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Help with steroid use

Dolly27
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Hi i would just like to say Hello,my name is Roisin and i was diagnosed with throat cancer in August,i am undergoing 7 weeks of radiation and have just finished my fifth week,i was put on steroids on Thursday to help bring the swelling down and i slept great on Thursday but last night was a nightmare,i couldnt sleep and was having all sorts of wierd thoughts,i wondered if anyone else had this trouble with steroids please?

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    Hi Roisin, I take steroids following each cycle of chemo and really struggled with them initially - insomnia, agitation, leg spasms etc. I told my oncologist who then adjusted the dose and the side effects quickly improved. He told me the effects are similar to amphetamines! I’d get on to your consultant or your triage line if you have one - you don’t need to suffer! Take care, Anna.

  • Offline in reply to LambChops

    Thank you Anna, i rang my GP and she told me to discontinue them as they were causing me more harm than good so am hoping for a proper nights sleep tonight,will speak to my oncologist on Monday to see if there is something else i can get instead,x

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    Hi Roisin, I am also on steriods the week after my chemo, on 60mg at the moment, I can't sleep when I'm on them, my legs are restless and they make me want to run a marathon (joke) . They are awful tablets but they are also good at what they do. When my consultant told me about goin on them I was reluctant as I have been on them long term for other immune problems but a lower dosage. Had the moon face which was awful, mood swings etc etc. I will be off them tomorrow and I will take a few days to get myself back to normal, then I will get tired again till the next treatment. I did admit to my consultant that they have made me feel better with the chemo and that's what she told me, I'm coping really well with it so I'm eating my words. I was told to take them first thing in morning after my breakfast so this week I do get up extra early to take them and it helps, only two more treatments to go. I wish you well x

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