Chemo, steroids and dope!

greine

My sister has relapsed Multiple Myeloma, cancer of bone marrow, and started new chemo drug 3 weeks ago, Velcade, and is also on dexamethazone (steroid). She smokes marijuana on a daily basis too. Currently, she finds it very hard to sleep and is up most nights rearranging things in the house and is very edgy. She has been very abusive to my parents and other siblings over the holidays (verbally and physically). I realise that she is very anxious and probably angry about being ill and has not fully accepted being ill. She was always vivacious but she is now totally out of control, insulting everyone she meets, crying, hyper, paranoid, really erratic behaviour and just like someone who's on the verge of some kind of breakdown.

I spoke to her GP yesterday and she gave me some anti depressants/tranquilisers to help her sleep but I'm not sure if this is the right route. The GP didn't answer my concerns about smoking dope while having all the chemo drugs in her system, she either didnt know how they interact or did not think it was important. I'm at a loss as to what to do, she is being counselled but I don't think she is totally honest with her cousellor about her recent outbursts. She can appear to be coping in front of her doctors and strangers and tell them what they need to hear but she is a nightmare when at home and I am fearful for her and her young children. We are a very close family and have dealt with trauma before, but this is tearing us apart as she has given most of my siblings so much grief over Xmas and my parents too, they are now reaching a stage where they have to back away for a while from her or they will lose patience with her. I really want to help her cope but don't know what to do, any advice?

ps.. maybe some of the doctors/pharmacologists could tell me what effect these drugs would have on her, and the interaction with each other??

Thanks.

caff

I dont think its likely there have being enough studies done on the interactions between those drugs and the pyschological effects they would have coupled with any kind of anxiety and stress she is coping with