Diarrhea........yuk!

Jean 0609
Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone! I had my third chemo last Wednesday. One more to go. WOO HOO! Everything has been basically the same each time. This last Saturday I stayed in bed most of the day...my crash day from my steroid high. Had constipation up until Saturday. Felt good yesterday, except diarrhea started yesterday and I'm still going today. Was going to give it the rest of the night. Was wondering if my girlfriends out there had any suggestions as to what they do. The constipation lasted a day or so longer this time, so I guess the diarrhea will too. Hugs, Jean

Comments

  • GayleMc
    GayleMc Member Posts: 311 Member
    #2
    The diarrhea was my worst
    The diarrhea was my worst side effect in as much as I couldn't go far from home. It lasted a day and a half or so. I took Imodium ONLY as directed by my onc. I had it starting about day 3-4 after each treatment. After chemo ended, it disappeared. So glad you're almost done with your treatments. Sounds like you are a real trooper!!!!
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #3
    GayleMc said:

    The diarrhea was my worst
    The diarrhea was my worst side effect in as much as I couldn't go far from home. It lasted a day and a half or so. I took Imodium ONLY as directed by my onc. I had it starting about day 3-4 after each treatment. After chemo ended, it disappeared. So glad you're almost done with your treatments. Sounds like you are a real trooper!!!!

    try to drink gatorade , rice
    try to drink gatorade , rice can help the diahrea. bananas, rice, apples. toast. benefiber.avoid milk products. I had a tough time with this, the c and d cause many issues had surgery after. docs kept insisiting it wasnt chemo, funny how it stopped after.
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #4
    carkris said:

    try to drink gatorade , rice
    try to drink gatorade , rice can help the diahrea. bananas, rice, apples. toast. benefiber.avoid milk products. I had a tough time with this, the c and d cause many issues had surgery after. docs kept insisiting it wasnt chemo, funny how it stopped after.

    By round 3 I had forgotten..
    my chemo nurses recommendation of Imodium.

    I had purchased it before I started chemo and was glad I had it for fear of dehydration.
  • sausageroll
    sausageroll Member Posts: 415
    #5
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy said:

    By round 3 I had forgotten..
    my chemo nurses recommendation of Imodium.

    I had purchased it before I started chemo and was glad I had it for fear of dehydration.

    You're not alone
    Diarrhea was my biggest problem probably. Told my husband he should have bought stocks in Depends!!! I used immodium and it helped somewhat and then I would get really bad constipation.....it will end...just remember to keep hydrated and tell your oncologist...they eventually took me off chemo.
  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
    #6
    sausageroll said:

    You're not alone
    Diarrhea was my biggest problem probably. Told my husband he should have bought stocks in Depends!!! I used immodium and it helped somewhat and then I would get really bad constipation.....it will end...just remember to keep hydrated and tell your oncologist...they eventually took me off chemo.

    Big "D" was the worst for
    Big "D" was the worst for me. I took a lot of Lomotil. Immodium did not do anything for me.
    I hope your problems resolve soon.

    Hugs

    Donna
  • chriskaput
    chriskaput Member Posts: 109
    #7
    BlownAway60 said:

    Big "D" was the worst for
    Big "D" was the worst for me. I took a lot of Lomotil. Immodium did not do anything for me.
    I hope your problems resolve soon.

    Hugs

    Donna

    diarrhea
    yes I just had my 4th round of Taxol/Herceptin and I have severe cramping/diarrhea that lasts a few hours and always comes the same time towards the end of the week Fri/Sat. and my treatments are on Mond. I found that certain foods triggered it and made it worse. this week I am going to try and take the immodium before Fri. so hopefully it won't happen.

    Good luck : )
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #8
    Found out the hard way
    I was out when all of a sudden...it struck me. Nothing worse than the humility of having an accident :(

    Luckily, I was able to conceal it and rush home.

    Afterwards, during the duration of Chemo, if I had to go out, I wore a pad, just in case. For some reason, I must have not been paying attention to the nurses when they told me that was a side effect.
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #9
    sea60 said:

    Found out the hard way
    I was out when all of a sudden...it struck me. Nothing worse than the humility of having an accident :(

    Luckily, I was able to conceal it and rush home.

    Afterwards, during the duration of Chemo, if I had to go out, I wore a pad, just in case. For some reason, I must have not been paying attention to the nurses when they told me that was a side effect.

    Lomotil
    My doctor gave me a prescription for Lomotil, and it was a gift from the angels.

    Of course, not every drug works the same for everyone, but I'm telling you -- I've never had ANY drug work so fast and so well in my entire life. I carried it with me at all times.

