snoring

Unknown
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I am one year out of stage III colon cancer. I had a resection...port installed...chemo...now am doing pt and having weekly infusions of magnesium and calcium because of peripheral neuropathy...my husband said that I have been snoring loudly and consistently...I have never been a snorer...I grounded my teeth and spoke in my sleep, but never snored...has anyone else experienced an on-set of snoring because of cancer treatment?

Comments

  • Faith88
    Faith88 Member Posts: 55
    hi,
    My husband was dx'ed stage III CC in april 07, and finished folfox chemo last December.
    He is suffereing with severe neuropathy to the point of disability, can't even hold a pen to write legibly. I wanted to ask you how long you have had yours and if any of the treatment you mentioned has helped you?
    Regarding the snoring-- He snores like a lumberjack and always has, so i don't know if it has gotten any worse, at times it seems like it is; he also has sleep apnea which I don't think he ever had previously.
    My main concern though is the nerve damage! and the pain it causes. I am thankful that the cancer is gone but didn't expect this to happen.
    I hope you find an answer to the snoring, and do well with your infusions and PT. I'd be curious to know if it is helpful.
    Faith88
  • Faith88 said:

    hi,
    My husband was dx'ed stage III CC in april 07, and finished folfox chemo last December.
    He is suffereing with severe neuropathy to the point of disability, can't even hold a pen to write legibly. I wanted to ask you how long you have had yours and if any of the treatment you mentioned has helped you?
    Regarding the snoring-- He snores like a lumberjack and always has, so i don't know if it has gotten any worse, at times it seems like it is; he also has sleep apnea which I don't think he ever had previously.
    My main concern though is the nerve damage! and the pain it causes. I am thankful that the cancer is gone but didn't expect this to happen.
    I hope you find an answer to the snoring, and do well with your infusions and PT. I'd be curious to know if it is helpful.
    Faith88

    Dear Faith,
    I'm sorry your husband is suffering. My neuropathy started, strangely enough, about 3 months after the conclusion of my Folfox treatment. I too was not expecting the neuropathy...I couldn't put shoes or socks on for the longest time...now I get weekly infusions of magnesium/calcium and give myself Anadyne light treatment every day. I also take Lyrica, which has side effects for me like steroids...I've been gaining weight without a change in my diet and the snoring piece is obnoxious. I've been told that this is an extremely long recovery time from the neuropathy and that a small percentage of patients don't heal completely. My oncologist also said that folfox has only been used for about 15 years and does the trick eradicating cancer, but there have been no long term studies on the side effects. I have felt a little relief but I'm still struggling. I can't put necklaces on, but I am able to write and type. My feet are the worst; however, I'm still working. My prayers are with you and your husband.
    Marge
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    unknown said:

    Dear Faith,
    I'm sorry your husband is suffering. My neuropathy started, strangely enough, about 3 months after the conclusion of my Folfox treatment. I too was not expecting the neuropathy...I couldn't put shoes or socks on for the longest time...now I get weekly infusions of magnesium/calcium and give myself Anadyne light treatment every day. I also take Lyrica, which has side effects for me like steroids...I've been gaining weight without a change in my diet and the snoring piece is obnoxious. I've been told that this is an extremely long recovery time from the neuropathy and that a small percentage of patients don't heal completely. My oncologist also said that folfox has only been used for about 15 years and does the trick eradicating cancer, but there have been no long term studies on the side effects. I have felt a little relief but I'm still struggling. I can't put necklaces on, but I am able to write and type. My feet are the worst; however, I'm still working. My prayers are with you and your husband.
    Marge

    That is awful you guys. I know there is some info. on the C3 website regarding this issue. I just want to point out that Oxy hasn't been in use for 15 years, unless your doctor is including clinical trials. It was only approved by the FDA in 2003. I was diagnosed in 2002 and FOLFOX and FOLFIRI did not exist at that time, at least not for the general population. Therefore, FOLFOX has only been used for the last 5 years and even more recently in Stage II patients, which I find to be completely unnecessary.
    -Susan H. (Stage IV survivor)
  • That is awful you guys. I know there is some info. on the C3 website regarding this issue. I just want to point out that Oxy hasn't been in use for 15 years, unless your doctor is including clinical trials. It was only approved by the FDA in 2003. I was diagnosed in 2002 and FOLFOX and FOLFIRI did not exist at that time, at least not for the general population. Therefore, FOLFOX has only been used for the last 5 years and even more recently in Stage II patients, which I find to be completely unnecessary.
    -Susan H. (Stage IV survivor)

    Thank you for the update. I may have misheard the doctor, but I know that there hasn't been much long range studies done on the side effects of the folfox
  • jams67
    jams67 Member Posts: 925 Member
    I also have neuropathy and snore. The snoring started after some swelling I had in my face and chest due to a clot in the port. Anyway, I went to a sleep clinic last week and was told that I have apnea and will soon try one of the sleeping masks. Maybe my husband won't complain so much then.
    I am trying the Lyrica, and I think you are right about it making you feel more hungry. I am constantly hungry unless I stay busy. I'm not even sure that it is working at all. I can write, but everything using small muscles is more difficult and I drop things much more easily. When I wear a pair of shoes it feels like I have a pair of socks on that are all wrinkled up in the bottom.
    I think I just need to get used to the new normal. If anyone finds something that really works though, I'd like to know.
    Jo Ann
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    It is true, so my oncologist told me that folfox (oxaliplatin) with the 5FU and leukovorin has only been used in this country for five years. I had problems with neuropathy after about 3 rounds of chemo. They gave me a week off and I did two more rounds but the neuropathy got worse in my hands. They took me off the oxaliplatin. I had it in my feet, but it went away (all but just a little tiny bit) about 5 months after I finished treatment. Snoring wasn't an issue. I was stage IIIA - my oncologist didn't think the trade off with the neuropathy was worth finishing the last 3 rounds of oxalyplatin - I did all the 5fu and 6 weeks of radiation with 5 fu. I hope your neuropathy goes away, I know it sometimes does. My oncologist told me it could take a year or so.
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    I had 9 cycles of Folfox and stopped because of the peripheral neuropathy. I can't say it was disabling but it was getting worse and I could see what was ahead if I continued. It did get worse after stopping the Folfox. I took, and am still taking Calcium, Magnesium, and Vit B6. If I stop those for several weeks the neuropathy does get a little worse again. Now though, 15 months after stopping the Folfox, while there is still some neuropathy, it is tolerable and doesn't interfere with my life. The strange thing is the most prominent symptom I still have is some stiff feeling in my left ankle. I snore if I am on my back, but that has been the case for years. An elbow from my wife, to "remind me" to roll over on my side, takes care of it.

    ****