Breast Cancer

Are you taking a steroid called decadron (dexamethasone)? They're like taking crazy pills.

My normal personality ranges somewhere between Mr. Spock and Alan Shore...pretty rational, always calm, rarely rattled. Decadron turned me into a crying, shaking, hysterical, emotional mess. I would cry when someone got killed on "CSI." Those Humane Society commercials with Sarah McLachlan singing made me sob for 20 minutes. I felt like I was losing my mind, and that scared me more than the cancer. It wasn't until chemo #4 that I learned that decadron makes some people overly emotional, others hysterical, and some even violent. Lovely, right? I wish someone had told me earlier.

Then, you add all the fear, sadness, etc., that goes with having cancer, and yes, what you're feeling is pretty normal. Talk to your oncologist about either adjusting your decadron dosage or getting some xanax. And the thing that helped me the most was having a goal...something I wanted to live for, something I wanted to do when I finished treatment. Focus on that goal, whatever it is. It really helps when you feel like giving up. Good luck!

Syork, my guess would be that the rapid heart rate and feeling that your heart is in your throat is a hot flash.  Sometimes that's the only sign I get and it's murder when I'm trying to sleep and I feel like I've just run a marathon.  Even if you're not menopause age, the chemo will bring on menopausal symptoms.  It's even called "chemo-pause."

We're here with you, sister.  Hang in there.

Celtic you have made me laugh so hard I cried!  You nailed it girl!  I never had my meds adjusted just kept driving on but maybe I should have...never knew it was the steroid.  I just noticed it made me hungrey.  Sometimes we think it's chemo but it could be the SE meds because most of us have never taken the meds until BC, right.  My first chemo they gave me Reglan, so I was taken it and was shaken like crazy, constantly.  When I would eat the food would fall off my fork, head shaken....I seriously looked like a bobble head doll.  I took it for two weeks and the whole time I thought it was a chemo SE.  I was watching TV and one of those lawyer commercials came on and it was about Reglan and shaking.  I asked my dr and was taken off immediately.   Point I was trying to make is....don't put too much thought into it, you're not crazy your world has been turned upside down, get your meds adjusted if you need to or get something to help you though.  I was given Ativan to help get me through at the beginning, two years later and I recently started Paxil, it's not weakness it's surviving.  There are better days ahead.

What Celtic Spirit says applies to me, too.  I was a mess due to the decadron.  I'm still mad nobody told me it was this drug that was doing it.  (I wasn't on this site in those days to learn about this, unfortunately.) It was extremely tough. I "wept and slept" my way through chemo treatment.  Hope you can sleep (decadron can mess with that, too) because it can help a lot.

I take ambien cr 12.5 for sleep. I used to take .5 or 1 mg. xanax in evenings that was when I got most anxious. And finally got on antidepressant. Try effexor since it mixes with tamoxifin if that starts later.

And if you have teenager s in house do yourself favor and lock them up or hide them. My daughters good friend stole a lot of mine and then tried to kill himself.

These feelings are normal. the steroids would make me so shakey anxious.

Celtic, you made me laugh too "disconnects the panic circuit" is extremely apt. You know you probably should be in a panic, but you just can't be bothered.



As for the steroids, that is what is called "roid rage," folks, steroids, not hemorrhoids. For some reason I barely reacted to the stuff, but my daughter turned into that little girl from the exorcist pretty much (on it for asthma), and when my mother was on it during chemo, she spent her two "roid days" running around like the energizer bunny on speed.



By the way, the roids they gave me are called methylprednisolone. Didn't make me crazy, but did make me feel hungry all the time. I was prepared for that part and just skipped eating.

Yep. I agree with celtic spirit and others who have pointed out what havoc steroids can cause with your emotions.  I call them dementor drugs because they will take whatever fears you have and throw them back tenfold.  I begged my onc to lower my dose because they were the worst part of treatment.  Although they can be helpful for cleaning the house.

Anti-anxiety drugs can help turn down the volume on the "cancer radio".  That was awful as well.  It felt like there was a nonstop cancer loop playing.  You will get through this.  It won't be easy, but we're here to help you get to the other side.  If you ever feel desperate, hopeless, scared, please come to this this board immediately.  We all know what you're going through and it is immensely theraputic to talk to women who get it.

Dear Ladies.

You all have it down"pat". I was where you were 7 years ago. Seriously locked in the cancer loop. I didn't just cry. I would wail like an injuried trapped animal. I did take very advantage of the lovely pharmaceuticals available, which allowed me to sleep solidly and keep me tethered to the world, somewhat. and I was soooo Healthy, except for Stage III C  breast cancer! anyway,  Every waking hour  was consumed by BC. Little, by little though, the fears and anxiety lessened.

I will never forget those days, but I am well beyond it now. My life is now filled with happiness and good health. Trust me you will all get there!

You need to talk to someone. Tough place to be. Did you call office and tell him you are not ok? Or call primary and talk to them. You are going through enough and you know you better than anyone else. One more word of advice if you want someone to know you love them tell them

Oh my gosh so normal!   I in hindsite wish I had had chemo first then surgery, but what is is what is.  Don't deny your feelings.  You are going to war and need all the fight you can muster.  We'll be here to help you!!!

 Love,

Sharon