› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Yervoy: Has anyone else experienced this??!!
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- July 29, 2011 at 9:32 pm
Hello All,
My mom has completed 4 infusions of yervoy and we are waiting to get the report back on her scans any day. A couple things have changed recently and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this after being on yervoy for a while.
Hello All,
My mom has completed 4 infusions of yervoy and we are waiting to get the report back on her scans any day. A couple things have changed recently and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this after being on yervoy for a while.
1. She is really confused: She can't tell the difference between tylenol and clorospectic throat spray; she can not remember any of the medicine she has been taking daily. My mom is only 44 years old and before this took LOTS of meds for asthma and kept up with everything to a "T". We are having to assist her with meds and remind her frequently of who she's talking to, etc.
2. We ordered liver function blood work and it came back only slightly "off". She is stage IV with mets in liver, spleen, lungs, rt. kidney, bones, and lymph nodes in the neck. We have not had a scan in over 3 months (since before we started yervoy). She's in lots of pain, with new spots popping up here and there, although they seem to be growing more slowly than usual. We've been having to help her walk around and she doesn't make it very far until she's back in bed.
3. Has anyone else experienced this degree of confusion and forgetfullness while on yervoy? She is on 30mg. of morphine 3 times a day and takes more if needed in between. But the confusion and forgetfullness is persistent, even when she hasn't had much pain med. For example, this morning she had a 30 mg. morphine at 9 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. she was confused about her medicine. So, I feel like the morphine is not causing the confusion, it just knocks her out for about an hour after she takes it.
Okay, I hope this wasn't too long or confusing! Thanks in advance for any help!
Stephanie
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- July 29, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Stephanie,
I have not taken Yervoy. I have to ask you if you've contacted her Dr about this confusion. I don't want to scare you but when my mom had breast cancer she started getting very confused. She had so many Doctors (many different issues going on) I didn't know who to call so I called my own GP for suggestions. He told me to call her oncologist immediately. THey got her in the next day for a brain MRI and we discovered she had brain mets. I hope this is not the case for your mom but you do need to contact her Dr.
I do hope this isn't the case but you do need to let her oncologist know.
Linda
Stage IV since 06 NED 2 months
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- July 29, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Stephanie,
I have not taken Yervoy. I have to ask you if you've contacted her Dr about this confusion. I don't want to scare you but when my mom had breast cancer she started getting very confused. She had so many Doctors (many different issues going on) I didn't know who to call so I called my own GP for suggestions. He told me to call her oncologist immediately. THey got her in the next day for a brain MRI and we discovered she had brain mets. I hope this is not the case for your mom but you do need to contact her Dr.
I do hope this isn't the case but you do need to let her oncologist know.
Linda
Stage IV since 06 NED 2 months
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- July 30, 2011 at 2:16 am
Hello Stephanie,
Most of your answers can be found at
http://www.yervoy.com/patient.aspx
Best wishes,
Gene
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- July 30, 2011 at 2:16 am
Hello Stephanie,
Most of your answers can be found at
http://www.yervoy.com/patient.aspx
Best wishes,
Gene
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- July 30, 2011 at 3:38 am
Stephanie, I am concerned that your mother hasn't had a scan in over 3 months. However,
as you are waiting for a report can I assume that she has just had PET and CT scans?Unfortunately, confusion and forgetfulness are serious symptoms that might not be
related to Yervoy. I don't want to alarm you, but they could be signs of impending
liver failure. Please tell your oncologist about these new symptoms so that a
proper diagnosis can be made as soon as you can.Take care
Frank from Australia
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- July 30, 2011 at 3:38 am
Stephanie, I am concerned that your mother hasn't had a scan in over 3 months. However,
as you are waiting for a report can I assume that she has just had PET and CT scans?Unfortunately, confusion and forgetfulness are serious symptoms that might not be
related to Yervoy. I don't want to alarm you, but they could be signs of impending
liver failure. Please tell your oncologist about these new symptoms so that a
proper diagnosis can be made as soon as you can.Take care
Frank from Australia
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- July 30, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Thanks to all for the information. To answer a couple questions, yes we have contacted two of her doctors to let them know about the confusion. Hospice originally thought it was liver failure and we ordered the blood work and they said her numbers were only "slightly off". We are waiting for the CT scan results to come back. She was scanned on Wednesday and no results were delivered to the oncol. by yesterday afternoon. My fear is also of brain mets because of the swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Also, she has been having lots of sinus drainage into her nose and throat for the last 3 weeks.
Other family members are convinced the Yervoy is causing her symptoms. I have read the symptoms and it does say that in some cases patients have reported confusion and memory loss. We've been reporting her symptoms frequently to her doctor, just waiting for results which is torture!
Stephanie
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- July 30, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Thanks to all for the information. To answer a couple questions, yes we have contacted two of her doctors to let them know about the confusion. Hospice originally thought it was liver failure and we ordered the blood work and they said her numbers were only "slightly off". We are waiting for the CT scan results to come back. She was scanned on Wednesday and no results were delivered to the oncol. by yesterday afternoon. My fear is also of brain mets because of the swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Also, she has been having lots of sinus drainage into her nose and throat for the last 3 weeks.
Other family members are convinced the Yervoy is causing her symptoms. I have read the symptoms and it does say that in some cases patients have reported confusion and memory loss. We've been reporting her symptoms frequently to her doctor, just waiting for results which is torture!
Stephanie
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