eli5: Why cant they anesthetize chemo patients so they don’t feel the pain from chemotherapy?
In: Biology
I have a bone disease and my last dose of zoledronic acid was this past August. I’m not finished, but that drug is aggressive enough that I can only have it five times and then they have to switch to something else.
I felt fine after my first dose though. I actually went to a museum and dinner later on in the same day. Then I got home and slept for 27 hours. I was completely unprepared for what this drug was about to do to me.
After I woke up I felt terrible. Everything hurt. Constant, dull aches all over. Sharp, stabbing, and searing pains in my spine every time I moved (the bone disease is primarily there). It felt like I had been hit by a car (I’ve been hit by a car as well so I know exactly how much that sucks). For the first month or so all of my normal pain is amplified.
Another big side effect I was blindsided by was that, for whatever reason, it completely saps all my strength and energy. I struggle to walk for more than about 45 consecutive minutes (I’ve pushed to around an hour and a half a few times but paid dearly after every one). After I’m done with a short walk I usually fall asleep for a few hours because there’s just no energy left.
As much as I would love to not be awake for all of this, that’s not really an option.
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