Dear Dan,
I am on Decadron(dexamethasone) however my dose may not be what your mom is on. I take Decadron once a week and the day I take it I feel jittery and anxious. I also don't sleep for two days following it. I use an antianxiety medication called xanax to help me sleep for those two days. It helps. There is also another medication you can ask about called ativan. It will help her relax and feel more in control. Your mom should not have to suffer these side effects without some relief. I am a nurse and have seen these medications used successfully on patients and this is how I knew to ask about them when I began the Decadron. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask your mom's physicians for something to help her. If they don't see this agitation as a problem then I would find other oncologists. This is a quality of life issue and your mom deserves to have the best quality of life she can have.
Cindy