Indegestion

Nov. 8

 

I was diagnosed Nov. 8 with stage 1.  While that is the good news, where the cancer is located is the issue.  A tumor around my spine from T4 - T12.  I had been in so much pain and had been to two different spine Dr. and they both missed it.  From my waist down before treatment started was numb and tingly.      I have just finished my 2 round of R-chop. I do have a power port.

 

I did not have the Chemo fog the second time around just really tired.   I cannot find anything thing that tastes good to eat.  Anything with sugar is like poison to my lips, it makes me want to hurl.   I am finding that things with gluten also seem to make me sick.  So at the moment, I can eat pretty much fruits and veggies.   What I would like to know is does anyone have terrible indigestion? I take a couple of small bites of anything and it feels like it is stuck just below my throat and then I belch for hours.  Loud, hard, sometimes painful belches.   I have over the counter stuff as well as a script for antacid.  Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.  I feel very un-lady like and just tired of feeing like everything I gry to eat is stuck in my throat

 

PBL

Your symptoms

Hello Nov.8,

I am not a medical expert, but it seems to me you may be describing two different phenomena: one would be a side effect of your chemo (the all-too-familiar to me distortion of taste, loss of appetite); the other might be related to the location and perhaps volume of your tumor. T4 to T12 would correspond to the lower half of your oesophagus, which could explain the notion of food remaining stuck in your throat. Have you tried a semi-liquid diet (veggie soup, yoghurt, apple sauce) and ingesting small amounts really slowly?

In any case, you may want to ask your doctor about these symptoms and see what s/he has to say.

Hang in there.

PBL

lindary

eating

Food tasted flat to me except for spicy foods like like Mexican or Indian. For the times I didn't feel like eating at all I would have mac & cheese. I know some survivors who ate french fries if nothing else. I avoided potatoe in any form because they made me gag. I never had a feeling of food stuck in my throat. I think PBLs suggestion about eating softer foods and semi-liquid would be a good try. I defnitely think you should mention it to your dr. Given your situation it would be wise to see what your Dr. thinks of the problem. 

 

 

yesyes2

Preds and Indegestion

Welcome Nov. 8, but sorry you have a need to join this club.

Prednesone can and does cause stomach problems for many people.  I have a long history of digestion problems and when I was on RCHOP I had major issues with indigestion, GERD and general pain in my gut.  If you have a sensitive digestive tract preds will make it worse.  Chemo attacks fast growing cells all over your body, not just cancer cells.  And your digestive tract cells are fast growing so please also keep this in mind.  I also agree with Lindary that it's always a good idea to pass any issues by your doctor.

 

GSP2

Be careful

There is a difference between "heartburn" and the sensation of food getting stuck. Please mention this to your doctor.

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

PBL said:

Your symptoms

Hello Nov.8,

I am not a medical expert, but it seems to me you may be describing two different phenomena: one would be a side effect of your chemo (the all-too-familiar to me distortion of taste, loss of appetite); the other might be related to the location and perhaps volume of your tumor. T4 to T12 would correspond to the lower half of your oesophagus, which could explain the notion of food remaining stuck in your throat. Have you tried a semi-liquid diet (veggie soup, yoghurt, apple sauce) and ingesting small amounts really slowly?

In any case, you may want to ask your doctor about these symptoms and see what s/he has to say.

Hang in there.

PBL

Convoluted

Nov 8,

I agree with the other writers here that your symptoms almost certainly dervie from more than one problem.  Some chemo drugs cause dysgeusia (distortions in the sense of taste), but seldom after only two doses.  I lost all sense of taste later in my r-abvd therapy, but this began around the fourth or fifth infusion, not before.  This can be the classic "metal mouth," or just as easily, some other sensation.  My mouth felt like it was full of salt all the time, for months. I even later got a sense of my mouth being full of blood, but it was not -- no blood was present.

Chemo kills rapidly growing cells, such as constitute the protective lining of the stomach. This almost always yields nausea, however, not indigestion. Nauses is very easily controlled with meds now, for over a decade.

"Chemo fog" is ordinarily something that kicks in only late, after long-term chemotherapy, not after one or two infusions. The fatigue you describe can happen on Day 1, however.    

To extend from T-4 to T-12 would require a mass of nodes, a heavy concentration.   I broke my back at T-9 years ago, and have two totally collapsed, adjacent disks now, so I know how odd the sensations that spinal problems can produce.  Until my nerves regrew properly, I was having arm and shoulder spasams, all kinds of bizarre symptoms that the neurologist said he could not treat. 

It is at least conceivable that the escophagal stricture is neurological, but doubtful.  If your oncologist can't address these issues, ask to see a gastrologist.  But feeling good or eating well or even normal on heavy chemo is a rarity.  Chemo-induced anorexia is common, an adversion to most, or sometimes all, foods. Food fetishes result from this: cravings. Most doctors I have spoken with say eat what you are craving: some calories and energy are better than none.

Prednisone skews and confuses this typical result, and causes many problems of its own. Therefore, almost any appetite situation is possible.

max