They say the devil is in the details. Well when it comes to cancer, the devil is definitely in the Dex! Dexamethasone is a well-known, very unliked med that at times can be the worst drug you are taking while on chemotherapy. By definition, it is a necessary evil.
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid approved to be used to reduce inflammation and suppress (lower) the body’s immune response. It is used with other drugs to treat many types of cancer. It specifically decreases swelling (edema), associated with tumors of the spine, etc. and help limits nausea and vomiting during chemo treatments.
I always marvel at the number of potential side effects of these medications. Just look at the prospective Dex reactions:
- muscle tightness, weakness, or limp feeling;
- blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
- shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
- severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior;
- a seizure (convulsions);
- bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood;
- fast or slow heart rate, weak pulse;
- pancreatitis – severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting;
- low potassium level – leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling; or
- increased blood pressure – severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears, anxiety, nosebleed.
If you are unlucky like me, the two things I have ongoing with the devil is shaking, shaking, and more shaking- and then the worst, chronic insomnia.
Regarding the shaking, I feel like an eighty-year-old Parkinson patient that knows how to function but can’t suppress the non- stop quivering. The one group that really appreciates this best are pets! My Doughal, (four-year-old Boxador) sees when the dinner table is being set and immediately starts smacking his lips thinking, “oh boy, food for me! It’s like she just drops the food off her fork especially for me- again, and again, and again. This is the best! Keep those steroids coming!”
The three toughest thing to do on steroids while shaking besides eating are:
- Putting on makeup, specifically mascara.
- Painting your nails.
- Bartending, mixing and serving cocktails.
I know what most of you are thinking. Who needs to put on makeup when they are on chemo? I work full time and still travel. I would not want to frighten my customers and colleagues. The foundation is easy enough to sponge on as well as eye shadow. However, when it comes to mascara I have invented the most stabilizing way to use mascara. You need a large magnifying mirror, preferably lighted, and a wall to anchor you elbow. The wall aids as a stabilizer. If you actually get any on your lashes, you then use the Q-tips to get the smudges off the lids and under the eyes so you don’t look like a cast member of the Lion King. The best solution to this if vanity is weighing in, is to have false lashes put on by a professional. You do not need mascara for weeks at a time. This is great, but time consuming and expensive. There is no way that you can actually put on your own false lashes which some patients use since they have no eyelashes as a result of chemotherapy.
Next, bored on a conference call, I thought I could paint my nails. Never a good idea when you are on Dex. Have you tried this? Did someone else hold your hand? Did you have to do major clean up? The only thing you could do well here is to shake the polish up prior to using. This is only for professionals! Do Not Try At Home.
One would think that bartending would be easy to do, since shaken, not stirred is very popular for martinis these days. Measuring the amount of booze to put into a shaker is tough. Most times, you end up spilling into the shaker, or over the side. Once you get the right ingredients into the glass, life becomes easy. Shake away! Then, just try to pour into the fabulous coupe or martini glass and see what happens. If you do not spill the mix at this point, you most certainly will if you try to hand it to your friend. I can distinctly remember last Thanksgiving, whipping up fabulous Manhattans and Old Fashions and urging people to take the drinks from my hand prior to the entire spill. “Come on people, pay attention here, I have the shakes!”
Lastly, the most annoying side effect, personally, is chronic insomnia. Lack of sleep is the absolute worst. It really can hamper your healing. Insomnia can lead to lethargy, mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. So what is the solution? More medications? Antidepressants, sedatives? Alternative therapy? For me, I have decided to utilize medical marijuana and CBD with THC. It really does help end the shakes. The only issue is that sometimes I need Narcan for weed, which apparently has not been invented yet or needed by anyone else, as told by my son. No one wants to get “unhigh!” One needs to make sure you are taking the correct amount and the right dosage combination. But that is another entire blog to be.
So I am asking that you all contribute and let us know what other things we all can do well on DEX while we are shaking and can’t sleep. Or let us know what things not to attempt without a built-in solution. Remember to keep this light. If do not laugh at our issues, we will just end up being more depressed.
I look forward to hearing from you. Until then, find something funny to talk about and share.
Best,
Cathy