Chemo therapy reactions or side effects

[CaseydelaTor]

Hi all,

Good day!

Wondering one of you guys here is getting chemotherapy with low PSA?

My husband is having 3rd session of chemotherapy now, but i noticed he is always depressed and so worried that he's gonna die soon even the doctor said to him that he is doing great of he's medications right now, He has this cancer cells type which is very sensitive to the hormones therapy. Sometimes i think the reason of hes depression is living alone.

Best Regards

CaseydelaTor

[Sunlight12]

Hi Caseydela,

A number of the treatments for PCa can cause depression as a side effect, so it's definitely something to stay aware of! If your husband needs to hear some positive stories, see if he will come on this site - there are so many men with great outlooks and real-life experiences of maintaining a good quality of life while battling this disease for five, ten, even twenty years. If he won't come on here, reading the stories yourself and sharing them with him might help reduce his fear somewhat. They were very comforting for my Dad, Mom and me when my Dad was first diagnosed and continue to be now! And the connection with people who know exactly what you're going through is invaluable.

There is a post on here by Nalakrats that discusses some natural options for dealing with depression. Here's the link:

healthunlocked.com/advanced...

(I hope I've done that correctly. If it doesn't work, please let me know!)

If you want something you can try quickly, I'm a fan of essential oils and many are helpful for depression. My go-to's would be Bergamot or Orange. You can buy an diffuser and diffuse them in the room in he spends the most time in, or just put a single drop on a kleenex near his bed or favorite chair. One drop is all you need and it will scent the room for hours.

If he continues to be depressed, you should definitely try to talk with medical personnel about getting help and treatment for it for him. It's a super important addition to his chemo, ADT, etc. If he is able to find a more positive and upbeat frame of mind, it will help him fight this disease.

Very best wishes to you and him on this journey! Sending positive energy out to you both!

In solidarity,

Sunlight

[CaseydelaTor in reply to Sunlight12]

Thank you for the info🙏🥂

[GoEZ]

Hi, I’m on number 4 of 8 chemo sessions. For me, I notice I get really down on the recovery week of the 21 day cycle. I’ve been at this PC for 10 yrs now. The first 4 years I was angry, sad, and filled with hopelessness. I had to reengage back into life. Start simple like household chores. Doing things that if you can’t finish it’s no big deal. Just do something so your day is not empty. If you watch TV all day watch something new. I got hooked on cooking shows. That lead to a new hobby. I moved a TV into the garage and slowly things got done. Get up early every day and get ready. Get some sun on your skin, sit in a park, go for a ride and eat at a new place. The depression for me came from so many sources the drugs, side effects and grieving my old life. Each thing you do is like taking a candle into the dark deep cave your mind has become. If you need help lighting candles get help. Writing here helped me because I received so much help. It was humbling getting help from guys that were so much worse off than me. Find a time frame you can handle, don’t look too far into the future or the past. ( for me, today is good). He is not alone, there a lot of us. Start reading the replies, there some great ideas here. (many candle) Stay strong, stay current, stay engaged.

[MateoBeach]

My own experience: I had chemo in 2007 (docetaxel 6 cycles) the same year I was diagnosed and had prostatectomy. Very challenging to go through, but you get through it and then recover. I was depressed, lost my hair, very weak and fatigued. Yes depressed. Now it is 12 years later and I am happy in my life with good energy, even though I am still living with the cancer. The gift of chemo was giving me more years of life.

But depression should be treated with one of the very effective medications that are available. Some of these also help with other side effects of hormonal (ADT) treatments that almost all of us end up using. The stresses of fighting cancer, the fear and uncertainty, the impact of chemo on the body, these can stress and then imbalance the neurochemistry for things like brain serotonin (and other neurotransmitters). Treating it with modern anti-depressants can restore the balance, for many if not most, within a few weeks. Resilience is restored and depression retreats into the background.

[j-o-h-n]

Living alone sure doesn't help with depression... Get him a girlfriend (just kidding). The day I found out I had Pca I was really depressed. For a couple of years all I thought about was Pca and death. Then one day I said xxxx it I'm not going to let those little bastards in me beat me, so I just laughed. Now humor is my hobby and I told my wife if I don't have a smile on my face when I go to that comedy store in the sky to use duct tape to form a smile with my lips. Make him laugh and you laugh with him.

Here's one: So what if I can't spell Armageddon? It's not the end of the world.

youtube.com/watch?v=67Gl3s3...(Not working as expected?) <--- watch

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 09/16/2019 6:20 PM DST

[monte1111 in reply to j-o-h-n]

Amazing stuff. I am not going to clean that truck.