Curious about cisplatin

AZANNIE said:

Congrats on completing treatments! Now the healing can begin! Sorry about your chemo experience. I had mitomycin and 5FU. I did okay with the chemo. It was the radiation that caused problems for me, but actually the chemo probably intensifed the effects of radiation. I ended up in the ER, too - 2 times. The second time I was hospitalized. I'm almost 4 months post treatment and doing much better.

Just thought of something
Were you given any anti nausea medication before chemo? They gave me something before starting chemo (don't remember the name) and then I had a prescription for nausea - compazine. When I was in the hospital I was given Zofran which helped.

Little bitty tiny bit of nausea . . .
But I had the Mitomycin/5FU cocktail. Got just a little green, but didn't have to take meds for it. Food tasted 'off' for about a week, maybe 2.

I'm so sorry you've been so sick to your stomach. It's hard enough enduring all of this without having that level of stomach sickness to contend with.

Blessings to you.

(Ah,ha! Just read your comment about drinking. Well, that explains it. Beer and I have been friends for a loooooong time. :))

angela

mp327 said:

Alcohol
If I had only known that previously drinking alcohol before going through chemo would help avoid nausea! lol!

Nausea
I'm sorry about your nausea, I had the myto also, and I haven't had a drink since 2-14-88, now I'm sure you'll figure out that I probably had plenty to drink before that, and I didn't have to take nausea pills but once or twice, and otherwise I was fine. I did have the metallic taste in my mouth. I wish you well. Lori

Cisplatin
I had a very similar reaction to the Cisplatin. For the longest time I attributed it to the 5FU but didn't find out what it really was until I started Cisplatin in conjunction with the Radiation. The vomiting was so forceful that the Ensure they were giving me via PEG came out my tear ducts and into my eyes. Cisplatin is a very formidable poison but without it and an initial dosage that was double what is normally prescribed I wouldn't be here as they had already told my daughter that there was little hope that I would make it beyond the first treatment. In fact, they gave me the treatment and placed me in a hospital hospice room.

The strangest thing about the Cisplatin that I found was that I felt no ill effects until after the 5th day each time.

Rej0328 said:

Cisplatin
You have made me feel so much better. I thought I was the only one. I was violently ill with it, but you are right we needed it to save our lives. I thought I was a whimp. I couldn't even brush my teeth, that would also make me vomit. Thank you so much.

You're Welcome
No, you're by no means the only one. According to the nurses and doctors on my team, Cisplatin is one of, if not the harshest of all the chemo drugs but for cancers such as mine (tonsil which had spread to multiple lymph nodes)among the most effective in taking a tumor down in size so that it can be treated further. Strangely however in my case, without radiation it's ability to cure is nil.
Greater minds explained to me that my reaction was due to the dosage that I received, however people with smaller dosages do indeed have severe reactions to this drug. We all have different genetic makeups, different states of health and about a dozen other things that we have no control over how we react to it.
Up until a relatively short time ago Chemotherapy with Cisplain was done strictly on an inpatient basis. If you read any of the forums where Cisplatin is the chemo of choice (head and neck for one) you will find that a large percentage of those who take it wind up in the emergency room and the hospital after one or two treatments, especially when done in conjunction with Radiation. This is why they do not give any other of the combination chemo drugs when radiation is used.

Best of luck to you. Rest assured though, you're never alone.