Just Started Chemo......

donnahamblin

Hi everyone,

My husband just had his first chemo treatment that lasted 6 hours and came home with the pump. So far he's been doing pretty good and is on a break for about 2 weeks. Not feeling sick to his stomach yet however his mouth is getting really dry. He has been using the salt and baking soda mixture with water about 4 times per day. Does anybody know of anything else he can do to help sooth his mouth and prevent mouth sores? His radiation doesn't start for another month yet.

Also....Due to constipation.... he has now got hemmroids. He is using Tucks, is there anything else he can use better to help? We really appreciate any advice because it is very helpful. Thanks to everyone. This is truely helpful:-)

Donna

jim and i

preparation H
Jim didn't get hemmroids but I was blessed with them when having children and Preperation H worked best for me. You might wnt to give him a stool softner regularly as the constipation will be an ongoing problem. Jim did not take much pain meds but still suffered. Water is very inportant! Water, water, water.

As for the nausea, it usually takes at least a day for it to kick in so be prepared.

Praying your husband have smooth sailing during treatment.

Debbie

Johnyjackpot

Hi, some suppositories for
Hi, some suppositories for the roids! It's a little weird at first, but after a few it's no problem. The doc can prescribe them with a drug which helps, or just use the regular ones at the pharmacy. Also lots of water and look into Miralax.

I'm going to try Mugard for the inevatable mouth sores with rad. It's best to start this before his first rad. So get him set up now.

All these can be looked up online.

Best, John

NJR

Chemo
You say his treatment lasted six hours so I will assume that he is on Cisplatin, Docetaxel with 5FU. If that is the case then I can't stress enough that he be sure and take the nausea meds and stool softeners he has been prescribed whether he feels that he needs them or not. For a good number of Cisplatin recipients there is a 5 to 6 day lull before the storm. For me it was like clockwork. Treatment on Wed and business as usual until early Monday when my body rejected absolutely everything introduced into it.

For the Blisters and sores the two things that worked were my doctor's own concoction of Magic Mouthwash and bottles of of straight Lidocaine Hydrochloride (numbing agent) For the almost inevitable Flush (which is quite painful itself), Clotrimazole Troches worked more quickly that anything else but no matter what you do it is going to come back. Make sure you have some on hand because you can head it off at the pass with a lozenge or two if you catch it as it appears.

Thinking back I consider myself as having been ill prepared and not quite grasping the gravity of my situation. The pain free period and the "as needed" label on the nausea meds lulled me into a false sense of well being the first two treatments. What ever you do, do not allow the pain to get ahead of the pain killers. There is no need or reason to test their effectiveness by stopping them just to see if the pain is gone. As I found out there are severe consequences to that and it takes a very long and painful amount of time for them to catch back up once you've realized your mistake. For me at least, it was a mistake that was almost fatal.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Also make sure you have Protonix on hand to prevent acid reflux. It does a great job of preventing the acid from aggravating an already embattled mouth and throat.

Best wishes to you both,
Nick

P.S. Also, I have not seen it mentioned yet but Monday the FDA approved Erbitux for Head and Neck cancer with Mets. The first survival extending treatment for Head and Neck cancers in over 30 years.

Hondo

Hi Donna

Watch him with the constipation as he needs to have his bowel moving. His body has only two way of getting rid of the toxin he is getting. So this is very impotence, talk to his doctor or nurse if it continues.

Hondo

donnahamblin

jim and i said:

preparation H
Jim didn't get hemmroids but I was blessed with them when having children and Preperation H worked best for me. You might wnt to give him a stool softner regularly as the constipation will be an ongoing problem. Jim did not take much pain meds but still suffered. Water is very inportant! Water, water, water.

As for the nausea, it usually takes at least a day for it to kick in so be prepared.

Praying your husband have smooth sailing during treatment.

