Chemo 1 Down, 3 to Go!! How about Acupincture??

Hi Maureen,
I had 4 treatments of AC starting last January, and the night of my first treatment I threw up for 12 hours straight, and felt pretty sick for 3 or 4 days after that. I heard about acupuncture to relieve nausea, so the morning of my next treatment I had acupuncture done (my treatments were in the afternoon), and I did much better. I continued having acupuncture throughout my AC treatments, and by the 4th one I didn't throw up at all and I was eating the next day (a huge improvement). After my AC was finished I still would get treatments every so often to boost my energy level, and it also helped a lot if I was feeling anxious. I finished all my treatments in Aug and I continued with acupuncture for a month or so to help the energy level. I would highly recommend it if you can find a good practitioner. I became totally convinced when I went in for a treatment one day after I had had no appetite for a few days and was feeling very anxious, and after I was laying on the table for about 20 minutes with the needles in, I became famished, and I went home and ate like a pig! It really settled my nerves and stomach!

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Lisa

Maureen I tried accupuncture after chemo to quit smoking since I had tried many times before and not a heavy smoker. I had just been smoking off and on since I was a very young little girl. So that was it I lived through the chemo so now had to do something for myself to help myself so new smoking had to go. I was at a point that I felt it killing me with ever drag. So someone said I should do accupunk three little pokes in the ear. Well I had to go find the guy who had been doing it the longest and had to be an MD too, my choice. I found a man who had been practicing for 40 years at the time and had even worked for NASA in the 70's. HE had to be good. Well it was the worst experience in my life. I had been honest about my ordeals with cancer and found it to be a little like chineese torture. I am very sensative anyways but... I was infected at each needle wound. I quit smoking but swear it is due to pain association with the accupunture. It was nothing I had felt ever and I had already had a mastectomy that was very painful for me. I have allot of nerve involvement so not a good thing. Not everyone has this affect but I was looking for a nice calm little prick thing not needles and being hooked up to electrodes. I still say it was worth it since I gave up that terrible habit. I still see some good in the cancer ordeal too, as much as good there is bad is all.
Be good to yourself,
Tara

nh49erfan said:

Chemo and acupuncture
Maureen,

I'm scheduled to begin chemo (TC) in about two weeks. I've been looking for an acupuncturist in NH as I've heard that the acupuncture works really really well to mitigate side effects of nausea and pain. My mother has a friend who received treatments the day before chemo and had virtually no side effects. Even my oncologist said that acupuncture is the complimentary therapy that seems to work the best in dealing with side effects. Good luck with treatment.

Hello, NH49erfan,
I'm not sure Maureen will respond. If you'll notice, she posted about acupuncture in 2002! I hope she's doing well as a 7-year survivor today!

I would say to go for the acupuncture. I've heard it can have very good results for nausea, pain and other chemo side effects. I wish I had done it while going through treatment. You might want to ask your onc. if she recommends anyone. Acupuncture is practically mainstream medicine these days and doctors even have referrals. Good luck with treatment, and keep posting!

Mimi

BunnyJane said:

Accupuncture
I am half way through TC treatments (every three weeks) and a friend (who just completed chemo for ovarian ca) recommended accupucture. She indicated that the accupunture treatments helped her manage pain, focus on healing, and rid herself of negative thoughts. I talked to my onc. about it and she said that I could have accupunture on my 'good' week (week before treatments), but not during the two weeks following treatments, due to infection risk. I also practice yoga, another complementary therapy. I have an accupuncture appt. in a few weeks and will let you all know how it goes. Namaste- Jane

The main thing about
The main thing about acupuncture is just be sure and check with your oncologist before you would do it. It is best to get their ok.

Leeza