Chemo Brain Relief?

McClure77

Has anyone found anything to help with Chemo Brain problems? It's been 7 months or so since I finished Chemo, but I'm still experiencing issues. It's strange in that it's especially inconsistent. Some days I will do puzzles and have no real issues, and the next day, the same type of puzzle will be really confusing to me. One day, my focus will be great, and the next, I may as well start chasing butterflies around the room! My memory is noticeably worse most of the time, especially for things like whether or not I've seen a movie, etc. I'm especially eager to find something to help with these problems because I plan to take an exam soon and I'm afraid it will happen to be on one of the worse days, which could obviously worsen my result.

lintrollerderby

Hi. I'm so sorry to hear about your struggle. I have been struggling as well and know how defeated it has made me feel. I had such an excellent memory before chemo and could focus when all kinds of distractions were present. Those are no longer true for me. I have what I have come to call "long-term loss of my short-term memory" because I feel like I can't retain things like I once could.

I've moved cross-country, but my old MO was a big believer in the use of stimulants for patients experiencing chemo-brain. I also suffer from several other permanent chemo-related issues, one being fatigue, so the stimulant idea was intriguing to me. I tried it and I was very happy with the results. I felt more focused, close to my pre-chemo self.

There are also other workarounds like making sure to keep a list for things, drinking enough water, getting adequate exercise, and good sleep. Those things all help reduce my frustration levels, but don't help the way a prescription stimulant does. I know not everyone needs/wants/can take those types of medications, but for me, they were the difference between night and day.

Hope this help.