Debbie

Thank you Debbie. Will get
Thank you Debbie. Will get the preperation H ASAP. I stress the water with Scott every day but hearing it from others will help the cause:-) Again, thank-you!

Skiffin16

NJR
Are you sure you aren't me....

DOnna, I had very similar to your hubby, probably exactly and sounds the same as NJR..

STGIII SCC Tonsils, HPV+ back in January 2009.

Nine weeks of three week cycles of....yes, Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU in the bring home pump for four days....on Monday, off Friday.

EMEND was my anti nausea meds for the first hree days each cycle..it was awesome, never sick one time,Zofran for days after as needed.

AFter that seven weeks of concurrent weekly Carboplatin and daily rads..Amifositine Injections in the belly everyday just before the rads.

And yes...I still take the Protonix pretty much daily for the acid reflux...

My spit and rinse solution was actually hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Also, NJR... the Erbitux discussions, especially for mets and recurring cancer was in a discussion a few weeks ago. A quick search might bring the post up again.

Donna, if your hubby has a port, the first chemo session is usually the longest. Next they'll more than likely speed the pumping up faster if he can tolerate it.

Hang tough, it's a rough road, but very doable..stay positive....

Oh, and can't stress enough to stay up on the hydration, it's very easy to become dehydrated, especially during these next two sessions.

Thoughts and Prayers,
John

osmotar

Hi
Donna,

I just finished my all day rad sessions, went in at 8:30 was the last to leave around 4:30. I had Cisplatin, toxatore, and the little beast pump of 5FU from monday to friday.My treatments were once every 21 days or for nine weeks. I didn't have nausea issues, did have a low white blood cell after the first session, but that correctd. Every Friday before a monday infusion, the did labs to check the white and red blood cell counts, as well as platelets. I still rinse with the salt/baking soda mix, plus I've been using the biotene products,tooth paset, mouth wash and mouth spray.the only issue and it was mild with my mouth was every now and then the roof of my mouth felt like I had burned it, it was more ruff than sore If nothing else make sure hubby is getting enough nutrition and the onco nurse advised I drink at least 3 quarts of water, above and beyond any other fluid intake to stay hydrated. As for the constipation, they recommended stool softner, but to also add prune juice to my diet. My radiation started last tues, so far so good, but I know there will be issues down the road and have been preparing myself for them. You will find this site a great source of reference for any issues that may come about.

Best wishes to you and hubby thru this phase.

Linda

mixleader

Chemo Sucks
Hi, Donna. I use the baking soda/salt mouthwash but I also use 'magic mouthwash' which my doctor prescribed. It is benadryl, nystatin, and lidocane. Just gargle and spit it out. It helps to get the sore spots feeling better and it helps to prevent thrush. I had thrush a couple of times prior to this and it hurts. The constipation issue hit me hard also. I had two trips to the emergency room for some help as I was in extreme pain and my anxiety level was through the roof. They taught me how to do an in-home enema if things get too bad. If you get really sore down there, they gave me a creme called Calmoseptine (non prescription and sold at Walgreens). This creme makes a sore butt feel better and helps it to heal. And, they told me to keep well hydrated (avoid caffeine, which I find to be near impossible), to make sure I had good fiber in my diet, and to drink prune juice. I take stool softeners and Milk of Magnesia at night, and sometimes again during the day. I tried the Myrilax and man oh man does that ever work. I will never take the full dose again because I couldn't leave the house for three days. I am still trying to balance all of this because my chemo pills are four weeks on and two weeks off and my body has to keep re-adjusting. Hopefully, I will figure it out eventually. I asked at least four of my doctors about the constipation issue and got different answers from all, so some experimenting seems to be necessary. I think the most peace of mind I got was from the very nice and straightforward nurse who taught me how to do the enema at home. I had to actually use this new skill later that same day as I was in agony. It worked. It is certainly not pleasant, but it is reassuring to know that I can help myself through this if it gets that bad again. This problem sometimes brings chuckles and makes some people uncomfortable to talk about, but when it is severe, it is a major, major problem that has to be addressed quickly.

