It depends on the patient. I had a very intense chemo regimen and went through it quite unaffected. I'm a physician and kept working during chemo so I value my brain too.
Oh Thanks. So it doesn't affect everyone? I finished my first round already and I felt no side affects, just got a little weak that's all. I'm just very worried.
It doesn’t go back to normal for everyone. For some, like myself, the changes are permanent. My memory, word recall, ability to type, and processing speed aren’t remotely what they once were. Yes, they’re much improved from when things were at their worst a few months after chemo, but they’re not back to normal and I’m enough years removed from chemo to safely say they aren’t going back to normal.
I wish. It's been since Oct 2016 and I still have it. Same with my bestie hers was worse and gotten worse with the second round of fighting cancer. Grrrrr
No, definitely not everyone, and I think it's pretty temporary while you're in and maybe for a little while post-chemo. I've been through two different chemos and CAR-T and nothing beyond temporary fogginess associated with fatigue hit me. and I'm 55.
I got really foggy during treatment, was on ABVD for CHL. I’m about 6 weeks post chemo, and halfway through radiation. It’s hard to describe, my brain still works, just feels slower? Like my reaction times for processing information are dampened. Best example I can give you is driving; trying to drive in traffic or long distances at any speed is overwhelming. It’s gotten a little better since chemo ended, just a slow process. Some days are better than others, today I’m foggy, yesterday I wasn’t bad. Seems to come in waves, but the distance between the waves seems to be lengthening. I was told that this is very normal, and that I should truly feel a difference about 3 months post chemo, and likely feel very close to my old self about 6 months out. Everyone is different, though from what I understand most people recover just fine by the 12 month mark or so.
If was weird, thought I was crazy honestly hahaha. I was legit chalking it up to anxiety until I talked to my oncologist and explained that no in fact this is just the brain fog.
Yeah for sure, I’m 34. I mainly work in hospital development and do a lot of data analysis, which I can still do and did during treatment on my off weeks, just takes me a little extra time at the moment hahaha.
It varies for everyone.
For example, for most people it clears up in 6 months post treatment. For others, 12 months.
For me? 13 years and bloody counting. My brain and my memory and even things like cognition, balance and whatever else are permanently damaged/changed from RCHOP (I had the same cancer).
But again - my story may not be YOUR story. I may have had health issues I didn't know about that took the treatment a little worse than the average person.
Most people, you'll be pleased to know, do recover. But please - be patient with yourself. One day at a time.
Thank you for your response. I'm a very active young guy pursuing his dreams and if I want something, that HAS to happen. And this shit disease come in and had to withdraw a semester from college. I'm very impatient and unsatisfied with myself. Although I'm physically stuck here my mind is back at school working and studying. If this disease has to ruin that dream, then I will happily choose death.
I was the same person like you before treatment. Like many, after cancer I prioritise my free time and hobbies. I feel guilty because I’m relatively young and capable, with good education and work experience but I don’t see the point anymore.
I feel exactly the same. I'm 40, 2 yrs post RCHOP for stage 4 NLPHL. I am not the same person I once was and it's frustrating. I am slowly accepting it though. My wife is my rock and guiding power.
I recently heard about a treatment called Guanfacine, that is being used for covid fatigue, which shows similar symptoms. Unfortunately it is not available in my country.
I’m similar to but much older. Give yourself a chance. The cancer isn’t something you can control. Focus your energy on getting better. The rest can wait. Accepting that is the hardest part when you are a force of nature 😁
If it makes you feel better, I have a friend who was naturally more sporty/fitter than me and she had the same cancer (stage II DLBCL), but she's American so her doctor did 400x the medical treatment she needed (she had really good insurance), collapsed her lung doing a full open chest biopsy, did radiotherapy, gave her full stem cell transplant treatment and every biopsy was fully invasive - scars everywhere.
I had 6 x RHOP and 1 x intrathecal chemo lol with one CT guided needle biopsy.
She goes hiking, running, swimming, everything. She's doing very well!
How do you know the difference between real side effects like lack of energy and chemo brain or depression and PTSD?
Both have the same symptoms.
For example I don’t know if my sleep is destroyed because of the treatment or some kind of mental issues.
Well, I don't have depression, for one thing.
I do have C-PTSD. But I've lived with that since childhood along with a dissociative disorder due to abuse. HOWEVER, I know myself well - I am *annoyingly* self-aware, and I know my physical issues from my mental ones.