    Traci
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #10
    TraciInLA said:

    Lomotil
    My doctor gave me a prescription for Lomotil, and it was a gift from the angels.

    Of course, not every drug works the same for everyone, but I'm telling you -- I've never had ANY drug work so fast and so well in my entire life. I carried it with me at all times.

    Traci

    I used immodium too, but was
    I used immodium too, but was so sensitive that I had to take very small doses, half to a quarter the normal amount. or it would trigger a severe reaction. I was pretty much house bound, and wore a pad. I found this very difficult to not be in control. I am still mad that my docs thought I was strange. everyone here seems to get these s/e. I had problems with my potassium, lost a lot of weight. was hospitalized for dehydration. needed bum surgery that still hasnt totally healed. fun stuff. Blown away and I were going through this at the same time. now I am back to normal. still cant eat certain foods, but its getting better every day.
  • Jennifer1961
    Jennifer1961 Member Posts: 137
    #11
    I had diarrhea for a week after round two.
    Took several days of the max dose of immodium to work. For round 3 I drank a TON of water several days before and every day after. so far (into second week)no diarrhea or constipation.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691 Member
    #12
    carkris said:

    try to drink gatorade , rice
    try to drink gatorade , rice can help the diahrea. bananas, rice, apples. toast. benefiber.avoid milk products. I had a tough time with this, the c and d cause many issues had surgery after. docs kept insisiting it wasnt chemo, funny how it stopped after.

    Ditto!
    I too had pretty bad

    Ditto!

    I too had pretty bad diarrhea and have been told it is not the chemo!!! Never mind the oesphogaitus, mucositosis that I have that only came when I started chemo. Admittedly I do have a sensitive GI tract but really I never got this before chemo.

    Ditto again to the bananas, rice, applesauce and other fiber. I avoided wheat since that seemed to make it worse for me. I had a mineral suppliment I mixed with water and drank plenty of coconut water.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #13
    Jennifer1961 said:

    I had diarrhea for a week after round two.
    Took several days of the max dose of immodium to work. For round 3 I drank a TON of water several days before and every day after. so far (into second week)no diarrhea or constipation.

    awesome! always glad when
    awesome! always glad when something works!
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #14
    carkris said:

    awesome! always glad when
    awesome! always glad when something works!

    Diaherra
    Jean, most of us have experienced the constipation/diahera during chemo treatment, and I was one of those that was so concerned about the constipation (for five days following each chemo treatment) that I called my onc nurse to see what to do. For constipation they recommended Senacot S, which is a stool softener, and it works very mildly. It also stopped the bout with diaherra that always followed the constipation. Give this a try and see if it will work for you.

    A funny to maybe make everyone smile. Years ago when my grandson was about three, he rushed in the door telling me about his "visit from the diaherra". Fifteen minutes later, after he told me all about his horrible night up and down going potty, there was a break in his conversation. I had tried not to laugh at him, as he was very serious. I asked him, "Taylor, what do you think caused this?" He thought for a minute, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sometimes your butt just does that to you". I still laugh when I think about that moment, and can't wait to tell this story at his wedding reception.

    There is humor in anything that we go through, so chin up and hope that the Senacot will help you. As has been said by many others, "This too shall pass." Hugs,

    Judy
  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    #15
    D
    I have had the "D" every single day since I started chemo. I am now 1 month out of chemo and still have it. My doctors don't seem to care; they just prescribed Lomotil which I took once but it stopped me up for a week and so I didn't take it again. I've lost 25 pounds.
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    #16
    Thanks everyone!
    I'm feeling much better today. I guess it just had to get out of my systems. I did have rice for dinner last night.

    Judy, thanks so much for reminding me about the Senacot. That's what they recommended after my mastectomy and it did help. It just slipped my mine (chemo brain). Thanks too for sharing the story about your grandson. Out of the mouths of babes! It made me laugh. Hugs, Jean
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #17
    Jean 0609 said:

    Thanks everyone!
    I'm feeling much better today. I guess it just had to get out of my systems. I did have rice for dinner last night.

    Judy, thanks so much for reminding me about the Senacot. That's what they recommended after my mastectomy and it did help. It just slipped my mine (chemo brain). Thanks too for sharing the story about your grandson. Out of the mouths of babes! It made me laugh. Hugs, Jean

    I had my first chemo
    yesterday and last night I was bloated and feeling like constipation was on the horizon, so I took a colace before going to bed. During the night I got up 3 times to pee. When I woke I did have a hard bowel. So, at breakfast I took another colace and then I had a regular softer bowel. Well, after dinner I had a loose bowel. I'm not looking forward to diarrhea. Yuk! Taking it one day at a time but I have the Immodium ready :-0
    Char

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