Mom's 2nd Round of Chemo - Very Sick

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tracybdppc
tracybdppc Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
My Mom started her 2nd round of chemo last Tuesday with a 6 hour chemo treatment with Carboplatin and Taxol. She tolerated the chemo fairly well during her first 3 treatments. This 4th treatment has made her very very sick for 3 days in a row. I know this is probably normal, but she had been doing so well. She is just wiped out and so nauseated. She's gotten sick several times and can't sleep. She's taking the anti-nausea medicines, however, it doesn't seem to be helping.

From your experiences, with her getting these weekly treatments, will she just continue to feel sicker and sicker?

Please forgive my naivety, I just want to do something - anything to make this easier and her feel better.

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  • Margaret Caroline 1985
    Margaret Caroline 1985 Member Posts: 17
    #2
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    Nauseated
    I was also very sick with the same two drugs. After the first dose I ended up in the hospital for 10 days. After that my M.D. prescribed Emend for me before every chemo treatment. It made a world of difference to me. If I remember right, you take one tablet ( or it can be by IV ) one hour before chemo & one tablet the next two days. Hope this helps. I took Emend with all my different chemo drugs.
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #3
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    Margaret Caroline 1985 said:

    Nauseated
    I was also very sick with the same two drugs. After the first dose I ended up in the hospital for 10 days. After that my M.D. prescribed Emend for me before every chemo treatment. It made a world of difference to me. If I remember right, you take one tablet ( or it can be by IV ) one hour before chemo & one tablet the next two days. Hope this helps. I took Emend with all my different chemo drugs.

    I have tolerated the
    I have tolerated the Carbo/Taxol cocktail really well, but my treatments have been 3 weeks apart. I can't imagine going every week. It takes me 3-4 days to completely recover from chemo.

    Carlene
  • d.lee
    d.lee Member Posts: 31
    #4
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    carbo/taxol
    hi, im sorry to hear your moms not doing well on this chemo. i didnt either. my experience on that chemo has awful. i wanted to die i couldnt get out of bed i was so sick. i could barely lift my head off the pillow. i couldnt eat i was in so much pain. i had only one treatment and i was like this. my treatments were every 3wks i was down for 7 days straight after a treatment i only had 2 treatments and i refused to have any more. i could not do it, it was horrible. so my dr. put me on doxil and it was like nite and day. my numbers went down really fast, on the carbo/taxol they didnt even move.

    i hope your mom is better soon
    best wishes,
    d.lee
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #5
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    The carbo and taxol
    The carbo and taxol treatments are pretty tough to take.

    Out of all of the treatments I've had, carbo/taxol were the worst! I would be bedridden for an entire week, but I'd bounce right back.

    I had such a hard time that my oncologist ordered emend (a great anti-nausea) medication. The dose consisted of 3 tablets. 1 before the chemo, 1 the day after and 1 on the third day after chemo. It definitely kept nausea at bay.

    Ask if she can try the "Emend", it is a bit costly (about $300.00 for the 3 tablets). But due to me being unable to afford $300.00 there was a wonderful program for individuals like me that helped by donating the medication to me. It was a godsend.

    Wishing you to stay strong,

    Sharon
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #6
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    My Mother also had a tough time
    She definitely noticed a cumulative effect that by the 6th treatment she was just miserable, but....it works and your mother will recover. Just be sure to communicate with the onc. nurse to be sure to manage the side effects. If she's throwing up a lot, she may become dehydrated..so stay in touch with them....
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #7
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    nausea
    The effects of chemotherapy are accumulative. So it is common for people to get sicker faster and longer as you continue deeper into your chemo cycles. Do you know what premeds she is on? My cancer center has a wonderful premed protocol. I was not nausea at all although I was very tired and just felt yucky for the first 7 days ro so. The antinausea medication Emend was mentioned by other posters is one of the meds my cancer center gives rountinely when you are on carbo/taxol. Hope this info helps.

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