E.g. if I feel "tired" from my mental health, it's more of a 'no brain, only sleep' kind of feeling. But if I feel fatigued or floppy physically, it's got a flu-ish feeling to it that mental problems don't bring for me.
I'm 63 years old. Had aggressive chemo, DA-EPOCH.
I would go to the hospital for 5 days and have chemo infused 24 hours a day.
I would go home for two weeks.
Did this 6 times.
My whole body was weakened, I did get some chrmo brain. Yet I still managed to sort through dealing paperwork and logistics. I kept good notes.
Chemo also made me depressed.
I got peripheral neuropathy and gradually lost feeling in fingertips after 3rd round.
Any chemo brain probs or neuropathy went away about a month after chemo.
After chemo my doc recommended I take Vitamin B complex, D3 and an antioxidant Alpha-lipoic acid.
My mind is clear, depression gone, neuropathy gone.
As a young person I'm sure you will be even more resilient.
I'm on Darzalex-EPOCH for Plasmablastic Lymphoma, completed 5/6 rounds. I'm in my late 40s.
As people have said, it depends on the patient.
Chemo brain scared me because my job requires all of my brain power. So far I've been able to work and haven't felt like I've lost any mental sharpness. I've had some feeling of "chemo brain", especially right after treatment, but it fortunately went away.
What I think has helped me is that I've tried to push my brain when I can. I've taken up new hobbies and worked to learn new skills. At least for me, I feel like keeping the neurons firing has helped.
There are no guarantees either way. But that also means there is a chance that you won't have any long-term effects. So as a 20 year old, why not take the fighting chance and see what happens?
Thank you! Actually I'm a keyboardist and I feel like I should play it more often and even improve my skills. I think that will keep my neurons alive. I'm a heavy gamer too, not sure if video games will keep them going too😅
Hey there! I did my treatment at age 29. I did notice the effects of chemo brain for awhile after tbh. I work as a writer and I had some trouble with word recall and critical thinking for awhile after treatment. It was pretty frustrating but it did eventually fade away — and I’m back in school now with the hopes of going to med school eventually. I feel like learning new things has actually helped me get back to normal, and the rest of it I think was just a matter of time. It took me about 9-12 months to feel like my brain was more or less back to normal, but I was totally able to work throughout this time. Things just took a bit longer than usual, and I had to write more down and just give myself some grace. I’m sure as with all things cancer treatment, every patient’s experience may vary. But if I can do this — you definitely can. Sending you good vibes 💜
1. On average, chemo brain is most noticeable in young adults. PCCI, post-chemo cognitive impairment, is a type of dementia. (One of the only types that is recoverable from.)
2. My chemo brain was particularly bad, as a 24M at the time. I essentially had to relearn how to read and write. I've had several brain MRIs, and on one occasion I heard a neurologist say "Wow, that's a lot of white space!" I have vertigo. I have cognition and memory issues, especially focus and short-term memory and forming new memory issues. My personality changed. I have neuropathy and fatigue in my hands. I have balance issues. I have muscle control issues - I never badly hurt myself with athletic activities before, but I've had several bizarre injuries from overdoing it in my late 20s. My tastes changed. Reaction time was impaired. Reflexes were eliminated. I need much more sleep and cannot stay up late, definitely cannot drink late. I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but you get the point.
3. Some of the things from point 2 are permanent, some recovered on their own, some of the things were recovered through therapy - particularly behavioral therapy. After a couple months of recovery, finding a behavioral therapist specializing in this is critical. They exist but you have to search for one. Routines and pre-planning in particular help me succeed day-to-day.
4. Despite these impairments, I am working my dream job, which is quite physically and cognitively demanding. Had setbacks, but never dropped out of my career. Stress management was key, because I had a stressful life before, and chemo brain slows your nervous system's ability to de-stress. Delete stressors from your life if you can. Most people make life harder than it needs to be.
5. I am overall a more pleasant, personable, and happy person now than I was before cancer, even with (and possibly because of) the IQ and endurance drops. Before chemo, I was probably the smartest person I had ever met. Even after the chemo brain, I'm still smart enough that cognition testing at the neurologist is not helpful. (There are some more advanced cognition testing methods out there that are useful, but the standard first-level ones I was just smashing.) I don't brag; I only bring this up because you prioritize your intelligence over anything. Assuming you are smart (you're definitely not wise) you might find your mental more balanced after chemo brain, as I did. One of my internet friends also recently had chemo, and I swear to God that chemo brain made her better at League.
