HonCode

Go Back   HER2 Support Group Forums > her2group
Register Gallery FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-05-2014, 09:18 AM   #1
Bellaokc
Senior Member
 
Bellaokc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 51
Re: Sleep and cancer

Kkmom,
Can you tell me the dosage of your Effexor? I am on 37.5 mg and am thinking maybe it needs to be raised so I can drop the other meds.

Aussie Girl...let us know how the Mirtazapine wafers work.

thanks!
__________________
Norma,

June 7, 2013: Age 43, mother of 2, had just celebrated 16th wedding anniversary June 6th
Dx Invasive Ductal Carcinoma:
ER-, PR-, HER2+++,
Stage IIb, 5 cm. tumor, grade 3
Benign lymph nodes.
June 26, 2013: Begin 4 Rounds of AC
Sept 19, 2013: Begin 12 weekly treatments of Taxol/Herceptin
Oct 22, 2013: Skipped a treatment because of a trip to the ER. Turned out to be a blood clot in the inferior vena cava….Started Coumadin (aka Warfarin)
Dec 12, 2013: Last treatment of TH
Dec 20, 2013: CAT scan and nuclear bone scans show NED. Yay! Chemo worked!
Jan 24, 2014: Bilateral mx w/expanders inserted; 10 Lymph Nodes removed on left side;Pathology report shows no trace of tumor was left after the chemo. More proof that the chemo worked!
Jan 30, 2014: Emergency surgery due to hematoma on the right side. Had a filter inserted to deal with blood clot that had developed in October.
Feb 2014: Begin Herceptin only treatments
Aug 29, 2014 Expanders OUT and implants IN
Sept 4, 2014 Last Herceptin treatment YAY!!
Oct 8, 2014 Port Removed
Dec 5, 2014 Nipple Reconstruction

Current Meds: Daily - 150 mg Effexor; 50 mg Tramadol for aches and pains caused by treatments
Occasional - 30mg Temazepam (Restoril) for insomnia ; 300mg Neurontin for nerve pain in left arm; 1 mg Lorazepam (Ativan) for anxiety;
Bellaokc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2014, 05:03 PM   #2
Andrea Barnett Budin
Senior Member
 
Andrea Barnett Budin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
Re: Sleep and cancer

For me the Effexor had no effect on my constant clammy wetness, feeling that I was trapped inside something. And it made me feel weird.

So, slowly, slowly, after begging to be taken off, I weaned off.

Evening Primrose helped during the day. Ativan helped during the night. Actually Ativan was excellent for hot flashes but can't take it by day.

My fav onc since 1995 told me way back, when I resisted taking pills as I never even took aspirin -- YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE PILLS. TO HELP YOU. AT THE FIRST SIGN OF PAIN, NAUSEA, WHATEVER -- TAKE A PILL. He's basically very conservative, though aggressive when necessary, always reasoned and caring. I offer that advice to all of you.

I find watching a movie, the more boring the better, I start to fall asleep.

I do add Theanine (natural supplement, calmative) to help stop the non-stop thoughts pounding inside my skull. And melatonin.

I would be walking the hallways in my house till 5 AM if not for help. And that is not good, for my body (it needs to regenerate and rejuvenate). I read a study on nurses who worked the night shift. Their T cells were way lower than the other nurses'. Their immune system was compromised. That's the last thing any of us wants, right?!
__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...

'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...

Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
Andrea Barnett Budin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright HER2 Support Group 2007 - 2021
free webpage hit counter