Severe nausea, any suggestions

Lovethesun
Lovethesun Member Posts: 12
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

My husband is in the middle of week 5 of radiation treatment, 10 more treatments to go. Done with 2 big rounds of Cisplatin.  He is so nauseated and everything gags him, that he isn't getting much nutrition in.  Getting 1 liter of IV fluids 3 times/week. Compazine, Zofran and Ativan not a lot of help. No feeding tube and at this stage, not really wanting to get one.  He is only getting 1-2 Ensures a day, so 350-700 calories. The RO had said he needs a minimum of 4 a day.  Any suggestions?

Pam

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Comments

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    #2
    Sorry to say

    He probably needs a tube.  I'm 9 weeks out of treatement and only been off the tube for about 10 days. 

    J.

  • peggylulu
    peggylulu Member Posts: 375
    #3
    Pam

    Tell him he has to get those 4 Ensure down if he doesn't want a feeding tube . I know it is very hard and nothing taste good In fact everything probably taste bad ! I too only drank 1-2 Ensures a day and I lost 50 pounds and a lot of muscle . I had the weight to lose but not that fast and not good losing muscle. Have him try to sip on it all day (I could only take small sips)and try using a straw if he isn't . My Doctor also told me to eat and drink everything at room temperture . It will get better but not for a few more weeks . I hope this helps . My best to you and your husband.

    Peggy

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #4
    Emend

    Hi Pam,

    My treatment plan is a little different but I too am experiencing nausea from Cisplatin. I'm getting 6 weekely chemos and 

    30 rad treatments. Last week I hit the wall and was pretty sick. I tried not to eat around other people or be around strong food smells/odors.  
    They gave me saline IV's M-F to hydrate me and a few doses of Emend to supplement the three other nausea drugs I have. It helped a lot! 


    "T"

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    fishmanpa said:

    Emend

    Hi Pam,

    My treatment plan is a little different but I too am experiencing nausea from Cisplatin. I'm getting 6 weekely chemos and 

    30 rad treatments. Last week I hit the wall and was pretty sick. I tried not to eat around other people or be around strong food smells/odors.  
    They gave me saline IV's M-F to hydrate me and a few doses of Emend to supplement the three other nausea drugs I have. It helped a lot! 


    "T"

    EMEND

    First three days of big doses of chemo..., expensive, but well worth the price... I never got sick once...

  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #6
    lovethesun, I had that

    lovethesun, I had that problem after my second round of chemo, was so nauseated. They ordered a rectal supp that had to be compounded by a pharmacy. They were called BDR.They ad benadryl, dexamethasone and reglan in them and they were like a miracle for me. Within about 1 hour after using the first one, I could tell a world of difference. Worth a try if you can find somewhere to make them for you.

  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #7
    Another recommendation for Emend!

    I felt ill after the first round of chemo and they added emend the second round. It made a HUGE difference. Hopefully it will help for your husband too!

    Is he on strong narcotics yet (like a fentanyl patch)? The narcotics had a side effect of shutting down my stomach and bowels (gastroparesis). It made me so nauseus I couldn't keep anything down, even with emend. If they can try the emend and it doesn't help, ask about gastroparesis and reglan. It gets the stomach working again and can help keep at least a little food and liquid down. Mine didn't improve significantly, though, until I eliminated the fentanyl (not an option if you're in a lot of pain).

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #8
    He needs something extra to help

    him get passed the nausea....maybe the suppository that Broadway girl mentioned....maybe penergrin (sp)....something.  Having a tube won't help, as he'd still be trying to put food on a urpy tummy.  Constant nausea is horrible.  One thing I did was time my Compazine/Zophran 30 minutes before I tried to get something down....Make sure he's taking all his nausea meds even if he's more than a week out of the chemo...my doc told me to take them till I didn't feel sick....once it was 4 days out, once it was 8 days out.....there isn't a time limit on anit-nausea meds. 

    DO ask about Emend in pill form for the first three days after chemo....it truly helps get us over the initial hump.

    You gotta call the Dr. and let him know that your husband is suffering severe nausea, so they can call something into the drugstore....or tell them when he goes to get hydrated.  He shouldn't have to suffer this much.

    p

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #9
    phrannie51 said:

    He needs something extra to help

    him get passed the nausea....maybe the suppository that Broadway girl mentioned....maybe penergrin (sp)....something.  Having a tube won't help, as he'd still be trying to put food on a urpy tummy.  Constant nausea is horrible.  One thing I did was time my Compazine/Zophran 30 minutes before I tried to get something down....Make sure he's taking all his nausea meds even if he's more than a week out of the chemo...my doc told me to take them till I didn't feel sick....once it was 4 days out, once it was 8 days out.....there isn't a time limit on anit-nausea meds. 

    DO ask about Emend in pill form for the first three days after chemo....it truly helps get us over the initial hump.

    You gotta call the Dr. and let him know that your husband is suffering severe nausea, so they can call something into the drugstore....or tell them when he goes to get hydrated.  He shouldn't have to suffer this much.

    p

    Emend
    Or Phenergan or any of the other meds mentioned. He needs to take these meds regularly to stay ahead of the nausea.
    Phrannie is right about the tube and it not helping him feel better however, if he's not eating enough by mouth he really should reconsider getting one. I took my dissolvable meds for nausea by mouth but I took the Reglan by tube.

    One last thing to consider is that maybe his pain meds are causing nausea and maybe he could switch to another? You need to contact the doctor either way and tell them of your hubbies struggles.

    This is such a long process and I'm sorry that you both are going thru it. I promise it will get better, there is life after this Hell you both are going thru right one.

    Take care,
    Billie
  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #10
    There's a song....