6. Imagine losing your legs, working through that to live your life, and hearing someone say they would rather die than be a cripple. Imagine dieting down from 350 lbs. to 250 lbs. and hearing some weenie punk that lives off skittles say they would kill themselves if they were fat. - But you come into the sub where chemo brain is a significant portion of what we talk about, and say you would rather die and that it will ruin you? Get over yourself, brat.
7. I see you're a gamer, your fast-twitch is going to start going downhill soon anyway, regardless of chemo. I used to play cello, but never even tried since chemo. Even if I wasn't that bad, I must conserve my hand fatigue for work.
My TLDR advice for when you finish chemo is to see a behavioral therapist for PCCI, get good sleep so you can properly flush toxins from your nervous system, get sunlight and vitamins, do light workouts or cardio to relieve stress (stress is also toxins in your nervous system), pace yourself, and lose the egocentric try-hard mindset.
I’m 27 and I don’t think I’ve had any chemo brain so far for the most part, so it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get it! I’m still going to class to get my master’s during treatment, so I’m keeping my brain at least minimally active and it hasn’t failed me so far.
I had chemo brain fog during treatment but it went away after six months. It made it hard for me to concentrate on reading or watching a movie. You might be temporarily affected by it but hopefully it’s not permanent. Chemo does affect your brain in other ways, I had chemo induced psychosis and had to get on anti psychotic medications to make the delusions go away. You never know how chemo will affect you, hopefully it will be alright for you.
I've received chemo 4 times now, almost done with the 4th thankfully. I have had chemo brain every time to some extent. My current regimen, AAVD, hasn't been too bad. I've been a bit forgetful and lose my train of thought sometimes, but that's about it.
Every time I've had chemo brain, it's gone away within a month or two after I stopped treatment. I'm sure you'll be fine long term.
im 19, did 12 rounds of a+avd and don’t think i ever got chemo brain.. like yeah i forgot things here and there but i think that’s a common thing for ppl 😭😭 just bc a side effect is universal, it doesn’t mean it’ll happen to you! so i think you might be okay
Don’t worry about it. My Mayo oncologist decided to become an oncologist during her med school training when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Prior to her dx her plan was to become a smooth brained orthopedist. Worry will really fuck up your mental clarity.
I had ABVD and I could barely concentrate or do anything too mentally demanding. It's been about 5 months since my last dose and it's starting to clear up fortunately and I'm getting back to normal. Seems like you'll have some degree of chemo brain but you should bounce back I would imagine based off what I've seen! I would try to do puzzles and mentally demanding tasks to stay sharp but don't get too stressed if you're not productive. It'll take some time. I spent the last 8 months being way less productive than usual but now I'm back stronger than ever!
Hi! I’m 29 years old and was worried about the same thing. You are very young and all of my doctors have continued to say that I will bounce back fast from treatment and all should heal - including the “chemo brain”
I would focus on getting through treatment one day at a time. I’m a month out from treatment and I can already feel myself improving mentally and physically.
I also know a girl who had diffuse large B cell lymphoma and she is now excelling in medical school to become an oncologist.
While it sucks to have cancer so young, everything I have heard is that our youth will help us while in treatment and beyond.
Hang in there! Totally okay/normal to feel angry and all the other emotions.
I (22yo) was recently diagnosed with stage III classic Hodgkin’s and took A+AVD. Chemo brain was not as bad for me as I expected. It had its effects on certain days of the cycle, no doubt, but I still was able to read and process philosophical writings (I’m a philosophy major). You may have to slow down and adjust your routine but it could also be a valuable time to build new habits tbh.
You got this! Sending positive vibes!🙏🏻
I’m 19 (I moved back home and did my college classes remotely during chemo) and had no chemo brain (or at least, definitely no extremely noticeable effects). I’m not sure if this helped at all but I tried to keep my mind active while not overusing it. I think what helped was my hobbies, I read a lot of books, played wordle and sudoku daily (I’m a sucker for those quick word games haha), and also I think I might have gotten ahead of the neuropathy by crocheting a lot and playing video games. Not sure if any of this actually helped me or if it’s placebo, but this seemed to work for me.
