whole brain radiation side effects

sandee · Regular Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Florida

My 60 yr old mother was diagnosed last November with NSCLC Stage IV with brain metastases. She did 4 rounds of chemo, 5 hr iv drips every 21 days. The last treatment was Feb 23. The chemo made her very weak and tired with severe neuropathy in her feet. This makes walking a challenge for her. She uses a walker and has a lift chair.

Sadly, she started whole brain radiation April 3, one day after my dad's memorial service. (She took care of him as he battled a glioblastoma brain tumor for 3 1/2 years.) We thought she might want to recuperate from the chemo and the trauma of losing her husband. But she is scared and wants to get on with the treatment.

My concern is that, in addition to the fatigue, she now is experiencing some loss of balance. She has fallen twice this past week. Both times she fell straight back. We don't think it is weakness causing the fatigue because her legs don't buckle..she just falls straight back.

The radiation oncologist says that they won't do an evaluative CT scan until 6 weeks after radiation ends. She has completed 10 of 15 sessions and is very shaken from her falls as she takes great care to walk carefully and plan her path.

Has anyone else seen this balancing problem? Is it from the radiation?

I've been reading this forum since November and have learned so much. Thanks for any information you may share.

frazierld

Sandee,
My mom received whole brain radiation as well and she had terrible problems with her balance--she started falling down, too. It got worse as time went on. She also started having memory problems. However, I'm not sure whether the balance problem was from the radiation or from one of the tumors growing in the "balance" area of her brain.

I'm sorry about your dad.

Lynne

deba · Regular Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 28

Sandee,
My dad had whole brain radiation too and experience balance problems. The tumors tend to swell during and after radiation and that can add to the balance and memory problems. Dad balance is much better since the tumors have now shrunk (certainly not gone, but smaller) and he hasn't had radiation in about 2 months now. The memory is still a problem and probably always will be. Although it is better since he has finished radiation. The doctors should have your mom on steroids to help control the swelling of the brain tumors during radiation and also my Dad is on a relatively new prescription food supplement called METANX which is very high doses of B12 and niacin and other vitamins to help with memory loss. My heart goes out to you!

Deb

sandee · Regular Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Florida

Lynne, thanks for sharing. As the falling didn't begin until radiation, we wondered if that was the cause. She has only one lesion at the front of her brain. The radiation doctor told her a few days ago that it has decreased in size. That really cheered her up. We were told to expect some short term memory loss and haven't noticed that yet. Did your mom finish her radiation treatments?

Thanks about my dad. We miss him so much.

Sandee

sandee · Regular Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Florida

Deb,

Yes, my mom was put on steroids as soon as they found the brain lesion. She can't wait to stop taking them as her face and neck have swelled so much. I'll pass on the information about the METANX. What was it prescribed to him for?

Thank you so much for sharing your dad's experience with radiation. I"m glad to hear his tumors shrunk.

Sandee

deba · Regular Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 28

Sandee,
The Metanx is VERY high doeses of B complex vitamins and niacin. It helps with memory loss and recall. It also seems to help a little with energy. The radiation oncologist was the one who put Dad on this and we have just continued it. My dad has 11 tumors in his brain - all small - but still there. The radiation was tolerated very well by Dad, so I hope your mom tolerates it well too. Best of luck and if you need any more info, please let me know.
Deb

frazierld · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 4:19 pm Post subject: radiation

Sandee,
My mom finished her radiation treatments. I can't remember how many there were but it seems like we went M-F for about 3 weeks. The radiation made her tired and she vomited a lot. As soon as the radiation was over, she started on 6 months of chemo. Her 5 brain lesions shrunk after the radiation but it seems like when they grew again about a year later, they grew REALLY fast. My mom lived for 14 months with Stage IV lung cancer with brain mets. Everyone was very surprised. I'm thankful I had so long to spoil her. She never had trouble breathing, did not cough or wheeze or anything.
Mom swelled so bad on the steroids, her dentures didn't fit! She was so embarrassed, she walked around the house with a surgical mask on. After the doctor lowered her dose, the swelling went down.
I'm praying for your family,
Lynne

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