Quid Pro Quo

The worst part about cancer treatment is the side effects of the drugs. It really is a give and take relationship. (Hence the title of this blog post.) This post may not be of interest to everyone, but I find it interesting.

I have mentionned the challenges I have faced with my steroids already in previous blog posts, so I won't go in to a lot of detail here...but Dexamethasone's most common side effects are:

Increased appetite

Irritability

Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)

Swelling in your ankles and feet (fluid retention)

Heartburn

Muscle weakness

Impaired wound healing

Increased blood sugar levels

In my case, it has contributed greatly to my 30+ pound weight gain, puffy face, and dry eye syndrome. My challenges with hyperactivity, insomnia and crashing are noted in other posts.

The oral chemo drug I am taking is Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). Its most common side effects are:

Cough or hoarseness

fever or chills

lower back or side pain

painful or difficult urination

Blood in the urine

dizziness, confusion, or agitation

fast heartbeat

joint pain

shortness of breath

swelling of the feet or lower legs

unusual tiredness or weakness

I have tiredness, dizziness and confusion, and have developed cystitis (like a mild bladder infection only it doesn't go away with antibiotics). This is a concern as it is also known to sometimes cause bladder cancer down the road. :(

The other cancer drug I am taking is Bortezomib (Velcade). It is a shot in my subcutaneous stomach tissue. The most common side effects are:

• Fatigue, generalized weakness
• Peripheral neuropathy: characterized by decreased sensation and paresthesia (numbness and tingling of the hands and feet). 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Poor appetite
• Constipation
• Low platelet count. This can put you at increased risk for bleeding.
• Fever
• Low red blood cell count (Anemia)       
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping (Insomnia)
• Joint pains, arthralgia, myalgias
• Swelling of the face, hands, feet or legs (edema).
• Low white blood cell count. (This can put you at increased risk for infection.)
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Rash (see skin reactions)
• Dehydration
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Cough
• Bone pain
• Anxiety
• Muscle cramps
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Low blood pressure
• Itching
• Blurring of vision

So, this one has given me peripheral neuropathy. My feet constantly feel like I have just walked over a hot pool deck or roadway in barefeet. Tingling, burning, and some of my toe-tips are numb. Sometimes my finger-tips get numb and tingly too. I have also experienced the stomach issues -- from acid reflux to nausea to diarrhea to constipation. My dry eye syndrome and blurred vision may be a side effect of this or of the Dex...or likely a bit of both. My skin is dry and itchy - especially my scalp. I no longer take my blood pressure medication though...LOL...It keeps my BP at a high-normal level. Almost passed out a few times before I realized I shouldn't be taking my BP meds anymore.

The Pamidronate that I take once a month for bone integrity has the following side effects:

Abdominal or stomach cramps

black, tarry stools

bloody in the urine or stools

blurred vision

chest pain

chills

confusion

convulsions (seizures)

decrease in the amount of urine

dizziness

drowsiness

fainting

fast or irregular heartbeat

fever

headache

increased thirst

loss of appetite

muscle pain, cramps, spasms, or twitching

nausea or vomiting

nervousness

noisy, rattling breathing

numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or lips

pinpoint red spots on the skin

pounding in the ears

shortness of breath

slow or fast heartbeat

swelling of the fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs

trembling

troubled breathing at rest

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds

weight gain

I have dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, weakness, weight gain, etc...but they could be from this or the other drugs. :)  The thing about pamidronate is that it can cause jaw bone death...so I cannot have any dental work done while taking this...and I will be on it for up to 2 years likely.

Anyway...this blog post was not meant to be a litany of my ailments...but just to indicate that for every "miracle cure" there is a hefty price to pay. All of the cancer drugs are themselves carcinogenic...or may cause secondary cancers. You have to weigh out your options. For me, being overweight, with puffy red eyes, blurred vision, burning feet, and painful urination is a small price to pay for the return on investment I will get. It may not be pretty right now, but it will be worth it all in the end.
:)