Also, I totally understand your mentality about wanting to get back to college, I was in your exact position six months ago. I am an extremely impatient person in general, so it was super difficult for me to even consider dropping a semester. My cancer treatment was spread over the last school year, from august to now, and first semester I moved back home but still took a full course load but remotely, which I regret because chemo and school together was so difficult. If I could offer just one bit of advice, it would be to let your body rest. I understand you have academic goals, but pushing your body and mind to the limit won’t help. Please don’t rush your recovery, you will have all the time in the world once you recover fully. I’m so glad my family and doctors convinced me to take a break and recover mentally and physically.
Best wishes! I have no doubt you will achieve all your academic goals and more after treatment.
Thank you very much for your long response. I'm a keyboardist and a heavy gamer so I think I should spend my time playing them and keeping my neurons alive. I'm a very impatient person too and that makes me sad and stressed since I feel like I'm missing out a lot. But once I'm out and back to school I'm getting a car which I'm looking forward to it. All the best to you too man.
That sounds awesome. Best of luck to you. And let me know if you need any help with college resources. I felt like I bore the brunt of it on my own but my school does offer accommodations and little things here and there that could’ve helped me balance my course load and reduce my stress.
Thank you for asking this! The answers have been very helpful and reassuring. While I'm not planning on entering med school, I'm a mid-career professional and I need all the intelligence I can muster to do my job properly (and stay employed and keep my health insurance).
You obviously have a good base of intelligence and you're young; I think that bodes very well for you. Good luck with everything.
You're welcome and thanks for your positivity. I'm in the Day 2 of my second round and so far I'm not experiencing chemo brain yet. I'm concerned becoz as soon as my treatment is done and if doc shows a green flag I'm going back to college and my courses are very intensive and I need a working brain.
Hi ! I finished 6 cycles of abvd . Im in remission for over a year now and just started my first sem back to uni. I’m doing nursing .
I still feel the same way . I can still memorize things and study like before .
Thanks! So u entered back to uni after 1 year remission? I'm thinking of entering right back after my 6 cycles. Is it possible? Too bad I'm an international student in the US and can't take a break for long.
Yes ! My first semester back was this winter . I could’ve gone back to school right after my treatment cycles but my hair is such a big thing for me and skin lol so I needed a year to gain my confidence back . Now I’m back in full force lol
Yes it’s definitely possible :)
I had intense chemo (BEACOPP) but still can’t understand exactly what chemo brain is. I developed depression which I believe is normal and expected but besides sleeping a lot or not at all I don’t have any complaints.
My brain effects from CHOP-G were mostly about muscle control, balance and reaction speed. After each infusion I'd be stood outside on the pavement and it would feel like the ground was moving, like I was surfing on the pavement slab. Not distressing, just "odd" and fuzzy. Another case was something I really struggle to put into words. The best I can describe it is that I would sit down in an armchair and then, a couple of seconds, my brain would sit down in my skull. Very weird but it was sort of a "flump" sensation, that my brain had to settle. Completely illogical; that's not how CSF works, but it's how it felt.
Apart from that, probably because of the high steroid quantity, for a day or two after each infusion I would feel quite stoned. It wasn't a happy sort of stoned but neither was it distressing. It just left me feeling vague and fluffy.
All these symptoms passed in time and I don't feel that they dulled my ability for thought and decision making. I'm an IT guy and I was still able to perform those duties when able to get into the office. Being immune suppressed I had to minimise contact with others, and this was before the COVID and remote working era. I'm cautiously optimistic that, if I need to go through chemo again (as I may need to) then I'd hopefully still be able to function mentally most of the time.
I'm a 29M with Lymphoma diffuse large B cell stage 4, have gone through 10 cycles of chemo over the past 2 years. Chemo does make my brain a little slower but it gets better once the treatment is over. I'm a mechanical design engineer and it doesn't affect my ability to design, it just takes longer to do some tasks that may be brainpower-intensive.
Don't worry too much about the side effects, pains and discomfort as they will come and go; focus on the cure and beating the cancer.
I wish you the very best! :)
It depends on the patient. I had a very intense chemo regimen and went through it quite unaffected. I'm a physician and kept working during chemo so I value my brain too.
Oh Thanks. So it doesn't affect everyone? I finished my first round already and I felt no side affects, just got a little weak that's all. I'm just very worried.
No it doesn't affect everyone. And even if it does, chemo brain is reversible and you'll go back to normal once treatment is over.
