Chemo and driving?

laurissa
laurissa Member Posts: 773
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I drive a schoolbus and need to work as much as I can. Is it still possible to drive or are the side effects too much to drive safely? My employer is very kind and will let me off when I need to be, but I need to work! I still don't know what chemo I will be getting.

Comments

  • chickad52
    chickad52 Member Posts: 497
    #2
    LAURISSA
    For my chemo treatments I get benedryl first for any allergic reactions. I drove to one of my treatments and when I left I felt like I had one too many to drink. Made me very groggy. So my suggestion would be to have someone drive you till you see how you will react to the treatments. Hugs, Diane
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537
    #3
    HI Laurissa
    I am a homecare rn and I drive 1 to 2 hours per day on chemo...right after the treatment I dont drive but about 2 or 3 days later I am generally ok. Kinda depends on the chemo they give you though. The first round for me was adriamycin/cytoxin which made me pretty tired and a little nauseated. My appetite was kind of down and my energy level not great. Chemo is accumulative so fatigue can be a problem. My advice would be to stay active and exercise every day because it truly helps the fatigue.

    Just have to be watchful...chemo brain sometimes sets in so you have to be more focused with what you do.

    Hugs
    Linda T
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #4
    mlmjt1 said:

    HI Laurissa
    I am a homecare rn and I drive 1 to 2 hours per day on chemo...right after the treatment I dont drive but about 2 or 3 days later I am generally ok. Kinda depends on the chemo they give you though. The first round for me was adriamycin/cytoxin which made me pretty tired and a little nauseated. My appetite was kind of down and my energy level not great. Chemo is accumulative so fatigue can be a problem. My advice would be to stay active and exercise every day because it truly helps the fatigue.

    Just have to be watchful...chemo brain sometimes sets in so you have to be more focused with what you do.

    Hugs
    Linda T

    You might want someone else
    You might want someone else to be with you the first time, just incase. You may be able to drive and you might not. Good luck!
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #5
    I drove myself to all my
    I drove myself to all my treatments except the first one. And I drove wherever I needed to go after....it will just depend on how you feel, if you experience nausea or not. I had a continual mild nausea, but nothing that would keep me from driving. One side effect can be diarea, so that might make your bus route difficult.I had days where I had to pull into
    4 or 5 fast food joints trying to get home.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #6
    dyaneb123 said:

    I drove myself to all my
    I drove myself to all my treatments except the first one. And I drove wherever I needed to go after....it will just depend on how you feel, if you experience nausea or not. I had a continual mild nausea, but nothing that would keep me from driving. One side effect can be diarea, so that might make your bus route difficult.I had days where I had to pull into
    4 or 5 fast food joints trying to get home.

    Trust your oncologist
    Laurissa,
    every Chemo combination is different as well as reaction to the drugs. You need to talk to your oncologist and explain your situation.
    Predications to Chemo could have a sedative effect too.

    Good Luck

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