, i hoping it is still the effects from that, mixed with the worry of waiting for biopsy results. Maybe thats why it seems worse the last few weeks?
many thanks
annaxx
I’m over 2 years post-chemo and am still dreadful with my memory and concentration. I’ve accepted it’s just part of the results of chemo and then hormone therapy and make lists if needed - otherwise it’s not the end of the world if I forget something!! I think the more you worry about it, the worse it will seem.
And if it’s any consolation, my mum’s still less than brill after 7 years!
Hope your results are fine and don’t worry about the mind.
Liz
Hiya
I also suffer from forgetfulness, memory lapses, inability to multi-task etc!! since chemo last year. My tips are to write things down that you don’t want to forget; do one thing at a time and try to stay focussed on it until you have done it! I also try to do word and number puzzles in the newspaper every day as I believe that helps keep the brain functioning! Any other tips?
Dae x
Hi everyone, i have spoken to my oncologist today and he is arranging a CT of my brain. I also showed him the orange peel skin by my scar, so he is arranging for the surgeon to take a biopsy. Im rather embarrassed that i broke down and was crying, i guess it has to come out somewhere. He did say that it could ae also be a symptom of being so worried, he was lovely, as were the staff there. Bless them all.
take care
annaxx