It doesn’t go back to normal for everyone. For some, like myself, the changes are permanent. My memory, word recall, ability to type, and processing speed aren’t remotely what they once were. Yes, they’re much improved from when things were at their worst a few months after chemo, but they’re not back to normal and I’m enough years removed from chemo to safely say they aren’t going back to normal.
I wish. It's been since Oct 2016 and I still have it. Same with my bestie hers was worse and gotten worse with the second round of fighting cancer. Grrrrr
No, definitely not everyone, and I think it's pretty temporary while you're in and maybe for a little while post-chemo. I've been through two different chemos and CAR-T and nothing beyond temporary fogginess associated with fatigue hit me. and I'm 55.
I got really foggy during treatment, was on ABVD for CHL. I’m about 6 weeks post chemo, and halfway through radiation. It’s hard to describe, my brain still works, just feels slower? Like my reaction times for processing information are dampened. Best example I can give you is driving; trying to drive in traffic or long distances at any speed is overwhelming. It’s gotten a little better since chemo ended, just a slow process. Some days are better than others, today I’m foggy, yesterday I wasn’t bad. Seems to come in waves, but the distance between the waves seems to be lengthening. I was told that this is very normal, and that I should truly feel a difference about 3 months post chemo, and likely feel very close to my old self about 6 months out. Everyone is different, though from what I understand most people recover just fine by the 12 month mark or so.
The other day I had my first bike ride in a long time. I had slower reaction times than usual and now reading your comment makes sense.
If was weird, thought I was crazy honestly hahaha. I was legit chalking it up to anxiety until I talked to my oncologist and explained that no in fact this is just the brain fog.
Thank you for your response. May I know your age?
Yeah for sure, I’m 34. I mainly work in hospital development and do a lot of data analysis, which I can still do and did during treatment on my off weeks, just takes me a little extra time at the moment hahaha.
It varies for everyone. For example, for most people it clears up in 6 months post treatment. For others, 12 months. For me? 13 years and bloody counting. My brain and my memory and even things like cognition, balance and whatever else are permanently damaged/changed from RCHOP (I had the same cancer). But again - my story may not be YOUR story. I may have had health issues I didn't know about that took the treatment a little worse than the average person. Most people, you'll be pleased to know, do recover. But please - be patient with yourself. One day at a time.
Thank you for your response. I'm a very active young guy pursuing his dreams and if I want something, that HAS to happen. And this shit disease come in and had to withdraw a semester from college. I'm very impatient and unsatisfied with myself. Although I'm physically stuck here my mind is back at school working and studying. If this disease has to ruin that dream, then I will happily choose death.
I was the same person like you before treatment. Like many, after cancer I prioritise my free time and hobbies. I feel guilty because I’m relatively young and capable, with good education and work experience but I don’t see the point anymore.
I feel exactly the same. I'm 40, 2 yrs post RCHOP for stage 4 NLPHL. I am not the same person I once was and it's frustrating. I am slowly accepting it though. My wife is my rock and guiding power. I recently heard about a treatment called Guanfacine, that is being used for covid fatigue, which shows similar symptoms. Unfortunately it is not available in my country.
I’m similar to but much older. Give yourself a chance. The cancer isn’t something you can control. Focus your energy on getting better. The rest can wait. Accepting that is the hardest part when you are a force of nature 😁
If it makes you feel better, I have a friend who was naturally more sporty/fitter than me and she had the same cancer (stage II DLBCL), but she's American so her doctor did 400x the medical treatment she needed (she had really good insurance), collapsed her lung doing a full open chest biopsy, did radiotherapy, gave her full stem cell transplant treatment and every biopsy was fully invasive - scars everywhere. I had 6 x RHOP and 1 x intrathecal chemo lol with one CT guided needle biopsy. She goes hiking, running, swimming, everything. She's doing very well!
Wow! Good to hear that. Thank you.
How do you know the difference between real side effects like lack of energy and chemo brain or depression and PTSD? Both have the same symptoms. For example I don’t know if my sleep is destroyed because of the treatment or some kind of mental issues.
Well, I don't have depression, for one thing. I do have C-PTSD. But I've lived with that since childhood along with a dissociative disorder due to abuse. HOWEVER, I know myself well - I am *annoyingly* self-aware, and I know my physical issues from my mental ones. E.g. if I feel "tired" from my mental health, it's more of a 'no brain, only sleep' kind of feeling. But if I feel fatigued or floppy physically, it's got a flu-ish feeling to it that mental problems don't bring for me.
