HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Chemo-brain

DianneS · 08-29-2009, 07:15 PM

Many of us are also pre or postmenopausal, and the symptoms from that alone are temporary memory loss, brain fog, etc.

I actually forgot where the ignition was on my jeep the other day after a long walk. Maybe it was just fatigue but for a few seconds of utter panic I just stood there with keys dangling and didn't have a clue where they should go. Those few seconds felt like minutes.

After I had my aneurysm surgery in '06 I got used to forgetting words now & then but I never forgot where to put my keys. For me, having always been a great speller, it's hard to sit and try to remember how to spell something, and I'm not talking about big words. My husband gives me those looks that say - are you crazy? don't you remember? Nope. I'm glad to know there is a reason. I have a big question, though, about chemo brain -

I have read that the brain is a sanctuary (think I spelled that right

) where chemo for breast cancer does not go - thus some of the nasty little buggers might set up housekeeping in the CNS. If chemo brain is true, that means that some chemo must have affected the brain, right? Doesn't this mean that the blood-brain barrier has been crossed by the drugs given to us for breast cancer?

Dianne

08-29-2009, 07:15 PM	#15
DianneS Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 327	Re: Chemo-brain Many of us are also pre or postmenopausal, and the symptoms from that alone are temporary memory loss, brain fog, etc. I actually forgot where the ignition was on my jeep the other day after a long walk. Maybe it was just fatigue but for a few seconds of utter panic I just stood there with keys dangling and didn't have a clue where they should go. Those few seconds felt like minutes. After I had my aneurysm surgery in '06 I got used to forgetting words now & then but I never forgot where to put my keys. For me, having always been a great speller, it's hard to sit and try to remember how to spell something, and I'm not talking about big words. My husband gives me those looks that say - are you crazy? don't you remember? Nope. I'm glad to know there is a reason. I have a big question, though, about chemo brain - I have read that the brain is a sanctuary (think I spelled that right ) where chemo for breast cancer does not go - thus some of the nasty little buggers might set up housekeeping in the CNS. If chemo brain is true, that means that some chemo must have affected the brain, right? Doesn't this mean that the blood-brain barrier has been crossed by the drugs given to us for breast cancer? Dianne __________________ Three years and 5 months NED Dx: Aug 2008 right breast IDC with 50% of tumor DCIS, Stage II or IIA, tumor size: 2.1 cm Grade 3 8/9 Richardson/Bloom test ER+ weakly positive Alred Score: 4 (suggesting I would strongly benefit from hormone therapy) PR-, HER2 positive +++ No vascular invasion No lymph nodes involved Surgery: Sept. 9, 2008 -Modified radical mastectomy, right breast. I chose to have a simple mastectomy on the left. Began Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin November, 2008. Finished T/C March 2009. Finished #16 Herceptin Sept. 09. AI's and Tamoxifen made me sick. Began natural Tamoxifen which is Quercetin, I3C and a combo of other supplements. I am also a DES Daughter. There is now a link between DES exposure in utero and breast cancer!