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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Undergoing Chemotherapy. Prescribed Steroids To Increase Appetite, Gain Weight. Sweating A Lot. Side Effects?

My brother is having chemotherapy for lung cancer and has been prescribed steroids to increase his appetite to help him gain weight, which seems to be working. However, he is also having between 4 and 6 ensure drinks every day, as well as his meals and he is also sweating a lot everyday. Could that be a side effect of the chemo therapy or could he be overdoing the ensure drinks? I am aware that sometimes people overdo it with their vitamin and mineral supplements and wondered if that could be possible with these drinks. Thanks C Campbell
Mon, 18 Mar 2013
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Oncologist, Radiation,  's  Response
Hi,
The actual diagnosis of your brother is not mentioned here, lung cancer may be of two major types, small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer. Anyway, chemotherapy regimens are different in these two disease. Steroid can rapidly increase the body weight but there is no uniform consensus regarding its use for this indication, that depends on treating physician. Steroid use can have side effects like excessive sweating, consult your oncologist for dose modification if he/she thinks so.
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Undergoing Chemotherapy. Prescribed Steroids To Increase Appetite, Gain Weight. Sweating A Lot. Side Effects?

Hi, The actual diagnosis of your brother is not mentioned here, lung cancer may be of two major types, small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer. Anyway, chemotherapy regimens are different in these two disease. Steroid can rapidly increase the body weight but there is no uniform consensus regarding its use for this indication, that depends on treating physician. Steroid use can have side effects like excessive sweating, consult your oncologist for dose modification if he/she thinks so.