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Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by hisierra1 on Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:29 am

Does anyone else have a sweating problem while on Revlimid and dex (Decadron)? I'm talking buckets! The doctor doesn't have a clue. I sometimes go through 4 or more t-shirts / shorts a day, plus towels. I've sweated, but nothing like this!

Also, do you need to take Revlimid and Decadron together,or break it up during the day? I now take the Decadron once a week, 40 mg for one day, 20 mg in the morning, and 20 mg in the evening. Revlimid gets taken in the evening, one 10 mg pill for 21 days.

I have lots of questions that I'm not getting answered. Thanks!

hisierra1
Who do you know with myeloma?: self
When were you/they diagnosed?: april,2012
Age at diagnosis: 55

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by DiannaLJ on Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:50 pm

My husband has multiple myeloma. I can only speak to his situation, but he takes 40 mg dexamethasone every Monday. He takes the entire dose in the morning to help minimize it affecting sleep, although he tends to still have some trouble sleeping on dex days.

He takes 15 mg Revlimid every day for 21 days. He takes it at night because we were told it can make you drowsy and should help with getting to sleep.

Hope this helps

Dianna

DiannaLJ

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by mrsv118 on Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:15 pm

I'm not sure what drug is causing this side effect. I'm on carfilzomib (Kyprolis), Revlimid and dex and I sweat buckets at night! I am warmer during the day then I ever have been, but I'm not sweating.

One more thing to interrupt my sleep.

mrsv118
Name: Kate
Who do you know with myeloma?: ME
When were you/they diagnosed?: 7/19/12
Age at diagnosis: 48

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by LibbyC on Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:38 pm

Hi to all those night sweaters on dex,

I had those wringing wet night shirts, having to change my top at least twice a night (particularly on those dex nights) . I put the majority of it down to the dex (some of it my changed eating habits) and a little due to a change in my hormones (chemo initiated menopause).

At one stage I was taking 40 mg dex for 4 consecutive days, then had a break of 10 days, then back on the dex. My eating habits changed because of the hunger from the dex and I found I was eating more starchy or simple carbohydrates (CAKES with yummy icing) and eating later at night. This was when the night sweats were the worst and also the body tremors (the body seems to buzz - does anyone else experience this?).

Later in my treatment, I was only taking 40 mg on one day in the week. During this stage I could better control my eating habits. For me, there seems to be a correlation between eating too much of those wonderful yummy starchy foods (particularly at night) and the night sweats.

Dex can make your blood sugar rise, so if you are pre-diabetic your diet may affect your night sweats.

I had a look at other forums where dex is used for treatment and it appears that there is a small percentage of people (mainly females) who have the night sweats when on dex.

LibbyC
Name: LibbyC
Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
Age at diagnosis: 43

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by mrsv118 on Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:30 am

Thanks Libby,

Now I know where my French fry craving is coming from!

My dose of dex is decreased next month, maybe that will help. I just bought another night shirt to replace one of my others that is getting really ugly.

mrsv118
Name: Kate
Who do you know with myeloma?: ME
When were you/they diagnosed?: 7/19/12
Age at diagnosis: 48

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by mwilden on Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:37 am

I've been taking dexamethasone and Velcade for about a year. The dex definitely made me jittery - Ativan [lorazepam] fixes that.

Then i went on Revlimid. Let the sweating begin! I perspire a lot anyway, but the night sweats are ridiculous!

So I would say that it's the Revlimid that's causing the sweating - not the dex. It's actually nice to hear that I'm not the only person with this problem.

mwilden

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by NStewart on Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:12 pm

I just reported this problems to my oncolgist this week in my visit. I have had the night sweats on the night that I take dex since starting treatment. This I expected. But, more recently, I have been getting excessive sweating during the day when there is little airflow. I will be dripping with sweat everywhere. It's almost like having a hot flash because it comes on quickly, but goes on for a long time until I can get somewhere where the wind blows on me, a fan blows on me, or I can be right in front of an air conditioner. It's ok when I'm home, but when I'm out in public it's very embarrassing.

My oncologist said that it could be from either the Revlimid or the dex, or both. He also said that the dex alters our hormones and that could be why. He said that the Revlimid is a histamine inducer and the sweating could be a kind of histamine response. He suggested trying Claritin [loratadine] or Zyrtec [cetirizine] to see if that would help. Other than that, he had no suggestions and doesn't want to change my treatment regimen since I am responding so well to it.

I take 15 mg of Revlimid for 21 days with 7 days off and 20 mg of dex a week. I take the dex before I go to bed so that I can sleep through the night and have the worst of the sweating during the night from the dex dose. The next day I tend to be warmer than usual from the dex. But, my new excessive sweating isn't related to the timing of my dex dose.

Nancy in Phila

PS - Glad that it's been cooler this week since this has helped.

NStewart
Name: Nancy Stewart
Who do you know with myeloma?: self
When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
Age at diagnosis: 60

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by JBarnes on Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:27 pm

I was in Alaska last week. 40 flippen degrees (Fahrenheit), and I'm sweating. My hair is so curly I look like old bald guy with a bad afro. Would somebody please produce a shirt that says "Yes, I'm on chemo".

I take 15 mg of Revlimid daily, no dex, and I still get the sweats. Jerry.

JBarnes
Name: Jerry Barnes
Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
When were you/they diagnosed?: Aug 17, 2012
Age at diagnosis: 54

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by ryanthelion on Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:26 pm

I have been taking dexamethasone for about a week, once every 12 hours for a ruptured disk. BUCKETS of sweat every night when I am able to fall asleep, and talk about appetite, especially in the evenings. Can't wait to get off the stuff. Makes me feel a little insane.

ryanthelion

Re: Sweating buckets while taking Revlimid and dex

by NStewart on Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:58 pm

A little levity about the sweats. I've noticed that every night I'm much warmer than I used to be. I'm wearing summer pajamas and using just a sheet for cover most nights. Some nights I don't use any covers. I also have no heat on in my bedroom and open the window most nights about an inch for cool air. This week when the temperatures outside have been close to 0 deg F at night the increased body heat has been a blessing. When I've been outside I haven't had to layer and layer the clothing to be warm because my internal temperature is so high.

I think that next summer I'll go live in the Arctic so that I have a temperature where I won't sweat buckets again during the day. Anything below 50 deg is a blessing.

Nancy in Phila

NStewart
Name: Nancy Stewart
Who do you know with myeloma?: self
When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
Age at diagnosis: 60

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