Roger

NJR

Skiffin16 said:

NJR
Are you sure you aren't me....

DOnna, I had very similar to your hubby, probably exactly and sounds the same as NJR..

STGIII SCC Tonsils, HPV+ back in January 2009.

Nine weeks of three week cycles of....yes, Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU in the bring home pump for four days....on Monday, off Friday.

EMEND was my anti nausea meds for the first hree days each cycle..it was awesome, never sick one time,Zofran for days after as needed.

AFter that seven weeks of concurrent weekly Carboplatin and daily rads..Amifositine Injections in the belly everyday just before the rads.

And yes...I still take the Protonix pretty much daily for the acid reflux...

My spit and rinse solution was actually hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Also, NJR... the Erbitux discussions, especially for mets and recurring cancer was in a discussion a few weeks ago. A quick search might bring the post up again.

Donna, if your hubby has a port, the first chemo session is usually the longest. Next they'll more than likely speed the pumping up faster if he can tolerate it.

Hang tough, it's a rough road, but very doable..stay positive....

Oh, and can't stress enough to stay up on the hydration, it's very easy to become dehydrated, especially during these next two sessions.

Thoughts and Prayers,
John

Thanks Skiffin
"Also, NJR... the Erbitux discussions, especially for mets and recurring cancer was in a discussion a few weeks ago. A quick search might bring the post up again."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you sir. It might be too late for me but since my post ChemoRadiation scan came back looking like the treatment didn't work, the addition of Erbitux might make another round of Chemo a potentially effective course of action. Besides, whats another 30k at this point!?

sweetblood22

Mouth Sores
L-Glutamine powder has been shown to help with mouth sores. You can check out the links in the superthread if you want to read the study. One heaping tsp in one cup water. Swish and swallow. You can get it on line or I get mine in GNC, or Vitaminworld should have it.

donnahamblin

osmotar said:

Hi
Donna,

I just finished my all day rad sessions, went in at 8:30 was the last to leave around 4:30. I had Cisplatin, toxatore, and the little beast pump of 5FU from monday to friday.My treatments were once every 21 days or for nine weeks. I didn't have nausea issues, did have a low white blood cell after the first session, but that correctd. Every Friday before a monday infusion, the did labs to check the white and red blood cell counts, as well as platelets. I still rinse with the salt/baking soda mix, plus I've been using the biotene products,tooth paset, mouth wash and mouth spray.the only issue and it was mild with my mouth was every now and then the roof of my mouth felt like I had burned it, it was more ruff than sore If nothing else make sure hubby is getting enough nutrition and the onco nurse advised I drink at least 3 quarts of water, above and beyond any other fluid intake to stay hydrated. As for the constipation, they recommended stool softner, but to also add prune juice to my diet. My radiation started last tues, so far so good, but I know there will be issues down the road and have been preparing myself for them. You will find this site a great source of reference for any issues that may come about.

Best wishes to you and hubby thru this phase.

Linda

Linda, It sounds exactly
Linda, It sounds exactly like what Scott is going through but hasn't started the radiation yet. This is great advice and he is doing everything you are doing so far. Bless you and best wishes to you as well:-)

donnahamblin

mixleader said:

