Nausea and Cisplatin -Help!

Options
twinklepigs
twinklepigs Member Posts: 11
edited October 2015 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hello everyone. My husbands last of 35 proton radiation tratments is tomorrow. YAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!! We can finally go home after 8 weeks out of town!

His last chemo treatment of low dose of Cisplatin was 6 days ago and he is miserably nauseaous. Any ideas how to calm his stomach or when the nausea starts to subside? He s taking Zofran but hard to keep anything down, even water, broth and/or medications. He sips water and Ensure at this point and has to conentrate on not getting sick. Worried about packing up the car and getting him home ok :-/ Any suggestions for nausea...my driving already makes him sick as it is lol

Comments

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #2
    Options
    Nausea

    First off...hooray! You did it - 35 treatments done, boom!

    We used Zofran too, but during the worst of the nausea they prescribed a steroid (decadron) to help with the more severe nausea. Also sometimes Ativan helps (it had the added benefit of helping my husband sleep also).

    Talk to the docs before you pack up the car, they may be able to give him something that works a little better than the Zofran. The severe nausea will subside after the chemo runs its course. My husband still fights nausea, but it is more from what he perceives as excess mucus in the espohagus that drains downward overnight, or sometimes when he feels too full from the tube feed. Thankfully his bouts of nausea are becoming less frequent.

    It must feel absolutely wonderful to be going home! Safe trip and happy trails!

    Barbara

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    Options
    He needs more or different

    anti-nausea meds.  I had Zofran...but also had Ativan, Compazine....and for really bad nausea I had Emend.  Let the Oncologist know how bad the nausea is and that the Zophran isn't hitting it.... so they can prescribe him something else.

    p    

  • twinklepigs
    twinklepigs Member Posts: 11
    #4
    Options
    Not thinking straight

    It's amazing that I didn't even think about a new and different med or calling and asking the doctor for help. Thanks for the suggestions ladies! I guess I am not thinking straight and can clearly use your help. Will call the doctor in the morning. Thanks :-)

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #5
    Options
    twinklepigs said:

    Not thinking straight

    It's amazing that I didn't even think about a new and different med or calling and asking the doctor for help. Thanks for the suggestions ladies! I guess I am not thinking straight and can clearly use your help. Will call the doctor in the morning. Thanks :-)

    Switch

    A switch to compazine may do the trick. Safe travels

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #6
    Options
    Phenergan

    worked well for me.., days I had three chemos (Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU were my EMEND days, for 3 days..., that stuf was awesome.., considering it's about $150/capsul.., LOL.

    Promethazine is the generic form of the brand-name drug Phenergan, used as an antihistamine, sedative, and anti-nausea drug. 

    John

  • jakesaround
    jakesaround Member Posts: 34
    #7
    Options
    Skiffin16 said:

    Phenergan

    worked well for me.., days I had three chemos (Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU were my EMEND days, for 3 days..., that stuf was awesome.., considering it's about $150/capsul.., LOL.

    Promethazine is the generic form of the brand-name drug Phenergan, used as an antihistamine, sedative, and anti-nausea drug. 

    John

    phenergan worked for me when other meds failed...

    like John said Phenergan is da bomb. Basically once the nausea is on your it's hard to recover so you need something very strong and phenergan was the answer for me to turn the tide on the nausea flood. It will knock you out so just be prepared for your hubby to sleep good and when he wakes up 5-8 hours later he will feel good.then just contine with the zofran and compazine and hopefully he will be fine. Also in case no one mentioned it the compazine and phenergan are in the same family of anti nausea meds so don't mix them too closely together. my doc told me to take 2 zofran at say 8am the 1 compazine (10mg) four hours later at say noon then 2 more zofran at 4pm then a final compazine at 8pm. This is safe to do as long as needed and these are not habit forming meds so no worries there. If I am feeling a little sick one day I will skip the 8pm compazine and substitute 1 phenergan and everything gets back on track.

    congrats on your hubby finishing his treatment tomorrow and I hope you guys have a good nights rest.

    jake...

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #8
    Options
    jakesaround said:

    phenergan worked for me when other meds failed...

    like John said Phenergan is da bomb. Basically once the nausea is on your it's hard to recover so you need something very strong and phenergan was the answer for me to turn the tide on the nausea flood. It will knock you out so just be prepared for your hubby to sleep good and when he wakes up 5-8 hours later he will feel good.then just contine with the zofran and compazine and hopefully he will be fine. Also in case no one mentioned it the compazine and phenergan are in the same family of anti nausea meds so don't mix them too closely together. my doc told me to take 2 zofran at say 8am the 1 compazine (10mg) four hours later at say noon then 2 more zofran at 4pm then a final compazine at 8pm. This is safe to do as long as needed and these are not habit forming meds so no worries there. If I am feeling a little sick one day I will skip the 8pm compazine and substitute 1 phenergan and everything gets back on track.

    congrats on your hubby finishing his treatment tomorrow and I hope you guys have a good nights rest.

    jake...

