Dear Dr. Geffen, Does chemotherapy and/or radiation cause personality changes? I checked on the web and many sites come up in Google, however, the pages are so numerous to read that I cannot find the copy within them. Whenever I receive chemo, I feel like I'm going through extreme PMS (so says my husband), even though I am recently post-menopausal and haven't experienced these symptoms in many, many years. I find that I am hyper-sensitive, emotional, and get easily upset, although those who are closest to me have not provided much support and I originally felt that was the real reason. It seems to me that it may be a combination of both. I am also diabetic which I know can cause a hormonal imbalance when the glucose is off, and the chemo definitely threw that off! I am trying to sort this all out as I see relationships crumble around me. Last week was my last (4th) round of chemo (4 days each, 24/7). The recent biopsies I had showed no evidence of the 4" tumor I had in my rectum which I'm thrilled about. I'm hurting deeply though from the lack of support and sensitivity that I've had around me these past 5 months since diagnosis. Now that it's all behind me, I can't see a future in front of me. Please help if you can.

Dear EvelynDTP :  I am not doctor but a patient as you are.  I had Stage IV lung cancer and went through 7 and half weeks radiation therapy and 4 rounds chemotherapy(8 days each round).  I wanna tell you that sometimes it is all us, the patient, ourselves who have problem with our mood control.  It happened to me too at first.  I also had the bad time and couldn't sleep at all due to the back pain.  I also had 3 months without period.  The chemo drug does affect our body system and you will get better soon.

 Don't lose faith in you.  If your husband and your doctor and your friends never lose faith in you, how can you lose faith in yourself.  You should plan some future project in front of you, then go for it.  I wish you can feel better and enjoy life!
 

I think that right now you are going thru alot mentally anyways and not getting much support makes things harder. Keep your head up and in time this will pass. 

I am a stage III lymphoma patient with type 2 diabetes.  I have had seven chemos, CHOP-R, spaced three weeks apart.  I am due to have my eighth and hopefully final chemo the day after Thanksgiving.  Between my fifth and sixth chemo I had to go to the hospital for extremely low white blood count.  While in the hospital I received two units of whole blood.  After leaving the hospital, I felt great!  I felt like my old self.  There were things I wanted to do.  People I wanted to meet.  I felt I had a life again.  My blood count was normal, my sugar levels were normal, I was normal.  I am not normal now and feel like I have for most of my treatment which is feeling weak and useless.  The pain is not helping my overall quality of life either.  Pain pills help for an hour and a half or so.  I am short tempered and fault finding.  I sometimes wonder if it is all worth it.  Yep, my life on chemo.  The hormonal imbalance from high blood sugar coupled with the hormonal imbalance caused by all of the drugs coursing thru my body do not make me feel like life is all that great.  The only thing I have going for me is the way I felt while my blood chemistry was very normal.  I have been told that it takes months to get back to normal after stopping chemo.  I should be 'normal' sometime in January.  I hope what you are experiencing will rectify itself with time.  Your lack of support is not fair.  You need that support.  It is not your fault that you have cancer and what chemo has done to your personality.  Keep the faith that it will get better.