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Dealing with Nausea in Chemotherapy

Posted , 2 users are following.

zowie45501
zowie45501

Im on the third cycle of a six month treatment of folfox. On day 4-6 after they take the pump off I get horrible nausea and dizziness. I feel terrible. My only escape is sleep and then I have nightmares. I have pills to stop the nausea (otherwise I'd be vomiting) and I drink ginger tea to reduce the nausea I still get despite the pills. I barely eat anything during those four days. I cannot stand the thought of food. So it's no fun smile My question is, do you know any ways to alleviate the horrible four days after they take the pump off? Any tips would be most appreciated.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • anthony10484
    anthony10484 zowie45501

    Posted

    I'm sorry to hear of your problems, they must be quite unpleasant.  I went through the folfox procedure but did not suffer the problems that you describe.  Although I was initially prescribed domperidone tables to deal with nausea after the first cycle, I found that I didn't need them.  It sounds like you are sensitive to one of the elements of folfox and it would seem sensible to discuss this with the medical staff at the hospital.

  • zowie45501
    zowie45501

    Posted

    Thank you for your reply Anthony. I will definately discuss this with my doctor.

    Could you describe any very significant negative side-effects you did experience, if any? You talk about your experience it as if it was not that bad. I want to know so I have something to compare my experiences with.

  • anthony10484
    anthony10484 zowie45501

    Posted

    Apart from a general feeling of lassitude, the most problematic side effect was the sensitivity to cold.  I found that is affected my hands, feet and throat most.  The problem with my hands was that my fingers became insensitive so that doing fiddly things became difficult although the effect was worst on the first day of a cycle and did improve with time.  Cold drinks were a no-no!  Since my chemo took place in the winter months I found that investment in a couple of electric hand warmers helped.  Like all things, one gets used to what is happening and it becomes less of a problem as time goes on because you develop strategies to cope.  I hope this helps.  Good luck with the treatment, I hope it goes well for you.
  • anthony10484
    anthony10484 zowie45501

    Posted

    Perhaps I should add a slightly whimsical comment.  I was advised that a likely side effect was loss of hair.  As a consequence I decided that getting my hair cut was a pointless exercise, the hair loss didn't happen so I ended up with shoulder length hair - I must get round to having it cut some time.

  • zowie45501
    zowie45501

    Posted

    Hmm. Thanks for the detailed response. I get all that and can deal with it. Also I'm bald lol. It's the other stuff, and it's getting worse. I called the doctor and left a message. 

    • anthony10484
      anthony10484 zowie45501

      Posted

      At least there is one problem that you will not have to face!  All hospitals differ in the way that they deal with patients on chemo, the one that I attended had a policy of introducing patients to a Macmillan nurse who would be available to support me if required.  As it happened, I did not need to use her sevces but it was comforting to have someone available who could help with any problems.  If you haven't been introduced to such a nurse, it would be worth finding out if there is one available because although they may not know the answer to a problem they will know someone who does.

      I assume that you have a PICC line for your treatment, there is one point that you need to be aware of.  I chose to be entered into a medical trial which was looking at the potential advantages to be gained by modifying the procedure.  The normal procedure was to have surgery followed by the chemo and this was being compared with having three cycles of the chemo before surgery.  The computer making the random selections chose me to go through the modified procedure.  As a consequence, the initial PICC line was removed before surgery since I had to spend a couple or so weeks before and after the surgery without chemo.  When I went for an interview with the surgeon he noticed that my right arm had become swollen and sent me off for tests.  It turned out that I had developed a DVT caused by the removal of the PICC line and spent the next 6 months self injecting a blood thinning drug.  So, if you notice any swelling, particularly of the arm in which the line has been inserted, get it checked out rapidly.

    • zowie45501
      zowie45501 anthony10484

      Posted

      Thanks for the warning about DVT. Regarding the nausea, I think it's pretty standard and I'm just going to have to learn to suck it up. I try to just do it and not think about it. I hope you cleared of the illness. I've got two to three years of the strong possibility of recurrence. I'll have to learn to suck that up too. Until now I was still in shock. It seemed so unreal. The reality is sinking in now. Ah well. It comes to us all sooner or later. I shall endeavour to stiffen my upper lip and be as brave as I can. Sorry, I'm speaking out loud. Good luck with your recovery.

    • anthony10484
      anthony10484 zowie45501

      Posted

      With my treatment, it seems so far so good.  I've been told that there is no need for further CT scans or colonoscopies, just a 6 month blood test.  It's a bit like the old story of the chap who fell off a tall building.  As passed each floor on the way down he called out cheerfully to the people looking on 'Don't worry, everything's going fine so far!'  One just has to hope that there is a good, thick mattress at the bottom.

      I suppose we all deal with the situation in different ways.  What worked for me was to realise that there was nothing that I could do to change the situation so there was no point in getting into a state about it.  The biggest problem was the attitude of my friends and relations, they didn't really know how to act around me.  So I started to send out regular email updates about my treatment, keeping it as lighthearted as possible.  The fact that I was able to talk about the matter in an easy way made it possible for them to act normally.

      Best wishes for your treatment, I hope it goes well for you, you are in the best hands.

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