Can't stop vomiting, even though radiation and chemo complete

hikerbiker75
hikerbiker75 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My partner just finished her treatments--chemo and radiation. She had 3 induction chemos which also involved wearing a chemo bag for five days, then 7 follow-up chemos, and 37 radiation treatments. She vomits several times a day very explosively(no exaggeration), even when she has absolutely nothing in her stomach. In that case it's just this pea-green liquid. She has a little bit of soup or maybe some Boost every other day,which comes right back up violently. I am worried that maybe her feed tube wasn't put in correctly (the doc wasn't all that great) or that the radiation has damaged her beyond help. Is her reaction normal? Her radiologist told us her cancer is gone--now I am afraid that she won't make it because of the treatments. If anyone has any advice, or words of wisdom or experience with this situation, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. I am becoming increasingly scared every day. Thank you.

Comments

  • victor53
    victor53 Member Posts: 97
    #2
    Nausea meds such as zofran
    Nausea meds such as zofran were good for me .
    A feeding pump set on slow thru my tube helped also.
    Ask about home hydration i assume she has a port for injections they just leave the little needle thing in and give you kits to flush it and IV's you can do at home.

    I didnt like the boost and canned nutritions.
    I made and still make my own that i drink now but used to put down my tube.
    This is the mix i dumped down my tube twice a day now i double up the amounts and just drink 1 a day

    From GNC i get the Amplified Muscle Meal and use a 1/2 a package
    From GNC SuperFoods Supreme powdered fruits and veggies one scoop
    2 scoops Reliv Now its a powdered vitamin i get online from a company called Reliv
    1 teaspoon of freeze dried black razzberries from Stokes Berry Farms in Ohio i get it from there website
    2 shot glasses of pure Aloe juice
    A couple of tablespoons of flax seed oil
    A couple of tablespoons of Fish Oil
    A capsule of tumeric with bromilin
    1 baby asperin
    Then in one of those big shakers from GNC i add the rest water to the top about 24 ounces in total
    I am almost a year past treatment and feeling great.
    The absolute worse was where you are at right now the couple of months after radiation i didnt believe id ever get better.
    Stay on the doctors and nurses just keep battling to get fluid and nutrition in her. There are some aroma tricks ive heard people say work such as orange peels and ginger i believe.
  • MLC53
    MLC53 Member Posts: 109
    #3
    The exact same thing happened to me. At first we thought it was a reaction to all the pain medications I was on. But several months after treatments we found that I was vomiting because my esophagus had been severely constricted by the radiation. I had to have a Gastro doctor dilate my esophagus. It took several times because he had to do it slowly to prevent tearing of the esophagus. However, after the very first one I stopped the vomiting. Have your doctors recommended having a Barium Swallow test done to see if your esophagus is constriced?
  • train-nut
    train-nut Member Posts: 101
    #4
    A lot of us
    had visits from Mr. Barf. Your partner's problem, however, seems substantial enough to merit consulting with a member of the care team. Hydration and nourishment are too important to recovery to take any chances with. The sooner the better. Hope it goes well. Rich

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