Need advice for my mom

LucyAnne06

Hello,

My mom is going through chemo for stage 2 fallopian cancer and is having a really hard time with the treatment. She is sick for at least 5 days, she can't keep anything down and she is either completely constipated or has diarrhea. She is also having incredibly painful abdominal cramps. We have told all of this to her doctor but he simply tells her to ride it out.  Nothing we try seems to help, so any advice is much appreciated. 

 

Thank you, 

Lucy 

Lou Ann M

So very sorry

that you mom has to go through this.  I was given presciptions for several drugs before I even started chemo one was Ondansatron (Zofran ) and the other was proclorprazine. Both for nausea.   My oncologist recommended Miralax for constipation.  Imodium for diahhrea. also a pain med for bone and muscle pain.    Ask the chemo nurses, sometimes they have great advice.  I also had severe abdominal pain for awhile after each round of chemo.  It did go away after a short time.  Sending hugs and prayers for you and your mom,  she is lucky to have a caring daughter like you.  Lou Ann

bluesmama

Hey there. Sorry to hear

Hey there. Sorry to hear about your mom. What chemo drug(s) is(are) your mom on? I've been on cisplatin and that was rough. Carboplatin + Taxol is easier at first but it does accumulate and has been tougher for me as I get more chemo. Some people breeze through it. Some don't. Most experience something in between. To a certain extent, yes, we have to "ride it out" but most times, it can be made easier. 

There are many anti-nausea drugs and sometimes it's a matter of finding the right mix. Please make sure your mother is taking them around the clock. I set alarms even at 2:30AM to wake myself up to make sure I take my Zofran every 8 hours during the toughest cycles and I used Ativan/Compazine to help me get through peak periods of sickness. Also, please make sure your mom stays hydrated. It sounds like she's having a tough time keeping anything down but it is so incredibly important that she drinks a minimum of 2 liters if not up to 4 liters a day. If she can't, then insist on getting IV fluids. Your doctor/nurse should be aware of this. 

Tiny bits of food also helps. I usually wake up with an empty stomach and feel sick in the morning if I don't eat anything quickly. 

Prilosec and Gas-X helps with nausea too if you've got symptoms of heart-burn and gas. Constipation can make you feel worse so Miralax has helped me also. I needed all three to help with certain pelvic pains. 

 

Kvdyson

Lucy, honestly, if my gyn-onc

Lucy, honestly, if my gyn-onc had told me to "just ride it out", I would have found another doctor. Not knowing your mom's entire story, it may not be fair to generalize but there are so many medications out there to counteract the side-effects of chemo that it seems unlikely that there is nothing that can help her. Staying hydrated is a MUST with chemo. If she is vomiting, then she is not staying hydrated and could end up in the hospital. Maybe you can call the office back again and ask for the oncology nurses. They tend to have more insight (and empathy) on ways to help manage the side effects.

Kaleena

Kvdyson said:

Lucy, honestly, if my gyn-onc

Lucy, honestly, if my gyn-onc had told me to "just ride it out", I would have found another doctor. Not knowing your mom's entire story, it may not be fair to generalize but there are so many medications out there to counteract the side-effects of chemo that it seems unlikely that there is nothing that can help her. Staying hydrated is a MUST with chemo. If she is vomiting, then she is not staying hydrated and could end up in the hospital. Maybe you can call the office back again and ask for the oncology nurses. They tend to have more insight (and empathy) on ways to help manage the side effects.

I'm with you.  Telling a

I'm with you.  Telling a patient to "ride it out" is just not right.   There are ways they can give medicines or reduce the dosage.   We just did that with my husband.  They never adjusted his second round of treatment with his weight loss after surgery.   We complained - they adjusted and now he is able to handle it.   I feel for your mom and you Lucy.   But there are alternatives, or at least let you try.

Soup52

Lucy, I'm in agreement with

Lucy, I'm in agreement with the others. There are definitely good meds for avoiding nausea, so make sure they are being prescribed. Also, I'm with the others that the nurses can often give great advice as far as constipation and diarea. I'm not sure if anyone mentioned taking probiotics which some people feel are helpful. It's a tough road, but your mom is lucky to have you there to help.