Hello,
I’m half way through my 3rd (of 6) cycles of Pola-R-CHP and am just coming out of what I can only describe as a mental nosedive and wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar experience?
Up until now I’ve been managing my treatment fairly well, although I do tend to have a low moment emotionally a couple days after I stop taking my steroids. However, this round I had a complete crash - 5 days of inconsolable sobbing, unable to properly eat and really felt like I couldn’t see an end to all of this. It started two days after I finished the steroids and I can’t help feeling like it might have been related? Has anyone else had a similar reaction?
I’m currently on a fairly low dose of SSRIs for pre existing anxiety and depression but I have never experienced a low like this before, I felt completely unlike myself. Feel like a different person now I’ve come out the other side.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. X
Hi indy2 and a warm welcome to this little corner of the Community.
I am Mike and I help out around our various Lymphoma groups.
I have been on my Lymphoma journey for over 25.5 years first diagnosed way back in 1999 at 44…… with my rare (8 in a million) incurable but treatable type of slow growing Cutaneous T-Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (CTCL).
I eventually reached Stage 4a in late 2013 when a second, also rare (4 in a million) very type of aggressive Peripheral T-Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (PTCL-NOS) was then presenting so this triggered 2 years of full on treatment (Late 2013 to Late 2015) with 6 cycles of aggressive R-EPOCH (750+ hrs) 45 radiotherapy zaps and 2 Allograft (donor) Stem Cell Transplants……. so I most definitely appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.
I have had significant amounts of steroids over my many years but more so during late 2013 to late 2015.
The post steroid cliff-edge drop is well recognised……. I have talked with many people on this community over the 8ish years I have been helping out who have had the same experience as yourself….
From day one, when I was put on steroids I was instructed to taper the dosage to prevent the cliff-edge drop…… and I had no issues.
You are halfway through…… so you are closer to the end than you were when you were going into treatment…. and remember that this is all temporary and will pass.
What type of NHL do you have?
