can't sleep

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Mosis50
Mosis50 Member Posts: 59
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Well, here I am again at 3:15 a.m. and I am wide awake even after taking sleeping pills. I have been up since a little after one trying to go back to sleep. I had my 2nd taxotere chemo today and am taking dexamethosome (generic of decodron, I think) to help with side effects. I am wondering if sleeplessness is a side effect of the chemo or the decodron??? I only have two more chemo sessions and I will be finished so I know I can get through the sore fingernails and all the other aches and pain during this no matter what it is. I have had aches in my legs and very low blood counts during all of the chemo so have had shots for these, but I know I am winning this battle cause God and lots are prayers are on my side. I will continue to work all that I can when I am not too tired, but am counting the days until Sept. 22 when I have my last session. I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support and answers to all my silly questions during this BC journey. I hope I can learn to be a support to others during their journey. God Bless you ALL!! Susan

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  • momof4
    momof4 Member Posts: 56
    #2
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    Hi Susan the sleeplessness you are experiancing is from the dexamethosone because i take the same thing the night before my taxol and was told it causes that and me too cant wait til sept 24 til my last chemo just 2 days behind you tomorrow i will get another dose and get lots of aches but thank God no vomiting i am able to function more with taxol , so together lets hang in there and holding hands we will get tru it :)
    hugs Mariat.
  • SCmom
    SCmom Member Posts: 46
    #3
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    Susan, i'm not doing chemo, so I can't really answer your question. I wanted to tell you good luck, you seem to have the right spirit. I suffer from insomnia bad. I'm on Ambien and still have sleepless nights. I didn't take the Ambien much till I got diagnosed with cancer. Now I take it every night. I know that I will go through insomnia bad once I go off of it for a few days. But, right now, I need it. Hope all continues to go well with your chemo. Laura
  • simmonsg
    simmonsg Member Posts: 33
    #4
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    Susan: I also had the sleepless periods and aches in the legs and back with Taxol - I took Tylenol PM. It helped with the ache and put me to sleep but did not give me the morning hangover feel. Best of luck - the end of the worst is in sight. YOU CAN DO IT....
    Hugs and prayers are comming your way.
  • jake10
    jake10 Member Posts: 202
    #5
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    Sorry you are not sleeping. After my Dx I have had such problems sleeping. I took Ambien 1 or 2 times a week. On the other nights I used a pain pill or Benadryl. The sleeping is getting much better and I am not taking the Ambien now but still take the Benadryl one or two nights a week. I found I could handle almost anything but the not sleeping made me crazy. The decadron often causes insomnia so your problem may go away when that is done. You are doing the right thing by getting out of bed and doing something rather than laying there tossing and turning. Good Luck, Beth.
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #6
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    Mosis50. I had the same experience with my 4 rounds of Taxotere. Instead one big dose every 4 weeks, I got a small dose every week. My doctor was telling me that both ways are just as effective, but the smaller weekly doses were better tolerated by patients. Anyhow. I'd get the chemo and that night, I would not be able to sleep at all. I'd just roll around in bed all night, driving my husband crazy. Then the next night I would sleep extremely soundly and feel great the rest of the week. After the first couple times this happened, I just decided to forget about sleep and I would sit up and read all night instead. (Or watch videos.) Two times I thought I'd try taking extra strength Tylenol to get some sleep on that first night...but I found that it made me feel tired for about 3 days afterwards. The "cure" was worse than the problem for me. My only other problem was the watery eyes for the last three weeks of Taxotere--but that's another subject. I kept thinking that this must be the feeling that people get when they take illegal drugs like speed or something. You could "party" all night on the first night, but end up "crashing" the next night.
  • mc2001
    mc2001 Member Posts: 343
    #7
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    Hi Susan,
    I think your sleeplessness is resulting from the steriods. It happened to me with prednisone. But once I was weened off of Pred, I became sleepy again. In the meanwhile, ask you doctor about Ativan, Ambien, Benadryl, for sleep
  • Snookums
    Snookums Member Posts: 148
    #8
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    I flew so high on the day of my Chemo and the day after- Taxotere! SO, Yes, I understand and well ativant (2) got me to sleep after an hour of waiting for the effects. I will let you know it gets MUCH better when it's over so HANG IN THERE! I finished my 12th round on MAy 14th! WooHoo. My nails are just now getting better but they are not finished yet. I have hair growth but it's about 1 inch long. But my eyes watering still plagues me and well- I am sure it will pass but . . . UGH! SO, good luck and yes, God is here with me as well!

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