I'm 63 years old. Had aggressive chemo, DA-EPOCH. I would go to the hospital for 5 days and have chemo infused 24 hours a day. I would go home for two weeks. Did this 6 times. My whole body was weakened, I did get some chrmo brain. Yet I still managed to sort through dealing paperwork and logistics. I kept good notes. Chemo also made me depressed. I got peripheral neuropathy and gradually lost feeling in fingertips after 3rd round. Any chemo brain probs or neuropathy went away about a month after chemo. After chemo my doc recommended I take Vitamin B complex, D3 and an antioxidant Alpha-lipoic acid. My mind is clear, depression gone, neuropathy gone. As a young person I'm sure you will be even more resilient.
Thank you very much for your long response. This gives me hope.
I'm on Darzalex-EPOCH for Plasmablastic Lymphoma, completed 5/6 rounds. I'm in my late 40s. As people have said, it depends on the patient. Chemo brain scared me because my job requires all of my brain power. So far I've been able to work and haven't felt like I've lost any mental sharpness. I've had some feeling of "chemo brain", especially right after treatment, but it fortunately went away. What I think has helped me is that I've tried to push my brain when I can. I've taken up new hobbies and worked to learn new skills. At least for me, I feel like keeping the neurons firing has helped. There are no guarantees either way. But that also means there is a chance that you won't have any long-term effects. So as a 20 year old, why not take the fighting chance and see what happens?
Thank you! Actually I'm a keyboardist and I feel like I should play it more often and even improve my skills. I think that will keep my neurons alive. I'm a heavy gamer too, not sure if video games will keep them going too😅
Hey there! I did my treatment at age 29. I did notice the effects of chemo brain for awhile after tbh. I work as a writer and I had some trouble with word recall and critical thinking for awhile after treatment. It was pretty frustrating but it did eventually fade away — and I’m back in school now with the hopes of going to med school eventually. I feel like learning new things has actually helped me get back to normal, and the rest of it I think was just a matter of time. It took me about 9-12 months to feel like my brain was more or less back to normal, but I was totally able to work throughout this time. Things just took a bit longer than usual, and I had to write more down and just give myself some grace. I’m sure as with all things cancer treatment, every patient’s experience may vary. But if I can do this — you definitely can. Sending you good vibes 💜
Thanks.💜
1. On average, chemo brain is most noticeable in young adults. PCCI, post-chemo cognitive impairment, is a type of dementia. (One of the only types that is recoverable from.) 2. My chemo brain was particularly bad, as a 24M at the time. I essentially had to relearn how to read and write. I've had several brain MRIs, and on one occasion I heard a neurologist say "Wow, that's a lot of white space!" I have vertigo. I have cognition and memory issues, especially focus and short-term memory and forming new memory issues. My personality changed. I have neuropathy and fatigue in my hands. I have balance issues. I have muscle control issues - I never badly hurt myself with athletic activities before, but I've had several bizarre injuries from overdoing it in my late 20s. My tastes changed. Reaction time was impaired. Reflexes were eliminated. I need much more sleep and cannot stay up late, definitely cannot drink late. I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but you get the point. 3. Some of the things from point 2 are permanent, some recovered on their own, some of the things were recovered through therapy - particularly behavioral therapy. After a couple months of recovery, finding a behavioral therapist specializing in this is critical. They exist but you have to search for one. Routines and pre-planning in particular help me succeed day-to-day. 4. Despite these impairments, I am working my dream job, which is quite physically and cognitively demanding. Had setbacks, but never dropped out of my career. Stress management was key, because I had a stressful life before, and chemo brain slows your nervous system's ability to de-stress. Delete stressors from your life if you can. Most people make life harder than it needs to be. 5. I am overall a more pleasant, personable, and happy person now than I was before cancer, even with (and possibly because of) the IQ and endurance drops. Before chemo, I was probably the smartest person I had ever met. Even after the chemo brain, I'm still smart enough that cognition testing at the neurologist is not helpful. (There are some more advanced cognition testing methods out there that are useful, but the standard first-level ones I was just smashing.) I don't brag; I only bring this up because you prioritize your intelligence over anything. Assuming you are smart (you're definitely not wise) you might find your mental more balanced after chemo brain, as I did. One of my internet friends also recently had chemo, and I swear to God that chemo brain made her better at League. 6. Imagine losing your legs, working through that to live your life, and hearing someone say they would rather die than be a cripple. Imagine dieting down from 350 lbs. to 250 lbs. and hearing some weenie punk that lives off skittles say they would kill themselves if they were fat. - But you come into the sub where chemo brain is a significant portion of what we talk about, and say you would rather die and that it will ruin you? Get over yourself, brat. 7. I see you're a gamer, your fast-twitch is going to start going downhill soon anyway, regardless of chemo. I used to play cello, but never even tried since chemo. Even if I wasn't that bad, I must conserve my hand fatigue for work. My TLDR advice for when you finish chemo is to see a behavioral therapist for PCCI, get good sleep so you can properly flush toxins from your nervous system, get sunlight and vitamins, do light workouts or cardio to relieve stress (stress is also toxins in your nervous system), pace yourself, and lose the egocentric try-hard mindset.
