vomiting

SmithMama2
SmithMama2 Member Posts: 48
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
OK, here is a question. Have others who have completed chemo/radiation been troubled with vomiting? My husband was hardly queasy through his whole treatment, but here we are 11 days after treatment, and he throws up almost every day sometimes twice a day. He thinks it is coughing related as he is usually ill after particularly bad coughing spells. But it fully empties his stomach and it makes him shaky afterward. I am still giving him compozine to help with this nausea, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. He went back to the infusion center last week to get IV fluids, although he is still getting his 3 liters of water a day. Nothing has changed regarding what he is getting through his PEG tube. I am using the same cans of liquid nutrition and the high cal shakes that I make each day.

Do others find this post treatment symptom to be typical? The docs didn't tell us to expect this. I am in close contact with his doc. They also took an xray and a blood culture, both of which seemed fine.

Karen

Comments

  • train-nut
    train-nut Member Posts: 101
    #2
    The Barfs
    Karen,

    The last two weeks of radiation and the three weeks following it were the toughest for me. I had wet and dry heaves. Something called Compro helped. Best of health, Rich
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #3
    train-nut said:

    The Barfs
    Karen,

    The last two weeks of radiation and the three weeks following it were the toughest for me. I had wet and dry heaves. Something called Compro helped. Best of health, Rich

    I get the coughing fits
    I'm about three weeks post radiation and get the coughing fits where I don't think it will ever stop. They always begin when I'm drinking something. I stop short of vomitting. I think its related to narrowing of the esophogus due to the radiation particularly on my primary side. It may just be swollen tissue reacting. I think its probably pretty common although I'm sure very unpleasant. It always makes me think I'm going to cough out a piece of lung or something. If there is no blood associated with the coughing fit i think its something that will get better as he heals further.
  • trish07
    trish07 Member Posts: 138
    #4
    A new Med...
    Apparently compazine is not going to work. I would contact the Dr. and request a couple of different nausea meds to try. Perhaps Zofran and Ativan. I gave my husband Zofran on a regular schedule and used the Compazine in between doses of the Zofran only if a little boost was needed. I gave him the Ativan at night before bedtime [ Ativan helps them sleep ]. Try different meds until you find one that works for him and give it on a round the clock regular schedule. Easier to prevent nausea than trying to fight it once it has taken hold.

    Take Good Care, Trish
  • jeb54321
    jeb54321 Member Posts: 22
    #5
    trish07 said:

    A new Med...
    Apparently compazine is not going to work. I would contact the Dr. and request a couple of different nausea meds to try. Perhaps Zofran and Ativan. I gave my husband Zofran on a regular schedule and used the Compazine in between doses of the Zofran only if a little boost was needed. I gave him the Ativan at night before bedtime [ Ativan helps them sleep ]. Try different meds until you find one that works for him and give it on a round the clock regular schedule. Easier to prevent nausea than trying to fight it once it has taken hold.

    Take Good Care, Trish

    Choking on mucous
    Sounds like we're at about the same stage.

    What confused me about all this is that my body is in constant flux. Fortunately, I've been able to sense things like the difference between choking and nausea. I've finally gotten past the nausea stage (mostly, though I still have delicate moments) but its become very clear to to me that all my recent vomiting has been from choking on mucous.

    I have a Gtube, and I am not eating or drinking ANYTHING by mouth. I've realized that this is causing buildup in my throat which turns into a cough when my pain meds wear off. I believe that its irritation at the healing site. I tried desperately to use my tried and true cocktail of Zofran, Ativan and pain meds (and Compazine at night to help me sleep), but over time, only the pain meds really work. Last night between my "favorite", Dilaudid and a 12.5 Fentinel pain patch (which I had let accidentally run out) I slept like a baby (I still take my "cocktail", but mainly because I haven't weaned off of it yet).

    There are a couple other tricks I learned. A humidifier is vital. As a "rescue", I take a wash cloth, rinse it in hot water, and cover my mouth and nose and breath through it. The extra moisture really helps.

    Lastly, the doctor thinks I'm swallowing in my sleep, even though I haven't technically started swallowing again yet. But I use Oasis artificial saliva to keep my uppper front part of my mouth dry.

    However, I'm fortunate that the nausea part is mostly done, and I'm not losing my stomach contents any more. Until you reach that point, keep plenty of anti-nause meds going. What I found was that eventually even when I threw up, I only lost a couple little balls of mucous, and was able to control the nausea to the point that I didn't lose any stomach contents at all.

    I hope that was more help than confusing!

    Jim

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