Chemo Sucks
Hi, Donna. I use the baking soda/salt mouthwash but I also use 'magic mouthwash' which my doctor prescribed. It is benadryl, nystatin, and lidocane. Just gargle and spit it out. It helps to get the sore spots feeling better and it helps to prevent thrush. I had thrush a couple of times prior to this and it hurts. The constipation issue hit me hard also. I had two trips to the emergency room for some help as I was in extreme pain and my anxiety level was through the roof. They taught me how to do an in-home enema if things get too bad. If you get really sore down there, they gave me a creme called Calmoseptine (non prescription and sold at Walgreens). This creme makes a sore butt feel better and helps it to heal. And, they told me to keep well hydrated (avoid caffeine, which I find to be near impossible), to make sure I had good fiber in my diet, and to drink prune juice. I take stool softeners and Milk of Magnesia at night, and sometimes again during the day. I tried the Myrilax and man oh man does that ever work. I will never take the full dose again because I couldn't leave the house for three days. I am still trying to balance all of this because my chemo pills are four weeks on and two weeks off and my body has to keep re-adjusting. Hopefully, I will figure it out eventually. I asked at least four of my doctors about the constipation issue and got different answers from all, so some experimenting seems to be necessary. I think the most peace of mind I got was from the very nice and straightforward nurse who taught me how to do the enema at home. I had to actually use this new skill later that same day as I was in agony. It worked. It is certainly not pleasant, but it is reassuring to know that I can help myself through this if it gets that bad again. This problem sometimes brings chuckles and makes some people uncomfortable to talk about, but when it is severe, it is a major, major problem that has to be addressed quickly.

Roger

Thanks Roger. I hope we can
Thanks Roger. I hope we can get the constipation/hemroids/diareaha under control and learn what he can do and can't do for future referrence. We are thankful he hasn't gotten nasuea as of yet. Hope you continue to do well and thank you for your advice.

donnahamblin

sweetblood22 said:

Mouth Sores
L-Glutamine powder has been shown to help with mouth sores. You can check out the links in the superthread if you want to read the study. One heaping tsp in one cup water. Swish and swallow. You can get it on line or I get mine in GNC, or Vitaminworld should have it.

Great, thanks Sweet:-)

Great, thanks Sweet:-)

donnahamblin

Skiffin16 said:

NJR
Are you sure you aren't me....

DOnna, I had very similar to your hubby, probably exactly and sounds the same as NJR..

STGIII SCC Tonsils, HPV+ back in January 2009.

Nine weeks of three week cycles of....yes, Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU in the bring home pump for four days....on Monday, off Friday.

EMEND was my anti nausea meds for the first hree days each cycle..it was awesome, never sick one time,Zofran for days after as needed.

AFter that seven weeks of concurrent weekly Carboplatin and daily rads..Amifositine Injections in the belly everyday just before the rads.

And yes...I still take the Protonix pretty much daily for the acid reflux...

My spit and rinse solution was actually hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Also, NJR... the Erbitux discussions, especially for mets and recurring cancer was in a discussion a few weeks ago. A quick search might bring the post up again.

Donna, if your hubby has a port, the first chemo session is usually the longest. Next they'll more than likely speed the pumping up faster if he can tolerate it.

Hang tough, it's a rough road, but very doable..stay positive....

Oh, and can't stress enough to stay up on the hydration, it's very easy to become dehydrated, especially during these next two sessions.

Thoughts and Prayers,
John

Skiffin, sounds very similar
Skiffin, sounds very similar although he is stage 4 and has the Parkinsons on top of the cancer. It's been very difficult on him and nobody seems to be able to tell us why the chemo is affecting him in ways it shouldn't. It is litterally making his PD symptoms worse. His balance is horrible and I'm just waiting for the next fall. I'm trying to do as much as I can for him so he's not walking and falling down. I know we can do this and just hearing everybody on here with their positive messages makes a world of difference. Yesterday was my last day of work until we get over this horrible disease. The road is rough but this too shall pass. Thoughts and many prayers to you as well, Donna

donnahamblin

NJR said:

Chemo
You say his treatment lasted six hours so I will assume that he is on Cisplatin, Docetaxel with 5FU. If that is the case then I can't stress enough that he be sure and take the nausea meds and stool softeners he has been prescribed whether he feels that he needs them or not. For a good number of Cisplatin recipients there is a 5 to 6 day lull before the storm. For me it was like clockwork. Treatment on Wed and business as usual until early Monday when my body rejected absolutely everything introduced into it.