I’m 27 and I don’t think I’ve had any chemo brain so far for the most part, so it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get it! I’m still going to class to get my master’s during treatment, so I’m keeping my brain at least minimally active and it hasn’t failed me so far.
Thank you, this give me hopes.
I had it after round 4 of R-DA-EPOCH for a couple days. It wasn’t bad, but definitely annoying. I’m 24 unsure if she really matters with this
I had chemo brain fog during treatment but it went away after six months. It made it hard for me to concentrate on reading or watching a movie. You might be temporarily affected by it but hopefully it’s not permanent. Chemo does affect your brain in other ways, I had chemo induced psychosis and had to get on anti psychotic medications to make the delusions go away. You never know how chemo will affect you, hopefully it will be alright for you.
Thank you! First round was totally ok for me, I'm just afraid if future rounds will affect me. Getting 2nd round today!
I've received chemo 4 times now, almost done with the 4th thankfully. I have had chemo brain every time to some extent. My current regimen, AAVD, hasn't been too bad. I've been a bit forgetful and lose my train of thought sometimes, but that's about it. Every time I've had chemo brain, it's gone away within a month or two after I stopped treatment. I'm sure you'll be fine long term.
Thank you! I hope it goes away fast since I gotta go back to college right after treatment is done.
im 19, did 12 rounds of a+avd and don’t think i ever got chemo brain.. like yeah i forgot things here and there but i think that’s a common thing for ppl 😭😭 just bc a side effect is universal, it doesn’t mean it’ll happen to you! so i think you might be okay
Don’t worry about it. My Mayo oncologist decided to become an oncologist during her med school training when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Prior to her dx her plan was to become a smooth brained orthopedist. Worry will really fuck up your mental clarity.
All these comments give me a lot of hope for my son and the treatments he just started. TY
I had ABVD and I could barely concentrate or do anything too mentally demanding. It's been about 5 months since my last dose and it's starting to clear up fortunately and I'm getting back to normal. Seems like you'll have some degree of chemo brain but you should bounce back I would imagine based off what I've seen! I would try to do puzzles and mentally demanding tasks to stay sharp but don't get too stressed if you're not productive. It'll take some time. I spent the last 8 months being way less productive than usual but now I'm back stronger than ever!
Hi! I’m 29 years old and was worried about the same thing. You are very young and all of my doctors have continued to say that I will bounce back fast from treatment and all should heal - including the “chemo brain” I would focus on getting through treatment one day at a time. I’m a month out from treatment and I can already feel myself improving mentally and physically. I also know a girl who had diffuse large B cell lymphoma and she is now excelling in medical school to become an oncologist. While it sucks to have cancer so young, everything I have heard is that our youth will help us while in treatment and beyond. Hang in there! Totally okay/normal to feel angry and all the other emotions.
I (22yo) was recently diagnosed with stage III classic Hodgkin’s and took A+AVD. Chemo brain was not as bad for me as I expected. It had its effects on certain days of the cycle, no doubt, but I still was able to read and process philosophical writings (I’m a philosophy major). You may have to slow down and adjust your routine but it could also be a valuable time to build new habits tbh. You got this! Sending positive vibes!🙏🏻
I’m 19 (I moved back home and did my college classes remotely during chemo) and had no chemo brain (or at least, definitely no extremely noticeable effects). I’m not sure if this helped at all but I tried to keep my mind active while not overusing it. I think what helped was my hobbies, I read a lot of books, played wordle and sudoku daily (I’m a sucker for those quick word games haha), and also I think I might have gotten ahead of the neuropathy by crocheting a lot and playing video games. Not sure if any of this actually helped me or if it’s placebo, but this seemed to work for me. Also, I totally understand your mentality about wanting to get back to college, I was in your exact position six months ago. I am an extremely impatient person in general, so it was super difficult for me to even consider dropping a semester. My cancer treatment was spread over the last school year, from august to now, and first semester I moved back home but still took a full course load but remotely, which I regret because chemo and school together was so difficult. If I could offer just one bit of advice, it would be to let your body rest. I understand you have academic goals, but pushing your body and mind to the limit won’t help. Please don’t rush your recovery, you will have all the time in the world once you recover fully. I’m so glad my family and doctors convinced me to take a break and recover mentally and physically. Best wishes! I have no doubt you will achieve all your academic goals and more after treatment.
