Bevie
05-06-2004, 03:12 PM
Chemobrain?
No, you didn’t forget reading about it… it’s just not mentioned much. You may have forgotten about where you left your keys, what you ran to the store to pick up, or what you had for lunch yesterday. But “chemobrain,� or the cognitive side effect of chemotherapy treatment, may not be something you remember hearing about because it’s often the side effect left out of conversations about what to expect after and during chemo.
Often first noticed during the actual chemotherapy treatment, chemobrain is that general feeling of disorientation, loss of focus, mental confusion, and loss of memory. Cognitive dysfunction, as it is also called, is a very real neuropsychological effect of chemotherapy. Pinning down chemobrain can be difficult at times, as most of the symptoms can be mistaken for depression and are oftentimes treated with drugs such as Paxil. While this may take away the anxiety caused by chemobrain, treating the symptoms does not always solve the problem.
Since chemotherapy is not discriminating in choosing which cells to destroy, healthy cognitive cells suffer just as do others, like as with hair loss, one of the most noticeable effects. And, as hair grows back, so does the cognitive function. But not always as quickly. Some recent studies describe moderate to severe cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer survivors who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy one to five years before undergoing extensive neuropsychological testing. These studies suggest that approximately 15-25% of chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients will demonstrate evidence of cognitive dysfunction in years following chemotherapy, compared with about 10% of survivors who did not receive chemotherapy.
While some patients reported side effects lasting well into recovery, there are many things that can be incorporated into everyday life to combat chemobrain. Some ideas include:
Avoiding distractions.
Asking people to repeat information.
Keeping a journal or personal organizer to stay on top of day-to-day tasks.
Utilizing crossword puzzles and word games.
Managing stress and stopping minor events from causing anxiety.
Eating well and getting plenty of rest.
Connecting with other people in your shoes; use the Internet to find discussion groups and informational sites, join a church, synagogue or mosque, or find local cancer support groups.
Avoiding addictive drugs such as nicotine.
Using mnemonic devices, such as a formula or rhyme, as an aid in remembering.
Using these ideas and your own, chemobrain can turn into something you can forget about—on purpose.
No, you didn’t forget reading about it… it’s just not mentioned much. You may have forgotten about where you left your keys, what you ran to the store to pick up, or what you had for lunch yesterday. But “chemobrain,� or the cognitive side effect of chemotherapy treatment, may not be something you remember hearing about because it’s often the side effect left out of conversations about what to expect after and during chemo.
Often first noticed during the actual chemotherapy treatment, chemobrain is that general feeling of disorientation, loss of focus, mental confusion, and loss of memory. Cognitive dysfunction, as it is also called, is a very real neuropsychological effect of chemotherapy. Pinning down chemobrain can be difficult at times, as most of the symptoms can be mistaken for depression and are oftentimes treated with drugs such as Paxil. While this may take away the anxiety caused by chemobrain, treating the symptoms does not always solve the problem.
Since chemotherapy is not discriminating in choosing which cells to destroy, healthy cognitive cells suffer just as do others, like as with hair loss, one of the most noticeable effects. And, as hair grows back, so does the cognitive function. But not always as quickly. Some recent studies describe moderate to severe cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer survivors who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy one to five years before undergoing extensive neuropsychological testing. These studies suggest that approximately 15-25% of chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients will demonstrate evidence of cognitive dysfunction in years following chemotherapy, compared with about 10% of survivors who did not receive chemotherapy.
While some patients reported side effects lasting well into recovery, there are many things that can be incorporated into everyday life to combat chemobrain. Some ideas include:
Avoiding distractions.
Asking people to repeat information.
Keeping a journal or personal organizer to stay on top of day-to-day tasks.
Utilizing crossword puzzles and word games.
Managing stress and stopping minor events from causing anxiety.
Eating well and getting plenty of rest.
Connecting with other people in your shoes; use the Internet to find discussion groups and informational sites, join a church, synagogue or mosque, or find local cancer support groups.
Avoiding addictive drugs such as nicotine.
Using mnemonic devices, such as a formula or rhyme, as an aid in remembering.
Using these ideas and your own, chemobrain can turn into something you can forget about—on purpose.