For the Blisters and sores the two things that worked were my doctor's own concoction of Magic Mouthwash and bottles of of straight Lidocaine Hydrochloride (numbing agent) For the almost inevitable Flush (which is quite painful itself), Clotrimazole Troches worked more quickly that anything else but no matter what you do it is going to come back. Make sure you have some on hand because you can head it off at the pass with a lozenge or two if you catch it as it appears.

Thinking back I consider myself as having been ill prepared and not quite grasping the gravity of my situation. The pain free period and the "as needed" label on the nausea meds lulled me into a false sense of well being the first two treatments. What ever you do, do not allow the pain to get ahead of the pain killers. There is no need or reason to test their effectiveness by stopping them just to see if the pain is gone. As I found out there are severe consequences to that and it takes a very long and painful amount of time for them to catch back up once you've realized your mistake. For me at least, it was a mistake that was almost fatal.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Also make sure you have Protonix on hand to prevent acid reflux. It does a great job of preventing the acid from aggravating an already embattled mouth and throat.

Best wishes to you both,
Nick

P.S. Also, I have not seen it mentioned yet but Monday the FDA approved Erbitux for Head and Neck cancer with Mets. The first survival extending treatment for Head and Neck cancers in over 30 years.

Thanks NJR,
Best wishes to
Thanks NJR,

Best wishes to you and I appreciate your response.

donnahamblin

Johnyjackpot said:

Hi, some suppositories for
Hi, some suppositories for the roids! It's a little weird at first, but after a few it's no problem. The doc can prescribe them with a drug which helps, or just use the regular ones at the pharmacy. Also lots of water and look into Miralax.

I'm going to try Mugard for the inevatable mouth sores with rad. It's best to start this before his first rad. So get him set up now.

All these can be looked up online.

Best, John

Can you purchase the Mugard
Can you purchase the Mugard over the counter or is it a perscription?

donnahamblin

Johnyjackpot said:

Hi, some suppositories for
Hi, some suppositories for the roids! It's a little weird at first, but after a few it's no problem. The doc can prescribe them with a drug which helps, or just use the regular ones at the pharmacy. Also lots of water and look into Miralax.

I'm going to try Mugard for the inevatable mouth sores with rad. It's best to start this before his first rad. So get him set up now.

All these can be looked up online.

Best, John

Can you purchase the Mugard
Can you purchase the Mugard over the counter or is it a perscription?

Crazymom

New patient
Hi Everyone

I just found out today that I have head and neck cancer. They did a biopsy on my lymph node and found cancer. I will go to MD Anderson in two weeks and hopefully find the primary tumor. Then the treatments. I am scared. I have full time job and two kids. Times are going to be tough.

longtermsurvivor

Crazymom said:

New patient
Hi Everyone

I just found out today that I have head and neck cancer. They did a biopsy on my lymph node and found cancer. I will go to MD Anderson in two weeks and hopefully find the primary tumor. Then the treatments. I am scared. I have full time job and two kids. Times are going to be tough.

Hi Crazymom
Welcome to the community. The overwhelming start to this journey has likely got you in a tailspin right now. You will find lots of help on this board, including advice on drumming up resources and coping with all this things coming at you right now. You should post this message again as a new thread. That way it will get a lot more notice and responsee, not being hidden down here.

Best wishes to you, and welcome.

pat

jtl

Crazymom said:

New patient
Hi Everyone

I just found out today that I have head and neck cancer. They did a biopsy on my lymph node and found cancer. I will go to MD Anderson in two weeks and hopefully find the primary tumor. Then the treatments. I am scared. I have full time job and two kids. Times are going to be tough.

lymph node
That is how mine was intitially diagnosed. I felt a lump (swollen node) under my jaw and I had it checked out. I had no pain or other symptoms. Pet scan located the primary, a very small spot on the right tosillar fossa which is a technical way of saying throat. Sounds like you are in good medical hands and welcome to the club that no one wants to join. Good luck!
John