Posts by Lawrence Wood4

Lisa White54 said:My husband started taking Medrol after finishing chemo. He began at 32 mg, then dropped to 16, then 8, and finally down to 4 mg. He was on it for almost three years—though for this last year, he hasn't taken any Medrol at all, since he tapered off gradually. First it was every other day, then every third day, and then he just stopped. Since he quit, he hasn't had any issues. He actually had quite a few problems while he was still on it because he was taking it for so long—three years is a long time, I guess. His stomach was incredibly bloated, and his skin started acting up; rashes, itching, redness... things like that. Ever since he stopped Medrol, the bloating is gone and his skin isn't nearly as sensitive.
He took the Medrol based on what his doctor recommended right after finishing his chemotherapy sessions.

I was told Medrol is meant to help with nausea and headaches during chemo—it’s basically the same thing as the dexamethasone I was getting while undergoing radiation.
Right now, I'm "listening" to that one doctor who told me I could just take it as needed. 🙄 And honestly, the situation is such that I don't take it at all because I don't have headaches, nor do I feel sick. 🙂

Your husband was on it for a seriously long time—meanwhile, I've been panicking over just 7 or 8 months. 😍 To be honest, I really don't like it because of how much water it makes you retain—which leads to that bloating—and I haven't even managed to get rid of the bloating from the dexamethasone yet. 😠
I was recommended 12mg.

reddriver45 said:ps... I’m feeling a bit uneasy right now... and honestly, I think about this all the time—worrying if it'll happen to me too, especially since my grandma passed away from cancer... does anyone know how I can actually control or manage that kind of fear?

I completely get where you're coming from.
Even at your age, I wasn't thinking about this nearly as much. I guess it was because my mom—after battling cancer four different times (on totally different organs over a 20-year span)—always managed to come out on top. 🙏

I was always aware that I might have a higher risk for malignant diseases, so once I hit my early thirties, I started going in for annual breast ultrasounds—God forbid anything happens—and, of course, regular gynecological exams. I actually felt pretty proud of myself for being so proactive about my health, and I was just so relieved that everything checked out... until things fell apart in a completely unexpected place. 😠My mom never had that specific type of cancer.

Honestly, you really need to keep up with certain screenings, but you also have to watch those little "details" we usually ignore until we actually get sick—things like diet, (not) smoking, staying active...

Nathan Moore45 said:Now this actually reminds me of something else.
Back when I was first at my weakest (if that’s how you want to put it), I was taking dexamethasone—I think that's the spelling—and honestly, damn the day I first took it. It worked well for one thing, but for everything else, it was terrible. At first, I was getting daily injections,
in the butt, which helped lower the intracranial pressure in my head, but man, I puffed up so much—basically just bloated—and my appetite went through the roof. Even all the vitamins I was taking didn't seem to have any effect whatsoever.
I was on those injections for so long that, well, let's just say my backside started looking like Swiss cheese. Then they switched me to thigh injections, and eventually, I moved onto dexamethasone tablets. That part actually helped keep the headaches and nausea at bay. But on the flip side, it gave me osteoporosis, and because of all that bloating, I ended up with stretch marks. I was taking it every single day, though I can't even remember for how long.

Well, I guess they told you it helps with the nausea and headaches, so it's good in that regard, but it comes with a massive amount of side effects. 😠
And personally, I dealt with at least 80% of them. 😠
Unlike you, though, I never had an increased appetite—and I still don't. 🤷
I eat normally, but instead of losing weight, my scale just stays stagnant or I even put on a few pounds. 🤷
I used to say my backside looked like a dartboard. 😂😂

Actually, I wasn't really trying to talk about dexamethasone specifically, but rather Medrol.
Which, let's be real, is basically the exact same crap just in different packaging. 🙄

I've received two completely opposite pieces of advice regarding its use during chemotherapy.
So, the question is,
is Medrol supposed to be taken consistently throughout chemo, or is it just taken as needed?

With supplemental insurance, you aren't paying a dime out of pocket at the hospital,
but without that extra $19 coverage, you're looking at daily costs that cover everything from specialist visits and meals to meds and surgeries—basically the whole works.

I guess if someone suddenly ends up admitted without that coverage—say, they get hit with some serious diagnosis—it’s probably worth just paying for the supplement right then and there, even though there's usually a 15-day waiting period before it actually kicks in. ☕
And you don't even have to file a formal claim yourself. 😉