Chemo Brain???????

Chemo brain
Hi,
I have it too. I finished chemo in Nov.. It's not as bad as it was and I don't know how long it will take to go away. Hopefully soon!!!!

Chemo brain
I had to smile when I saw your post. I refer to my brain as "mush" I can be having a conversation with a friend and at the end of it I will say to her - "what did I just say?" I forget everything and remember nothing. I used to be really mentally alert but only today I was playing cards & I had volunteered to keep score. I couldn't do it...... I could not add up. Simple mental arithmatic but my brain couldn't cope. I am half through my chemo and was kinda hoping it would improve at the end BUT maybe I'll have to be patient a while longer lol xxxxxx

PS I have had to edit this 3 times

I can relate...
Sometimes I find that I can't spell ordinary words, but that does go away in time.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Chemo Brain
Yep, I've been dealing with chemo brain for months. I say I'm 31 going on 92 because I can't remember anything anymore. I always forget what I am doing, for example I'll go to the kitchen to get a glass of tea and when I walk in the kitchen I go totally blank. It takes me a while to remember what I went in there for. It used to really bother me but now I'm used to it and I am able to laugh at myself. This was kinda funny--I was going to eat left over pizza for breakfast one day but when I looked in the fridge it wasn't there. I looked in the cabinet and there was the pizza. I put it in the pyrex dish and then put the dish back in the cabinet. duh!! :-)

Tina Brown said:

Chemo brain
I had to smile when I saw your post. I refer to my brain as "mush" I can be having a conversation with a friend and at the end of it I will say to her - "what did I just say?" I forget everything and remember nothing. I used to be really mentally alert but only today I was playing cards & I had volunteered to keep score. I couldn't do it...... I could not add up. Simple mental arithmatic but my brain couldn't cope. I am half through my chemo and was kinda hoping it would improve at the end BUT maybe I'll have to be patient a while longer lol xxxxxx

PS I have had to edit this 3 times

chemo brain
I feel the same way as Tina! I can forget what I said and talked about sometimes min. or hrs ago besides other things?! I know I have chemo brain, lol!

Chemo Brain
It is estimated that maybe one in five people who undergo chemotherapy will experience what many cancer survivors frequently refer to as "chemobrain" or "chemofog." Women and men who experience chemobrain typically say that they feel that they are not able to concentrate, have a hard time remembering things, have trouble finding the right word when speaking or writing, or can't multitask the way they used to.

This type of cognitive dysfunction is a problem that cancer survivors have been talking about for years. Only recently, though, have researchers begun studying the impact of chemotherapy on cognitive functioning. But it's not an easy area to study. Part of the problem is sorting out which problems are due to chemotherapy and which are due to having a serious illness like cancer that can result in physical debilitation, depression, sleep disruption, hormone shifts (not just sex hormones, but thyroid, melatonin, etc.), and fatigue--all of which can affect cognitive functioning.

For older women, the impact of chemotherapy may be compounded by the natural aging process, which, in and of itself, can be related to the development of cognitive problems. There is some evidence that verbal fluency and word recall changes for some women but not others as they age and their estrogen levels fall. So it is possible that the problems some women think are due to chemotherapy might just be what they'd be experiencing anyway at their age and stage of life. For younger women, the cognitive side effects related to chemotherapy may be compounded by the fact that chemotherapy can put them directly into menopause, which in and of itself causes hormonal changes that can affect cognitive functioning.

There are a number of theories as to why chemobrain may occur. One is that some types of chemotherapy can cross the blood/brain barrier. Another is that the cognitive problems are created by free radicals, the toxic elements that many types of chemotherapy produce. And yet another is that some people have a genetic background that makes them more susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy. Most likely it is not just one factor but many factors that combine to set the stage for chemobrain to occur. However, we still have a lot to learn before we will be able to explain why this problem affects some people and not others or why these problems persist after treatment stops.

You should definitely speak with your doctor about the problems you are experiencing to try to rule out other causes. Your doctor should review with you whether depression, the use of medications that are sedating, or sleep problems that are causing fatigue could be factors in the cognitive problems you are experiencing. Developing coping strategies such as making lists, using a tape recorder or Dictaphone, carrying a personal calendar or diary, or taking notes during conversations can also be helpful.

Doing puzzles to stimulate your mind may be helpful. So can reducing stress--which not only can result from such cognitive problems but can also cause them--may also be helpful. Support groups, meditation, and yoga may offer benefits as well.

Journal of Clinical Oncology
January 15, 2002