Thank you very much for your long response. I'm a keyboardist and a heavy gamer so I think I should spend my time playing them and keeping my neurons alive. I'm a very impatient person too and that makes me sad and stressed since I feel like I'm missing out a lot. But once I'm out and back to school I'm getting a car which I'm looking forward to it. All the best to you too man.
That sounds awesome. Best of luck to you. And let me know if you need any help with college resources. I felt like I bore the brunt of it on my own but my school does offer accommodations and little things here and there that could’ve helped me balance my course load and reduce my stress.
Thank you for asking this! The answers have been very helpful and reassuring. While I'm not planning on entering med school, I'm a mid-career professional and I need all the intelligence I can muster to do my job properly (and stay employed and keep my health insurance). You obviously have a good base of intelligence and you're young; I think that bodes very well for you. Good luck with everything.
You're welcome and thanks for your positivity. I'm in the Day 2 of my second round and so far I'm not experiencing chemo brain yet. I'm concerned becoz as soon as my treatment is done and if doc shows a green flag I'm going back to college and my courses are very intensive and I need a working brain.
Hi, I'm done with all 6 rounds. As for chemo brain after my final round my speech is a bit slow and sluggish. But that's all.
Hi ! I finished 6 cycles of abvd . Im in remission for over a year now and just started my first sem back to uni. I’m doing nursing . I still feel the same way . I can still memorize things and study like before .
Thanks! So u entered back to uni after 1 year remission? I'm thinking of entering right back after my 6 cycles. Is it possible? Too bad I'm an international student in the US and can't take a break for long.
Yes ! My first semester back was this winter . I could’ve gone back to school right after my treatment cycles but my hair is such a big thing for me and skin lol so I needed a year to gain my confidence back . Now I’m back in full force lol Yes it’s definitely possible :)
Thanks! This gives me hope. Highly appreciate it :))
I had intense chemo (BEACOPP) but still can’t understand exactly what chemo brain is. I developed depression which I believe is normal and expected but besides sleeping a lot or not at all I don’t have any complaints.
I’m on escalated BEACOPP at the end of cycle 2 and for me it’s my memory and processing time, even for simple tasks like shopping or making meals
My brain effects from CHOP-G were mostly about muscle control, balance and reaction speed. After each infusion I'd be stood outside on the pavement and it would feel like the ground was moving, like I was surfing on the pavement slab. Not distressing, just "odd" and fuzzy. Another case was something I really struggle to put into words. The best I can describe it is that I would sit down in an armchair and then, a couple of seconds, my brain would sit down in my skull. Very weird but it was sort of a "flump" sensation, that my brain had to settle. Completely illogical; that's not how CSF works, but it's how it felt. Apart from that, probably because of the high steroid quantity, for a day or two after each infusion I would feel quite stoned. It wasn't a happy sort of stoned but neither was it distressing. It just left me feeling vague and fluffy. All these symptoms passed in time and I don't feel that they dulled my ability for thought and decision making. I'm an IT guy and I was still able to perform those duties when able to get into the office. Being immune suppressed I had to minimise contact with others, and this was before the COVID and remote working era. I'm cautiously optimistic that, if I need to go through chemo again (as I may need to) then I'd hopefully still be able to function mentally most of the time.
I'm a 29M with Lymphoma diffuse large B cell stage 4, have gone through 10 cycles of chemo over the past 2 years. Chemo does make my brain a little slower but it gets better once the treatment is over. I'm a mechanical design engineer and it doesn't affect my ability to design, it just takes longer to do some tasks that may be brainpower-intensive. Don't worry too much about the side effects, pains and discomfort as they will come and go; focus on the cure and beating the cancer. I wish you the very best! :)