On 11/15/10 I had my first chemo treatment (R-CHOP). It went better than I was expecting so I'm very thankful for that. No port was installed they infused in a temporary site. The first two mornings after were slow starters with abnormal fatigue, but this morning was good. No bad reactions to the chemo drugs except prednisone. The prednisone seems to be affecting my eyesight and that bothers me. There is a haze through my right eye that I just recently noticed and focus may be slightly affected also. Has anyone else had this reaction? What dose were you given? The oncologist put me on 100mg/day which I thought was a very high dose ......
**Revision** I got a callback from the oncologist on call who told me that it was good that I stopped the prednisone before it caused retina damage. They will modify my prednisone prescription on the next chemo session.
Apparently most people don't have the same reaction that I did but it's something to watch for. I thought a cataract was forming but one of the oncologists told me that it was eye pressure imbalance and to have an eye doctor check me out which I've already set up an appointment.
Geri, living up to the name isn't easy but I do my best to keep my worrying in check.
Thanks for sharing.I have been taken 130mg a day with my treatment for 5 days but I never knew it would affect the eyes. But lately when I watch the televesion I notice their in a slight glare to see the screen on the TV. I made an apppointment to see the doctor and hoping it is not that bad as I just finished my 5th treatment. Good luck in you recovery..
Your doseage is 30% higher than mine and you haven't gone blind after five treatments so that says a lot. I was told that the haze would most likely go away but so far it's still there. I'm getting my eyes checked next week. Hang in there Donette you're almost to the end of it.
Hi...I too am receiving CHOP-R. My prednisone is 200mg for 5 days. I've had 1 treatment(11-9-10). I felt like something alien had entered my body on the 3rd day. Felt like my insides were shaking. Awful sinus headache and belching was another thing. I also received a Nuelasta shot the day after chemo. Smells are bothering me and its very random. My taste for food has changed also. I only get nausea if I don't eat something about every 3 hours. So far I'm dealing with everything, but it's very frustrating trying to explain what's going on to my family members. Someone asks daily how I'm feeling and I seem to feel different every day so it sounds like I'm being whiny. I have learned to manage the headaches with benadryl and ibuprofen. Pepcid AC helps when the belching is really bad. Yesterday my mouth started getting sore..trying baking soda mouth rinses for that. My motto in life has always been "God will not give me more to handle than I am capable of." Although it is hard to fathom how something that makes you so sick can possibly heal you, I will continue to keep with my motto.
I'm in the middle of taking my last five days of prednisone after my eight of eight treatments.. I take two 50mg. pills a day. I am not sorry to stop taking it. My stomach feels like a big balloon, I get that unique pred. taste, and my eyes feel weird, if only in emthpathy. I go my Opthmalogist in March, so it will be interesting if my high borderline glaucoma pressure goes higher. When I mentioned that I would be taking pred. during treatent, he didn't think it was enough to do anything. We shall see, not to be punny. groan.
Results from optometrist visit this morning:
My eyes were examined after dilation and the optometrist said that the lens looked clear in both eyes but the vitreous fluid in the right eye isn't clear like it should be. He could not say that it was definitely caused by prednisone but given the timing of the symptom to the drug it's likely. He said that it will probably clear up. My eye pressure was at the high end of normal also during my previous visit and is still the same. I'd like to hear results of others who responded. Thanks for your replies.
I had my visit at the optician yesterday and my eyes were really ok. He didn’t see anything abnormal. Maybe everyone treatment might be a little different depends on the type of chemotherapy they are receiving…
I still have a little glare now and then. But I will wait until after all my treatment completed then I get another exam. I just have to get my glasses change at this time.
Thanks.
I used to hate the Prednisone when I was doing my R-CHOP last year. They need to make a coated pill, becuase the bitterness would make me want to gag every morning even chasing it down with apple juice. I remember it keeping up all night as well, sort of gave me an artificial energy boost. The only vision related thing I had was very short lived (had some floating double vision stuff in my left eye for a few hours once...maybe not related to the Predisone?) The Nuelasta shot made it feel like someone with a hammer and chisel inside my pelvis for the first day or two. Hope you all get through the chemo soon and have good results on your scans.
Most pills I can leave in my mouth until I draw a glass of water but I learned real quick to have the glass of water ready to go when taking prednisone. The effect is as powerful as the taste and it can have healing properties but when a drug causes negative changes in my eyesight that makes me want to proceed with caution. I let the RN at the oncology office know that I want to reduce the dose on the next treatment. Nuelasta is something I haven't been given yet so there's that to look forward to ... thanks for the reply. Also, hearing that you made it through R-CHOP with good results is encouraging.
11/29/10 I had my first treatment CHOP for large cell lymphoma on11/17/10. The prednisone is the worst for me-100mg x 5 days. I cannot sleep, rest, eyes bobble with not much focusing. 12 days later I am still hard put to relax. I have pain in my intestines, mostly upper, along with very vague nausea, which intensifies until i haave to eat or drink. I am doing lots of water. I will probably blow up like a ballon!! Healing is everything so doing my best. Fatigue easily, but that is not new.I was originally diagnosed in 1996 by splenectomy. Follicular B cell. Several lymphnodes later I had a big relapse in 2005. Responded very well including the prednisone. I started to deteriorate this summer and have found the aggressive large B Cell lurking in nodes, muscle tissue, chest wall, and awaiting spinal punture results.
Y.Worry, so glad your first R-Chop went well for you and I pray the other will go as good as the first. Sorry about the vision problem but thank God the doctor decreased the dosage and your vision will be better. I go for my 5th treatment tomorrow, well I may not have to have it. Had my pet scan and echo last week. I all reports are good, I will not need to finish out the last two cycles. Please keep me in your prayers and I will let you know what happens.
Daynal,
I had a clean scan at round 6 and they hammered me with two more rounds just to make sure any rouge cells got destroyed. Not that you want to endure more chemo cocktails, but if it helps to rid you of this stuff, it may be worth it. It's worth asking your Onc about. I heard it can be more difficult to fight if it comes back a second time, and I seem to remember there's a life time limit a body can take of one of the drugs in the R-CHOP regimen?
Firstly, Happy Hannukah! if only to me.
Jean-one unwelcome Pred. effect, staying up all night,went away by my third treatment. I found that Peppermint Tea worked quite well for the taste and quease. I also learned to wear comfy clothes during the Pred. time. My belly HURT and between that, and the tons of water I drank to push the treatment through my body, running to pee before it just came out...oh yuck...was challenging. I considered using Poise during that time.... oh Lordy---life is just a big circle from diapers to diapers. :)
Andy-how simple it would seem to make a coated Pred pill, but I guess that's too easy. I learned to place the pill lightly at the far end of my tongue, with the other hand very close with the water. Still got the taste, but sometimes it was quite minimal. I sort of treated it like a game. i guess I amuse easily. I also had the same question regarding using R-CHOP for a repeat treatment. My doctor said I can have it again so....
To Y, Donnette, Daynal, Gail...let's hope that any Pred effect on the eyes is temporary. THe Pred, and all the other loverly ingredients in our Cocktail cause unique discomfort. I have horrible sinus dripping, and a cold since August. I am so sick of feeling sick...I now tell people "I'm Fabulous". My doggies force me to go out, and after, I am always glad I did. I would feel better. Make yourself go for a walk, even a small one.
I inwardly roll my eyes when people say "OH You're so STRONG. and I say-Yep,I'm so strong.
Remember--most people live with something...so we live with this Lymphoma...and have each other to lean and complain, for who better can understand.
If I left anyone's name out, I have an excuse. Chemo Brain! hahahah ;)
Take care, smile, and smile again.