Long lasting chemo effects.

snturner2022
snturner2022 Member Posts: 1 *
in Childhood Cancers #1

Hello,

I came to ask a question and get input from other survivors and see what you all say.

I am a 26 year cancer survivor of Wilm’s Tumor dx at the age of 5. I under went chemotherapy and radiation and had a left nephrectomy.

My answer to a question that my mother told me growing up was questioned today and my mother struggles with saying things that she doesn’t always truly know the answers. But it made me question. With that being said here is my question…

From going through chemo and radiation as a child or period do you notice that with medications no matter what they are used for you have a higher rate of being tolerant to them? For example, medications for sleep (melatonin, doxepin), pain and constipation medications I notice that I become tolerant of them fast and they do not work for long. Example, I have been taking a constipation medication since the beginning of the year and I am already starting to realize it isn’t working well for me. This happens too with deodorant and creams. My mother told me it was due to my chemo and radiation as a child.

Does anyone else deal with this? Is this a side effect of the chemo and radiation?

Also, I am not trying to prove anyone wrong just wondering if this is something I need to ask about.

Stephanie

Comments

  • peglegthegreat
    peglegthegreat Member Posts: 3 *
    #2

    Hi! As a childhood cancer survivor I totally get that, personally I’ve found that I’ve needed to take higher amounts of melatonin and other medications to feel it actually working. At one point I was taking 30 mg of melatonin to get to sleep but it still was not working. I also have a very high tolerance to pain medications. I have had to talk to my doctor about all of this so I recommend talking to yours about this.

  • arnoldtailor
    arnoldtailor Member Posts: 1 *
    #3
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/327041/long-lasting-chemo-effects

    Quite common for childhood cancer survivors to experience long-term effects from chemo and radiation. Developing a tolerance to medications like melatonin and doxepin could be related to your treatments, but it's best to check with your doctor. They can help you understand if this is the case and find better solutions. Your experiences are valid, and seeking medical advice is a good step. Take care!

  • Spongybear
    Spongybear Member Posts: 6 *
    #4

     I’m 46 and was diagnosed at age 2 with a tumor the size of 3 grapefruits on my left kidney. I had surgery , chemo and radiation. I’ve had many complications since. And… yes!!!! I think doctors think I am faking it. Many medications don’t even touch me. I feel like it’s pointless to even discuss it with providers. I basically just suffer because we are such rare cases that we aren’t paid attention to.

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