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Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:01 pm
by CFightWhite
Ok, this may sound stupid, but can you get addicted to the chemo drugs like you can to any other drug? I just finished up round 12 (yippee!) and am waiting to get my scans done next week in hopes of a possible liver resection (could use your prayers! :) ) Anyway, during the last three or four treatments I have felt pretty good. My side effects have been very minimal except for the neuroapathy which made me stop the oxi after round 10. But the two or three days before I get my treatments I break into a fever and chills and body aches (feels as if I have the flu). My dad said I reminded him of somebody that was having withdrawls from coccaine or something!! EEK! Once I have my treatment I actually feel fine! Weird huh? Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if I am just being paranoid. I don't want to become a chemo junkie and have to have my "fix" for life! :shock:
Sarah

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:51 pm
by bradyr
well what kind of chemo are on you on - it sounds a lot better than what they gave me <G>

normally, if you mean physical dependancy - there aren't any drugs in chemo that have the qualities to drive bio-chemical physical dependancy - like opids or other drugs.

but I guess you can develop a Psychological dependancy on anything

but this doesn't sound very likely.

but as I said to start, if you have some cool drugs like oxicotin your mix - can I have your oncologist's number?

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:01 am
by Joanne 814
Congrats on the completion of treatment, and good luck on the follow up tests and scans.

I had folfox and never felt addicted. I was very sickly at the end. If anything I am addicted to tylenol pm, and that was due to the steroids in the chemo that got in the way of sleeping. Although they say its not habit forming, I have made a habit of it, and dont sleep well with out it 10 weeks after being done.

ONWARD!

Joanne

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:35 am
by Gaelen
You actually can develop steroid psychosis from the amount(s) of steroids given with your infusions. Decodron is speed, gang--a direct IV variant of those wondrous black beauty pills that were around in the 70s and 80s. I availed myself of a black beauty or two during all-nighters while in college, but I never inhaled (oops, wrong drung. ;) )

Seriously, if you're sensitive to steroids, the onset of steroid psychosis at minimal levels can be really sneaky.
And there IS a biochemical/physical component to steroid psychosis when the levels go over minimal into moderate.

Just some food for thought.

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:11 am
by bradyr
yeah - I didn't think aobut the steriods - you are right - they actually keep me pretty wired... Low senstivity to speed I guess - I would never make a good drug addict I guess

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:12 pm
by Joanne 814
My voice used to get higher than normal, like helium voice, and I couldnt shut up! That cracked me up the comparison to "black beauties" a word I havent heard in eons! I too tried it, in high school, but didnt like the feeling and never did it again. I never thought of it like that until it was said and its so true!!

I tried last night to take only 1 tylenol pm, and I was up like 4 hours after I took it, and tossed and turned not getting restful sleep. While on treatments I always took 2 a night and currently and get a solid 8-9 hours a night of great sleep. And due to the chemo, I was constipated those nights on treatments, so I wasnt up a million times going to the bathroom. But even getting up, it allowed me to fall right back to sleep.

Getting to be the time of year a hot cup of cocoa spiked with some rumple mintz, and that ought to help knock me out at bit!!

ONWARD!

Joanne

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:40 pm
by justsing
Ditto Gaelen's post.

I was going to say that you may be more "addicted" to the pre-meds or nausea meds in general than to the chemo drugs. Decadron would be the top of my list as its has definitely become my new favorite drug! But take a look at the list of meds you were given and see if there are any other potential culprits.

Re: Crazy Q- Can you get addicted to Chemo?

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:50 pm
by CFightWhite
Thanks for the replies guys! That does make sense about being more addicted to the pre-meds than the actual chemo. They sometimes make me feel pretty loopy, so who knows what all is in them! :D As for "Black Beauties", I have know idea what you all are talking about!! Hee hee! I don't remember that term when I was in college.
Thanks again!
Sarah