HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Decadron-has anyone had this removed from chemo treatments?

agness · 01-04-2016, 08:15 AM

I kind of forget to take it at home and so it was gradually dropped except for as a pre-NED with their drugs. It was great to get off it and Zi noticed no difference.

Now that I'm dealing with brain mets I have a new respect for Dexamethasone/Decadron as it save my life last July when it rapidly reduced my brain swelling.

Dexa, as us brain mets gsls call it, is a mixed bag. It can help reduce swelling rapidly and effectively. It does have the negative side effects of causing acne, facial hair, muscle wasting or weight gain. It also increases blood glucose and lowers immune function which are both huge negatives when fighting cancer. It can cause glaucoma I think, when taken longterm.

It's a mixed bag but if it is hurting your body know that your body is probably right that YOU don't need it. Definitely talk to your MO about it -- if they are a stick in the mud about this then tgey are an ass and you should get a better MO -- because post-treatment monitoring doesn't get better with a crap doc.

01-04-2016, 08:15 AM	#7
agness Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 285	Re: Decadron-has anyone had this removed from chemo treatments? I kind of forget to take it at home and so it was gradually dropped except for as a pre-NED with their drugs. It was great to get off it and Zi noticed no difference. Now that I'm dealing with brain mets I have a new respect for Dexamethasone/Decadron as it save my life last July when it rapidly reduced my brain swelling. Dexa, as us brain mets gsls call it, is a mixed bag. It can help reduce swelling rapidly and effectively. It does have the negative side effects of causing acne, facial hair, muscle wasting or weight gain. It also increases blood glucose and lowers immune function which are both huge negatives when fighting cancer. It can cause glaucoma I think, when taken longterm. It's a mixed bag but if it is hurting your body know that your body is probably right that YOU don't need it. Definitely talk to your MO about it -- if they are a stick in the mud about this then tgey are an ass and you should get a better MO -- because post-treatment monitoring doesn't get better with a crap doc. __________________ Dx 2/14 3b HER2+/HR- left breast, left axilla, internal mammary node (behind breast bone). Neoadjuvant TCHP 3/14-7/2. PCR 8/14 LX and SND. 10/21-12/9 Proton therapy to chest wall. Dx 7/20/15 cerebellar met 3.5x5cm HER2+/HR-/GATA3+ 7/23/15 Craniotomy. 7/29/15 bone scan clear. 8/3/15 PET clean scan. LINAC SRS (5 fractions) Sept 2015. 9/17/15 CSF NED, 9/24/15 CSF NED, 11/2/15 CSF NED. 10/27/15 atypical uptake in right cerebellum - inflammation? 12/1/15 Leptomeningeal dx. Starting IT Herceptin. 1/16 - 16 fractions of tomotherapy to cerebellum, break of IT Herceptin during rads, resume at 100 mg weekly 3/2016 - stable scan 5/2016 stable scan 7/2016 pseudoprogression? 9/2016 more LM, start new chemo protocol and IV therapy treatment with HBOT 11/2016 Cyberknife to temporal lobe, HBOT just prior 12/2016 - lesions starting to show shrinkage 8/2017 - Stable since Dec 2016. Temporal lobe lesion gone. Using TCM, naturopathic oncology, physical therapy, chiro, massage, medical qigong, and energetic healing modalities in tandem. Stops at nothing. Mother of 2 boys - ages 7 and 10 (8/2017) and a lovely partner with lots to live for.