We talk a lot about side effects (AE's - Adverse Effects; as they are clinically known). I wouldn't be so bold as to proclaim that for me it has been Much Ado About Nothing in that area (jinx!), but I will say that over the length of my journey (and beyond, as my cocktail of maintenance meds persists), they have thankfully been manageable overall.
Among the ingredients in my current cocktail is dexamethasone (affectionately known as "Dex"). Dexamethasone is helpful in myeloma treatment because it can stop white blood cells from traveling to areas where cancerous myeloma cells are causing damage. This decreases the amount of swelling or inflammation in those areas and relieves associated pain and pressure.
Common side effects from Dex can range from: difficulty sleeping to stomach upset to appetite changes or weight gain to headaches and even mood swings or depression. Fortunately for me, none of these have reared their ugly head. However, I do manifest a unique "chattiness" as a result of the minimal pre-med dose of Dex (12 mg) that I take once a month - before my shot of daratumumab. I get a little loquacious to a level that I have lovingly become known as Chatty Natty on my treatment days (and generally the following day as well, since "Dex vapors" are still hanging around in my body).
The stories are a little more plentiful, the tales are a little longer and the subject matter variety is a little more expansive - all of which is amiably tolerated by my family or company du jour. A dash of self-medicated sativa/indica hybrid helps temper the volume and volume. All things considered, once again I avoid the worst of what can result from a cancer treatment, and try to make the most of the actuality. But lest I fall into a typical Chatty Natty Saturday mode, I'll simply mic drop and exit.