    Compazine

    For whatever reason, my husband couldn't take compazine or olanzapine...they made him hallucinate. At first he was mumbling something about hepectomies and signing charts in the air...but later I distinctly heard him say he sunk a putt for 18 feet out. It was good to know he was able to balance work and play even while he was hallucinating! After that it was Zofran with some Decadron for us, and Emend the day of chemo.

     

    The point is, there's a lot out there and something will work.

     

    Hope you are safely home sweet home Twinkle...

    Barbara

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
    Options
    Barbaraek said:

    Compazine

    For whatever reason, my husband couldn't take compazine or olanzapine...they made him hallucinate. At first he was mumbling something about hepectomies and signing charts in the air...but later I distinctly heard him say he sunk a putt for 18 feet out. It was good to know he was able to balance work and play even while he was hallucinating! After that it was Zofran with some Decadron for us, and Emend the day of chemo.

     

    The point is, there's a lot out there and something will work.

     

    Hope you are safely home sweet home Twinkle...

    Barbara

    Something That Works..

    My onco always told me.., if I had something going on, she had something for it..., and she always did.

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 615 Member
    #10
    Options
    Glad you are home

    Glad you are home; let the healing begin! It's funny how we try to avoid medications when we're healthy, but when cancer comes calling, it's "Drugs! Give me drugs!" Mucinex is another one that might help since the excess mucus that forms after radiation can cause nausea. Tell your husband to spit out the glop if he can. A non-drug method, acupuncture, totally took away my queasiness, much to my surprise  (and happiness). I hope you find something that will work well for him. 

  • twinklepigs
    twinklepigs Member Posts: 11
    #11
    Options
    Thanks everyone!!

    Well, my husband is feeling better but, omg, I was really scared for a minute there. Turns out he had not had a bowel movement for several weeks and was so plugged up I think he was beginning to poison himself!! He finally felt so bad he was willing to do something about it. Against our doctors advice to go to the emergency room for a manual clean out and enema's, we went to a profession colon irrigation therapy session with a board certified therapist. It worked and once we got his insides moving we switched to Compazine as many of you recommended and then we drove for 2 hours to get IV hydration and steroids and then he started drinking and eating again. We did the colonic irrigation on Monday and he has been getting better every day. Eating, drinking and having regular bm. TMI...I know...but thank you for your advice with the Compazine. We are getting through it!!

    PS- he has no throat pain...is it due to the Protons...i don't know?? They radiated the crap out of him and he's doing pretty good (fingers crossed)

    Thanks guys!!

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #12
    Options
    twinklepigs said:

    Thanks everyone!!

    Well, my husband is feeling better but, omg, I was really scared for a minute there. Turns out he had not had a bowel movement for several weeks and was so plugged up I think he was beginning to poison himself!! He finally felt so bad he was willing to do something about it. Against our doctors advice to go to the emergency room for a manual clean out and enema's, we went to a profession colon irrigation therapy session with a board certified therapist. It worked and once we got his insides moving we switched to Compazine as many of you recommended and then we drove for 2 hours to get IV hydration and steroids and then he started drinking and eating again. We did the colonic irrigation on Monday and he has been getting better every day. Eating, drinking and having regular bm. TMI...I know...but thank you for your advice with the Compazine. We are getting through it!!

    PS- he has no throat pain...is it due to the Protons...i don't know?? They radiated the crap out of him and he's doing pretty good (fingers crossed)

    Thanks guys!!

    Glad to hear he is doing better!

    Not sure about Compazine...but many pain meds will cause constipation, so stay on top of the situation. Hopefully the rest of his recovery will be smooth sailing.

     

    Barbara

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #13
    Options
    twinklepigs said:

    Thanks everyone!!

    Well, my husband is feeling better but, omg, I was really scared for a minute there. Turns out he had not had a bowel movement for several weeks and was so plugged up I think he was beginning to poison himself!! He finally felt so bad he was willing to do something about it. Against our doctors advice to go to the emergency room for a manual clean out and enema's, we went to a profession colon irrigation therapy session with a board certified therapist. It worked and once we got his insides moving we switched to Compazine as many of you recommended and then we drove for 2 hours to get IV hydration and steroids and then he started drinking and eating again. We did the colonic irrigation on Monday and he has been getting better every day. Eating, drinking and having regular bm. TMI...I know...but thank you for your advice with the Compazine. We are getting through it!!

    PS- he has no throat pain...is it due to the Protons...i don't know?? They radiated the crap out of him and he's doing pretty good (fingers crossed)

    Thanks guys!!

    Pain meds and anti-nausea meds.....

    both guarenteed to stop a person up.  Never worry about talking about constipation on here....I think I started a post way back when titled "Let's talk about bowels"....LOL.  Never in my life have I ever faced going to the can with a shiver of fear....not until treatment.  Glad he's feeling much better.

    p

Discussion Boards