Sleeping on steroids!

Unfortunately, I think you're doing what you can, which is to take them mornings and lunchtimes - that is what I was advised to do too.

I barely slept for the first 4 days on docetaxel and felt so horrific that I resorted to getting sleeping pills from my GP. After that, I took one sleeping pill a few days after each cycle, just to get some sleep. 

I'm in a medical menopause as part of my ongoing treatment and insomnia is a constant now. Some nights are better than others but hot flushes keep me awake and then I often have a spell of being unable to get back to sleep for several hours at a time. I am trying acupuncture ,though this has gone backwards for me just now.

I still take a sleeping pill about once a month as it gets to the point where I have had so many broken sleeps that I get panicky about it and then really can't sleep, so the sleeping pill helps, though I have to say even with that, I don't sleep through the night.

The good news is that you should get your sleep better again once you're off the steroids! But a sleeping pill helped for me during chemo.

Thanks for that. I think I'll just have to persevere and ask about sleeping pills if I need it. I'm also going through a medically induced menopause with night sweats being the most noticeable side effect just to add to the insomnia!! When I'm not on the steroids I do eventually manage to get back to sleep. 

Thanks for your help.

Hi, this sounds very familiar!! I finished chemo end of January and had hoped that my sleep would of returned to normal.....whatever normal is nowadays!! I find I have one week out of the month where I'm asleep before midnight and up at 7 ish with a few disturbances during night. The rest of the time it can be 2 or 3 before I fall asleep and can wake after 30 mins or so. There have been nights prior to chemo where I had no sleep at all and it's just exhausting. I honestly don't think Docetaxel is as bad as EC it's more that the steroids keep you awake and the cumulative effects of all the chemo.

My GP prescribed sleeping tablets which I only took for a few days at the beginning of the cycle but they didn't really help. I did have an allergic reaction on the second Docetaxel and was given antihistamine now that did help!!

It's all trial and error and just trying to get through. As I said I finished chemo end of January and I'm still not sleeping any better. Xxx

IM due to start this in a couple of weeks and dreading it after 4 cycles of EC Which hasn't been too bad. I would like to know if such a high dose of steroids also automatically means weight gain!  I have a feeling I may know the answer,...

I asked my oncologist whether the steroids would cause my to gain weight and she said it's not the steroids but the fact they increase your appetite and you eat more! 

Thank you that's what I  thought. its such a lot to take over 3 days x

I found having a good evening routine helped me.  No tech after 9pm, a warm drink especially chamomile tea, lavender pillow spray.  

I actually found the steroids with the FEC rounds more difficult because the last dose was later in the day.