3rd round of chemo and the chemo week I just cannot sleep, get to bed and wake up 4 hours later, then totally knackered all day. Anyone else have this.
Yes. I take it it's after the chemo? Are you on steroids, by chance? I was told they cause it, although the dose has now been reduced and I'm still having the same problem. In honesty, I'm knackered all day on many days even if I do sleep. Some nights I've only had a couple of hours asleep. I've found I have a couple of nights like this, then I sleep for ages for a night. I did have one period after chemo week when I was probably only awake for about 5 hours out of 36. Really messes you up, doesn't it? I'm not working, so I'm just going with it and sleeping when I can. Hope it helps to know you're not alone.
Hello. I've just had my 3rd chemo too. It messes my sleep up, it's the steroids that seem to do it. I keep getting different advice though. I was told by chemo nurse to take last steroid of day by 6. My hospice doctor and nurses were horrified when I told them, said no wonder I wasn't sleeping. They told me to take 2 in morning and last no later than lunchtime. Next chemo, nurse said no, not too do that, they had to be spaced regularly, 8, 12 and 4pm. I told her the other chemo nurse said 6, she said no way would I be told that- but she had written it on the box! I'm also having real problems with constipation, so my oncologist has suggested I take meds for only 2 days not 3 now. And am adjusting diet to cope with constipation, so hope will be better next time round. So far, I've gone back to a relative normal after first week, except for fatigue. but I'm learning to let body rest as much as is needed, Glad I'm not working, even if I miss money!
My oncologist gave me a steroid tablet to take at breakfast and one at lunch, but only for the three days after chemo, along with one Ondansetron to take at night. I was still sick on the first day, so they prescribed Emend, which made me feel really ill. I'd noticed that it was when I took the first Ondansetron that I started to feel better, so this time, they dropped the Emend, reduced the steroids to one a day and doubled the Ondansetron to morning and night for 2 or 3 days (can't remember exactly). I've been so much better this time. I get constipation for 6 days, then it suddenly turned to raging diarrhoea for most of the rest of the cycle. They also gave me Senakot for 14 days plus Magnesium Hydrate (something like that). The result is less constipation and very little diarrhoea. Oh joy! I'm coping so much better. Hope this info helps
