Post #42- Chemo Count Down

Tomorrow is coming so fast. My prescriptions are filled. Dexamethasone, Compazine, Avelox, Percocet, Claritin, Tylenol.

DEXAMETHASONE

I started taking my Dexamethasone this morning I take two pills, two times a day for the next three days.

Dexamethasone is a member of the glucocorticoid class of hormones. This means they are steroids but, unlike the anabolic steroids that we hear about regarding sports medicine, these are "catabolic" steroids. Instead of building the body up, they are designed to break down stored resources (fats, sugars and proteins) so that they may be used as fuels in times of stress. Cortisone would be an example of a related hormone with which most people are familiar. Glucocorticoids hormones are produced naturally by the adrenal glands.

We do not use glucocorticoids for their influences on glucose and protein metabolism; we use them because they are also the most broadly anti-inflammatory medications that we have. Their uses fit into several groups:
Anti-inflammatory (especially for joint pain and itchy skin)
Immune-suppression (treatment of conditions where the immune system is destructively hyperactive. Higher doses are required to actually suppress the immune system)
Cancer Chemotherapy (especially in the treatment of lymphoma)
Central Nervous System Disorders (usually after trauma or after a disc episode to relieve swelling in the brain or spinal cord)
Shock (steroids seem to help improve circulation)
Blood Calcium Reduction (in medical conditions where blood calcium is dangerously high treatment is needed to reduce levels to normal)

SIDE EFFECTS
Dexamethasone does not have activity in the kidney leading to the conservation of salt. This means that the classical side effects of dexamethasone use ( excessive thirst and excessive urination) are less pronounced with this steroid than with others. This makes dexamethasone a more appropriate choice for patients with concurrent heart disease or other condition requiring restricted salt intake. If this occurs, another steroid can be selected or the dexamethasone dose can be dropped.
Dexamethasone is commonly used for several weeks or even months at a time to get a chronic process under control. It is important that the dose be tapered to an every third day schedule once the condition is controlled. The reason for this is that body will perceive these hormones and not produce any of its own. In time, the adrenal glands will atrophy so that when the medication is discontinued, the patient will be unable to respond to any stressful situation. An actual circulatory crisis can result. By using the medication every other day, this allows the body's own adrenal glands to remain active

COMPAZINE

Compazine is the drug I can take for nausea. I don't know about this one I may ask for an alternative anti-nausea drug

AVELOX

Avelox is my antibiotic. I have to take my temperature throughout the day and it it reaches 100.4 I have to start taking my antibiotic and call my Doctor immediately. All of my prescriptions have at least three refills on them.

This is what Avelox does.

Bacterial infections are among the most common reasons that people seek health care worldwide. These infections interfere with activities of daily living, burden the health care system, and can lead to serious medical complications.

Avelox® (moxifloxacin hydrochloride) is an antibiotic that is highly active against many different bacteria, including those that are most likely to contribute to acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia. Avelox has also been proven effective in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections and intra-abdominal infections caused by certain bacteria. Avelox rapidly travels to the site of infection, and provides fast clinical recovery. Avelox has a well-characterized safety profile, which has been studied in over 14,000 patients in clinical trials and 92,000 patients in post marketing surveillance studies. Furthermore Avelox has been used to treat more than 98 million patients worldwide.

CLARITIN

I have to start this today also and I have to take it for a week to prevent aches from the Neulasta shot I get on Tuesday.

PERCOCET/TYLENOL

For pain, especially the Percocet.