Me again! Did anyone have a reaction after the 1st chemo session?

Jobi

Hi, Sisters!

I had my first drip today of A/C. Shortly after receiving the meds, I developed a headache which she said was sinus related/side effect. Now I just feel like I have a mediocre case of Acid Reflux. I have been drinking water, and now I am eating crackers, but I don't feel that great. I ask because the nurse kept insisting that I would be fine today and tomorrow. Is this atypical?

Dorene

AMomNETN

1st
Dorene,
Not sure it is atypical. It is different for each one of us. We are unique after all. Please take your anti-nausea(sp?) as directed for tonight and maybe tomorrow. I didn't have many stomach issues. Always said I had a cast iron stomach. LOL If no relief by noon or so you might want to call back to make sure. I was never one to call the dr. unless it was really bad. If you think you should call tomorrow. Do you have to have a Neulast shot? I hate to say this but mine didn't really kick my butt til about 3 days after chemo. I only went once every 3 weeks so by the time I felt better it was time for another round. You will make it. You are in my prayers. Hope this helped a little.

Janie

LoveBabyJesus

1 Down, but who's counting...
Hi Dorene -- Glad you are done with your first chemo. Congrats.

I experienced a horrible headache for the last 30 minutes of the infusion. It was so bad I wanted to throw up. They suggested I take Tylenol 2 hrs before. Honestly? It didn't work for me. It may work for you, but please consult your Dr. first.

I also had pretty bad acid reflux. They came, I want to say, a few times after three of my treatments. Then they stopped. I took the over the counter meds for this. Again, please consult with your Dr. as some of these meds may have chemicals that interfere with the chemo - makes it less effective. Crazy, huh?

Tomorrow you will probably get your nulesta shot. UGH. I disliked that shot so much I didn't take the last one, after the taxol. They gave me the option, and I said NO THANKS. But my blood counts were balanced. You have to be sure your numbers are OK - blood count - for all your treatments, as I am sure you already know. Don't be scare if your entire skeleton hurts after it. It feels like flu symptoms. Sucked for me for three days, two days after chemo. But again, everyone is different. Don't be afraid. But if you are worried, call your Dr. Some people say taking anti-allergy pills help you with the side effects...always consult with your Dr. before taking any meds.

I hope you feel better soon. It will pass. This usually takes a couple of days to 3-4 days. And some treatments are better than others. So this might be your worst. At least I am praying it doesn't get complicated from here on.

Keep taking your anti nausea pills, even if you don't feel sick to your stomach. Very important. Remember to drink and eat in SMALL portions, frequently. This too helps.

Good luck and feel better!

Rague

'Brain Freeze'
Ask them to slow down the infusion rate of the Adriamycin next time. It is known for causing 'brain freeze' (like wen you eat smething really cold too fast) and slowing it down helps. I was told about it in the Education and reminded by my chemo nurse for the first time - pain tell me, will slow it down. Yeah it hit me and it was slowewd and was gone. The next 3, they ran slower and no problems.

Be sure you take ALL your anti-nausea meds. What were you given? Hopefully Emend is included in them. Are you doing Neulasta? All it did to me was make me go to sleep for 2 hrs 2 hours after injectionn. Many do have a lot of pain from it and they have siad that Claritin helps.

Susan

Jobi

Rague said:

'Brain Freeze'
Ask them to slow down the infusion rate of the Adriamycin next time. It is known for causing 'brain freeze' (like wen you eat smething really cold too fast) and slowing it down helps. I was told about it in the Education and reminded by my chemo nurse for the first time - pain tell me, will slow it down. Yeah it hit me and it was slowewd and was gone. The next 3, they ran slower and no problems.

Be sure you take ALL your anti-nausea meds. What were you given? Hopefully Emend is included in them. Are you doing Neulasta? All it did to me was make me go to sleep for 2 hrs 2 hours after injectionn. Many do have a lot of pain from it and they have siad that Claritin helps.

Susan

Education
Thanks Susan for the info. Oddly enough, I really did not get an education session - from anyone at the office. So I asked a lot of questions. When I met with the oncologist, he really just said few words, and wanted to make sure I was comfortable, which is fine, but I thrive on information. No one talked to me about the pace of the dripping, or the headaches or anything. Now I know next time, I will ask for a slower drip. I was only there from 9 - 12:30. I was originally told that the first drip would take 5 - 6 hours. Ugh! A little frustrating.

I did take my meds,and I had an Emend drip yesterday. I go for the Neulasta shot today. We did talk about Claritan. I knew to ask that question because of the wonderful Pink Ladies; that info was not offered. I will take Claritan before I go.

Thank you so much!

Dorene

DianeBC

AMomNETN said:

1st
Dorene,
Not sure it is atypical. It is different for each one of us. We are unique after all. Please take your anti-nausea(sp?) as directed for tonight and maybe tomorrow. I didn't have many stomach issues. Always said I had a cast iron stomach. LOL If no relief by noon or so you might want to call back to make sure. I was never one to call the dr. unless it was really bad. If you think you should call tomorrow. Do you have to have a Neulast shot? I hate to say this but mine didn't really kick my butt til about 3 days after chemo. I only went once every 3 weeks so by the time I felt better it was time for another round. You will make it. You are in my prayers. Hope this helped a little.

