Weekly Cisplatin + Radiation?

jlc356
jlc356 Member Posts: 1
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi - my husband was just diagnosed with P16+ in February and just started treatment this week - Daily Rad + Weekly Cisplatin.  Is any one else doing weekly Cisplatin treatments? I'm worried about how naseous and tired he has been since his treatment - if it will be like this every week - since there is no 'bounce' back times between treatments?

Comments

  • Sprint Car Dude
    Sprint Car Dude Member Posts: 181
    #2
    Yep.

    I had 37 rads and 7 Cisplatin tx. I had nausea and of all things hiccups for 2-3 days post Chemo. The hiccups wore much worse than the nausea. Crazy, I know. You kind of get used to it. I think some of the nausea comes from the thick mucous that is in the posterior throat as well. Good Luck.. Just my 2 cents worth.  

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    #3
    I was diagnosed with SCC base

    I was diagnosed with SCC base of tongue at stage 3 with neck node involvement at 46 years old (finished treatment about 6 months ago).

    I did 35 rads and Cisplatin. I choose the 3 big doses instead of weekly doses. I didn't like the atmosphere in the chemo suites and I needed to work during treatment. I also did not do a PEG tube nor a chemo port.

    I had some nausea, but I quickly started using medical regulated THC (marijuana). As a result I didn't throw-up once during treatment. I did have big coughing fits though and thought I was going to throw-up from the severe coughing. Then I started sipping Hydrocodone in liquid form if I coughed and it went away immediately for hours.

    My effects from chemo were like having a mild flu. They told me I looked like hell, but honestly I just felt like sleeping. The mucous was probably the worst side effect besides swallowing.

    While the THC helped, also keeping your calories and hydration up is key.

    Unfortunatley, people react individually to chemo.

  • hlrowe
    hlrowe Member Posts: 80
    #4
    Chemo

    I had 35 rads, 2 Guys/day, 6 per week and 1 treatment of Cisplatin 50 mg/m2 IV weekly. With that low a Cisplatin dosage I didn't experience any chemo nausea. Kept my hair but it did shed more than usual during treatment.

    However, the radiation will cause a lot of fatigue. It causes your body to metabolize like crazy. During treatment I worked at home (remote login to the hospital I work at (patient finance). I tried at least 20 hours per week but some weeks could only manage 10 - 15 hours due to fatigue. 

    It's tough but you will make it through!

     

  • QueenieJ
    QueenieJ Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Nausea meds and hydration are KEY

    My husband is on the same treatment regimen (once-weekly Cisplatin on Mondays and 5x week radiation, M-F) and we just finished our third week. He's on a regimen of nausea meds that begin an hour before infusion and go on schedule for 4 days. He takes Emend, Zofran, Decadron, and Pepcid - that's Mon through Thurs. He feels the cruddiest on Fri/Sat. We determined that keeping him hydrated helps, since the extra hydration infused with the chemo seems to really perk him up. Mondays and Tuesdays are actually his highest energy days. Since water started tasting terrible, so we mix EmergenC ElectroMix into it and he sips all day. 

    Dry mouth and taste changes have been the most bothersome side effects, so we invested in a Vitamix and he's enjoying soups and smoothies the most.  We've also started supplementing with formula through his feeding tube and he pushes extra water through the tube as well. I hope your husband feels better!!

  • dwp155
    dwp155 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2018 #6
    Nausea

    26 rad 6 cispatin.  I took an anti nausea daily throughout treatment.  I had pretty bad heartburn so they put me on omerpresol.  Fatique will be a daily part of your husband's life for awhile.  The worst being the 2 weeks after treatment ends.  2000 calories a day and 2 liters of fluid minimum!  Drip Drop is a hydration helper available on-line or at Walgreens.  I am 5 months post treatment and begining to feel normal again.  I did not have a PEG tube and survived on ensure, peanut butter, grits and chicken rice soup.  Also Throat Coat Tea, you can buy it in any grocery store in the coffee tea isle.  Serve it with honey - I was a life saver.  If you want to read about my journey I did am doing a blog www.cancerguy.blog, it starts at diagnosis, runs daily during treatment and has come back to weekly.  Good luck - it is tough but doable.

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 446 Member
    #7
    I chose 3

    I went with 3 big doses, week one was so-so, basically because we are given steroids, and me on steroids is something akin to the energizer bunny, only worse..

    week 2 I was worn out, week 3, I was feeling semi-normal, and week 4, I got hit again...

    Now, was I tired due to the chemo/rads, probably? Or was it the insanity of steroids? 50/50 probably.

    (I kid you not, I was given steroids many years ago for pneumonia, I had the whole apartment we were in at the time, cleaned, top to bottom, floors waxed, in under 3 hours... steroids and me.. weeeee)

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