Week 2 treatment

Suez39
Suez39 Member Posts: 165 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

On day 3 week 2 of treatment. First week chemo brutal! Have chemo every Friday and last weekend had dry heaves took nausea meds didn't work. Could not eat or drink for 3 days. Peg tube got clogged due to nausea meds not totally disolved. Ugh.. They had me go to the hospital for IV infusion. Even on my rad days I try to drink but I have to force myself because stomach feels queasy. As far as rads I have little dry mouth fatigue and little taste. The norm. It's the chemo that my body seems to reject. If anyone had similiar issues can you please give me any suggestions? Doctors are relying on nausea meds which don't help. Thanks for listening! Hugs to ya!!

 

Comments

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    edited April 2018 #2
    Chemo is rough

    About the only thing that worked for me was the scopolamine patch and before I tried it I had the same problem with dry heaves the first round and vomiting continuely the 2nd. I did have to go in several times for rehydration also but could swallow ok thru the whole treatment so I was lucky there.

    Wish I had more suggestions for you Suez to get thru this dear.

  • pmsakom
    pmsakom Member Posts: 25
    #3
    Nausea Medicine

    Hey Suez,

    I’m sorry the nausea is already getting you.  It started around middle of week 2 for my husband.  He struggled greatly getting the right medicine.  Finall, after 4 days of throwing up we went to the ER.  We were there for many hours but, the best thing came from it.  They gave him fast dissolving zofra.  Regular Zoltan had done nothing to help him but the fast dissolving was a life saver...until the mucus got really horrible at the end at least.  

    Have you considered THC?  I,be read others on here have had success with it.  Unfortunately, my husband‘s Work prevented him from trying it.  

    Don’t give up on the nausea medicine yet though, they have so many different ones.  You’ll find what works best.  

    Good luck and stay strong!

    Melissa

     

     

  • debbiel0
    debbiel0 Member Posts: 134 Member
    #4
    I also had a lot of trouble

    I also had a lot of trouble with nausea.  The meds helped some. Part of my problem was the feed rate set on my peg tube.  They wanted me to be at 100 - 125 ml per hour but anything over 80 ml per hr would set off a vomitting spell. Once we figured that out, it did get better. I wasnt allowed anything by mouth for 10 weeks, so it was crucial to find the right speed for hydration and nutrition.

    maybe a long shot but something to ask about.

  • DanceSkater
    DanceSkater Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2018 #5
    debbiel0 said:

    I also had a lot of trouble

    I also had a lot of trouble with nausea.  The meds helped some. Part of my problem was the feed rate set on my peg tube.  They wanted me to be at 100 - 125 ml per hour but anything over 80 ml per hr would set off a vomitting spell. Once we figured that out, it did get better. I wasnt allowed anything by mouth for 10 weeks, so it was crucial to find the right speed for hydration and nutrition.

    maybe a long shot but something to ask about.

    So different

    It's amazing how different many of us are with our peg tube experiences.  I dump  250 ml  of Isosource 1.5 with fiber and 300 ml of water in my tube all in a litle less than 15 minutes total.   I use a syringe without the plunger and just let the fluid flow by gravity.  (3 times a day now .... it was 4 times)    I also dump an additional 250 ml of water in my tube about 3 or 4 times in a 24 hour period.  I've never had even a touch of nausea caused by the peg tube.  

  • pmsakom
    pmsakom Member Posts: 25
    #6
    One More Thing

    Reading Danceskater’s post reminded me Of another thing that helped - I can’t believe I forgot this!  Hubby was on 1.5 for his tube feeding and we were only able to use the big syringe, one or two at a time before he would get nauseous.  About 5 weeks into treatment the nutritionisn’t tried switching him to 1.2 and it was like switching a light on.  He was easily able to tolerate whole containers in the gravity bag.  

    I don’t remember if you have a PEG but wanted to add that, just in cast.  

    Stay strong!

    Melissa

     

  • Darkdancer333
    Darkdancer333 Member Posts: 115 Member
    #7
    i have been carbo/taxol and i

    i have been carbo/taxol and i guess lucky i have had no nausea after three treatments. My main problem is sore throat and phlegm

     

  • Suez39
    Suez39 Member Posts: 165 Member
    #8

    Thank you all for your input. Tomorrow we try another chemo day. Nurse told me that they will give me nausea meds through IV. And I will be taking nausea med in the morning for my radiation. Fridays tough days but we'll see how good the meds work this time. Have 25 more rads and 5 more chemo to go. Seems like an eternity! Lol But I always try to stay positive and sometimes my sense of humor breaks through.

     

  • kmadlom
    kmadlom Member Posts: 20
    #9
    Darkdancer333 said:

    i have been carbo/taxol and i

    i have been carbo/taxol and i guess lucky i have had no nausea after three treatments. My main problem is sore throat and phlegm

     

    Sore Throat & Phlegm, yes

    @darkdancer333

    My wife is having  horrible problems with throat pain and phlegm. She feels like she has a lump in her throat and it triggers her gag reflex. Any fluids or nutrition at all are becoming extremely challenging.

  • Darkdancer333
    Darkdancer333 Member Posts: 115 Member
    #10
    Suez39 said:

    Thank you all for your input. Tomorrow we try another chemo day. Nurse told me that they will give me nausea meds through IV. And I will be taking nausea med in the morning for my radiation. Fridays tough days but we'll see how good the meds work this time. Have 25 more rads and 5 more chemo to go. Seems like an eternity! Lol But I always try to stay positive and sometimes my sense of humor breaks through.

     

    drink a little ginger ale

    drink a little ginger ale that helps to soothe the stomach

  • Maryzact
    Maryzact Member Posts: 4
    #11
    chemo

    hi i am starting my chemo on tues, and a lttle scared just got done with the 15 rads, last thursday.   I can really relate to you.I am just looking forward to it all being done with , i just focus on all the postive as i think its 90% of the outcome. with the nausia i used dandilion  root tea and honey . and od course the prescribed the doctor gave me., but i felt like the tea really helped me.

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