Janie

I didn't have chemo Dorene
I didn't have chemo Dorene so I can't help you with your question. I do want to say congrats on getting your first chemo done!


Hugs, Diane

DebbyB

Mucinex
I would take Mucinex before chemo and it would help with the sinus headache. I got one the first time and then one of the nurses said to try the Mucinex and it worked.

Rague

Jobi said:

Education
Thanks Susan for the info. Oddly enough, I really did not get an education session - from anyone at the office. So I asked a lot of questions. When I met with the oncologist, he really just said few words, and wanted to make sure I was comfortable, which is fine, but I thrive on information. No one talked to me about the pace of the dripping, or the headaches or anything. Now I know next time, I will ask for a slower drip. I was only there from 9 - 12:30. I was originally told that the first drip would take 5 - 6 hours. Ugh! A little frustrating.

I did take my meds,and I had an Emend drip yesterday. I go for the Neulasta shot today. We did talk about Claritan. I knew to ask that question because of the wonderful Pink Ladies; that info was not offered. I will take Claritan before I go.

Thank you so much!

Dorene

OOPS - My Bad!
Sorry - I got it bass-askward. It's not the Adriamycin that can cause 'brain freeze'/head pain - it's the Cytoxan. Mah po' ole knoggin got befuddled fo' a bit but got itself back together.

I am really surprised you didn't get Education before infusion. There is so much info you should have. Before A/C I had an hour long one on one with one of he RN's - before Taxol a 1/2 hour ReEducation class to cover the different drugs. I was given a 46 page notebook that's divided into General Information, Lab Information, When to Seek Medical Attention, Side Effects, Nutrition and Coping/Support Group Information. Was also given 26 pages of info on A/C and the drugs used with it (25 pages for Taxol). We basically went through every page of it all line by line with important things being highlighted. (One thing they were very emphatic about in the Adriamycin papers was NO Grapefruit or Grapefruit juice. I didn't pay much attention to the reason as I hate grapefruit so no chance of me having any anyway.)

Susan

Rague

Jobi said:

Education
Thanks Susan for the info. Oddly enough, I really did not get an education session - from anyone at the office. So I asked a lot of questions. When I met with the oncologist, he really just said few words, and wanted to make sure I was comfortable, which is fine, but I thrive on information. No one talked to me about the pace of the dripping, or the headaches or anything. Now I know next time, I will ask for a slower drip. I was only there from 9 - 12:30. I was originally told that the first drip would take 5 - 6 hours. Ugh! A little frustrating.

I did take my meds,and I had an Emend drip yesterday. I go for the Neulasta shot today. We did talk about Claritan. I knew to ask that question because of the wonderful Pink Ladies; that info was not offered. I will take Claritan before I go.

Thank you so much!

Dorene

OOPS - My Bad!
Double OOPSIE - MY Double Bad - Double Post!
Susan

Alexis F

Rague said:

OOPS - My Bad!
Sorry - I got it bass-askward. It's not the Adriamycin that can cause 'brain freeze'/head pain - it's the Cytoxan. Mah po' ole knoggin got befuddled fo' a bit but got itself back together.

I am really surprised you didn't get Education before infusion. There is so much info you should have. Before A/C I had an hour long one on one with one of he RN's - before Taxol a 1/2 hour ReEducation class to cover the different drugs. I was given a 46 page notebook that's divided into General Information, Lab Information, When to Seek Medical Attention, Side Effects, Nutrition and Coping/Support Group Information. Was also given 26 pages of info on A/C and the drugs used with it (25 pages for Taxol). We basically went through every page of it all line by line with important things being highlighted. (One thing they were very emphatic about in the Adriamycin papers was NO Grapefruit or Grapefruit juice. I didn't pay much attention to the reason as I hate grapefruit so no chance of me having any anyway.)

Susan

How are you doing now
How are you doing now Dorene? I pray better!

Melaniedoingwell

typical
there is no typical!!

After my first chemo I did get sick but I had had worse flu, I had had food poisoning worse than that!

Keep hydrated, keep rested, keep your spirits up.

My first neulasta injectin I had somehow gotten into my head this vision of a 4 inch long 3/4' diameter drill bit or something and when I actually received it I had to laugh at myself afterwards. It was nothing! So fine a needle and I really didn't feel it. They had told me at Moffitt to have it, that it was important and I had one after each chemo-coctail; 6 of them.

Good luck!

Fitzpatrick

Chemo
I did have side effects, I have friends who mostly did not. As instructed, I took the nausea pills for 3 days, when I stopped taking them, I got nauseated. I called the dr, they said to stay on them as long as I needed, so I did. I did not get headaches. What I did have is body burning, and extreme stomach cramping. I called the oncologist's office each time something occurred. They gave me a prescription for that. They seem to have meds for all the side effects. I had extreme diarrhea, again they gave me a prescription. I'm sorry you are going through this, just remember, always let them know, they usually will give you a prescription to help. I found over the counter purchases never helped for chemo side effects.