Sleeplessness

Jean T. Szabo
Jean T. Szabo Member Posts: 193
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Took my last steroid on Thursday afternoon. Thursday night could not sleep, rested on and off all day and all night. Friday night slept for a few hours on and off. This exhaustion and the "foggy" feeling are the pits. Anyone else have this and how long does this last?

Comments

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #2
    steriods do that
    I took long term and was so wired at night time....good luck getting some sleep...
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #3
    steriods do that
    I took long term and was so wired at night time....good luck getting some sleep...
  • hopefulwhumor
    hopefulwhumor Member Posts: 45
    #4
    disneyfan2008 said:

    steriods do that
    I took long term and was so wired at night time....good luck getting some sleep...

    Mine usually last about six
    Mine usually last about six days or so. I start mine on a Sunday, end on Tuesday and by Friday or Saturday I can finally sleep again. I've tried taking them earlier in the day, doesn't seem to make much difference.....On a good note, that it usually when I do some cleaning, or the last go round, I got all my Christmas gifts wrapped... I'm learning to "save" something to do for that time.
    Good luck with it!
    Hopeful
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    I fondly called it.....
    my 'hampster in a wheel time'....steroids REALLY rev me....but, by 2 days after, I was back to my normal sleep pattern...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #6
    Not the steroids for me -
    that caused the inability to sleep on Taxol - it was the Taxol itself. My Chemo Dr. gave me Temazapam to try to get sleep and it did let me get a few hours sleep a night but it gave me horrible BIZARRE nightmares (I basically never have nightmares normally). My PA switched me to the lowest dose of Ambien and it worked great. As I had no issues with nausea, I had quit taking all the drugs for it several weeks before the end of my weekly Taxol but the inability to sleep never left til after I was doing rads. End of Oct. into Nov. this year, I was on Dexamethasone (steroid) for 2 weeks for the horrible pain around/behind my right eye that no pain pills would help with. The Dex would take the pain away quickly and I never had any problems with sleep while on it.

    I know that my brain chemistry is a bit different as I'm ADD and SAD so perhaps that's why.

    Susan
  • Jean T. Szabo
    Jean T. Szabo Member Posts: 193
    #7
    Rague said:

    Not the steroids for me -
    that caused the inability to sleep on Taxol - it was the Taxol itself. My Chemo Dr. gave me Temazapam to try to get sleep and it did let me get a few hours sleep a night but it gave me horrible BIZARRE nightmares (I basically never have nightmares normally). My PA switched me to the lowest dose of Ambien and it worked great. As I had no issues with nausea, I had quit taking all the drugs for it several weeks before the end of my weekly Taxol but the inability to sleep never left til after I was doing rads. End of Oct. into Nov. this year, I was on Dexamethasone (steroid) for 2 weeks for the horrible pain around/behind my right eye that no pain pills would help with. The Dex would take the pain away quickly and I never had any problems with sleep while on it.

    I know that my brain chemistry is a bit different as I'm ADD and SAD so perhaps that's why.

    Susan

    Thanks for the info...this "foggy head, out of it feeling" is very uncomfortable. At least now I know it is a side effect of the steroids. Always something.
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #8
    Jean T. Szabo said:

    Thanks for the info...this "foggy head, out of it feeling" is very uncomfortable. At least now I know it is a side effect of the steroids. Always something.

    It drove me @#$%! nuts!
    ...the insomnia was the worse side effect. My oncologist gave me permission to take Benadryl, I did, and it worked.
  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #9
    Jean T. Szabo said:

    Thanks for the info...this "foggy head, out of it feeling" is very uncomfortable. At least now I know it is a side effect of the steroids. Always something.

    Sounds so familiar
    I had problems sleeping and the foggy feeling both. I just had steroids the day of tx. in the IV I would have problems sleeping for 3-4 night. The foggy feeling lasted about a week the first tx but just 2-3 days on other tx.They told me it was the steroids, God Bless
    (((Hugs))) Janice
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #10
    Jean
    I'm sorry you're having so many problems with insomnia. I'm just the opposite! I take Dex breakfast and dinner the day before chemo and the 2 days following I take it with breakfast. Those are the directions on my script. I get the Neulasta shot the day after chemo and within 2 days I'm sleeping 12 hours at a time. I hope it gets better for you.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • Jean T. Szabo
    Jean T. Szabo Member Posts: 193
    #11
    cahjah75 said:

    Jean
    I'm sorry you're having so many problems with insomnia. I'm just the opposite! I take Dex breakfast and dinner the day before chemo and the 2 days following I take it with breakfast. Those are the directions on my script. I get the Neulasta shot the day after chemo and within 2 days I'm sleeping 12 hours at a time. I hope it gets better for you.
    {{hugs}} Char

    Fatigue
    Yes, now today, get really super tired; all my body wants is to lay down. Can't sleep at night, rest during the day but seems only able to do minimal activity, one thing a day and then nap for two hours at a time. First insomnia now the continue fatigue, is this unusual? How long will this fatigue last? Anyone experience this?
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #12
    KathiM said:

    I fondly called it.....
    my 'hampster in a wheel time'....steroids REALLY rev me....but, by 2 days after, I was back to my normal sleep pattern...

    Hugs, Kathi

    Ask your oncologist for
    Ask your oncologist for something that might help you to get to sleep. It is probably the steroids that are keeping you up.

    Hoping you get some sleep soon!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #13
    hopefulwhumor said:

    Mine usually last about six
    Mine usually last about six days or so. I start mine on a Sunday, end on Tuesday and by Friday or Saturday I can finally sleep again. I've tried taking them earlier in the day, doesn't seem to make much difference.....On a good note, that it usually when I do some cleaning, or the last go round, I got all my Christmas gifts wrapped... I'm learning to "save" something to do for that time.
    Good luck with it!
    Hopeful

    I didn't have steroids, but,
    I didn't have steroids, but, it seems that could be the culprit. Hope you go to zzzzzzzzz land soon!

    Hugs, Kylez
  • Annette 11
    Annette 11 Member Posts: 380
    #14
    Jean
    I took Lorazapam just for a few nights after chemo if needed. It certainly helped me sleep well becuase the steriods get you flying. I don't need it any longer as you know I am 3 weeks out of chemo.
    Hang in there Jean.
    Annette
  • cookie97
    cookie97 Member Posts: 200
    #15
    Annette 11 said:

    Jean
    I took Lorazapam just for a few nights after chemo if needed. It certainly helped me sleep well becuase the steriods get you flying. I don't need it any longer as you know I am 3 weeks out of chemo.
    Hang in there Jean.
    Annette

    I say
    I say give me a regular hang over any day; those medicine enduced hang overs are the worst. Between the chemo and steroids on Friday's the Monday hang over I had was really miserable. It takes time for all that to get out of your system. Hope you get some well deserved rest soon.
    Peace and Love,
    Edie
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #16
    Jean T. Szabo said:

    Fatigue
    Yes, now today, get really super tired; all my body wants is to lay down. Can't sleep at night, rest during the day but seems only able to do minimal activity, one thing a day and then nap for two hours at a time. First insomnia now the continue fatigue, is this unusual? How long will this fatigue last? Anyone experience this?

    Lorazepam might help you to
    Lorazepam might help you to get some sleep, or, some other drug. Ask your oncologist if he can prescribe something to help you. You need your sleep.

    Hugs, Leeza

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