    I've seen it cryptically referenced but quite frankly I'm surprised that I haven't seen a full blown discussion or thread on this subject since I joined. 

    Allow me to give a very obvious reference to a nausea remedy... From a song written by Stephen Stills

    Four and Twenty years ago
    I come into this life,
    the son of a woman
    And a man who lived in strife.

    However you look at it, it's been shown to be beneficial for cancer side effect symptoms and is an appetite enhancer.

    "T"

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #11
    fishmanpa said:

    There's a song....

    I've seen it cryptically referenced but quite frankly I'm surprised that I haven't seen a full blown discussion or thread on this subject since I joined. 

    Allow me to give a very obvious reference to a nausea remedy... From a song written by Stephen Stills

    Four and Twenty years ago
    I come into this life,
    the son of a woman
    And a man who lived in strife.

    However you look at it, it's been shown to be beneficial for cancer side effect symptoms and is an appetite enhancer.

    "T"

    There have been some discussion on it...

    My best friend in Seattle has a green card, and was more than willing to supply me with pot if I needed it.  I could never figure out how I'd ingest, tho. I wouldn't dare smoke it, for obvious reasons....not to mention my mouth was bleeding and I couldn't even do water so tea would be out....and I was too nauseous to eat it....how does a person get it into them?

    p

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #12
    phrannie51 said:

    There have been some discussion on it...

    My best friend in Seattle has a green card, and was more than willing to supply me with pot if I needed it.  I could never figure out how I'd ingest, tho. I wouldn't dare smoke it, for obvious reasons....not to mention my mouth was bleeding and I couldn't even do water so tea would be out....and I was too nauseous to eat it....how does a person get it into them?

    p

    Vaporizer/Inhaler

    They have vapor inhalers....

  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #13
    Ginger

    The friday , sat , and sunday before my all day chemo treatments. cisplatin, taxotore, and 5fu I took ginger capsules, plus I wore those anti nausea wrist bands for sea sickness and chemotherapy...my daughter did some reading and found out about the ginger , I tried the tea(nasty) the raw ginger( even worse) ..not sure if it was all smoke and mirrors, mind-over matter, but it seemed to work for me as I didn't experience any nausea thru all the treatments I had,the chemo cocktails every 21 days for 3 months, then 7.5 weeks of rads + 1 cocktail of carboplatin for each week of rads, fort a total of 7. As for the calories , I didn't have a feeding tube either, I drank what your husband is ensure and boost. , plus  milk shakes and ate even though I couldn't taste a lot, I also added whey protein powder to my daily drinks.

    Linda

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #14
    fishmanpa said:

    There's a song....

    I've seen it cryptically referenced but quite frankly I'm surprised that I haven't seen a full blown discussion or thread on this subject since I joined. 

    Allow me to give a very obvious reference to a nausea remedy... From a song written by Stephen Stills

    Four and Twenty years ago
    I come into this life,
    the son of a woman
    And a man who lived in strife.

    However you look at it, it's been shown to be beneficial for cancer side effect symptoms and is an appetite enhancer.

    "T"

    in fact

    Here is its first use

    We all know the nursery rhyme, "Sing A Song of Sixpence," from the classic Mother Goose. This is the first verse of the rhyme as it first appeared in print in the mid-1700s:

    Sing a Song of Sixpence,
    A bag full of Rye,
    Four and twenty
    Naughty boys,
    Bak’d in a Pye.

     

    In fact the term 420 was not coined until early seventies and CSN did that song in the sixties so its reference is purely coincidental.

    I actually some real 420 cancer news - look for a new post. LOL

  • akbear49
    akbear49 Member Posts: 51
    #15
    Maybe

    I had 2 anti nausea drugs that I was supposed to take individually.   After my first chemo treatment I decided to take them both at the same time - I also didn't wait for any symptoms I just went ahead and took them both.   I was very sleepy afterwards and took naps but i never vomited during the entire 8 week treatment radiation / chemo ordeal.    I also drank Ensure and my wife made me fortified smoothies to drink before I left for my radiation treatments.      

  • akbear49
    akbear49 Member Posts: 51
    #16
    Maybe

    I had 2 anti nausea drugs that I was supposed to take individually.   After my first chemo treatment I decided to take them both at the same time - I also didn't wait for any symptoms I just went ahead and took them both.   I was very sleepy afterwards and took naps but i never vomited during the entire 8 week treatment radiation / chemo ordeal.    I also drank Ensure and my wife made me fortified smoothies to drink before I left for my radiation treatments.      

  • Lovethesun
    Lovethesun Member Posts: 12
    #17
    akbear49 said:

    Maybe

    I had 2 anti nausea drugs that I was supposed to take individually.   After my first chemo treatment I decided to take them both at the same time - I also didn't wait for any symptoms I just went ahead and took them both.   I was very sleepy afterwards and took naps but i never vomited during the entire 8 week treatment radiation / chemo ordeal.    I also drank Ensure and my wife made me fortified smoothies to drink before I left for my radiation treatments.      

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Greg is finding that Ativan is working the best for the nausea...also Zofran, but too afraid of the constipation side effects.  Compazine is useless.  Finding that he really needs to not be afraid to medicate for the nausea.  Amazingly, he is 5 weeks into this and does not have any pain!  Has not taken any narcotics.  The nausea, thick mucous, restricted esophagus, no taste buds or appetite is what makes this oral intake a challenge.  I would really like to get more calories and protein into him.  As a nurse (OB/GYN, no oncology experience) I am feeling like I am not a very good caregiver because I can't manage all the symptoms.. Just add it to the rest of my guilt list.

     

    Pam

  • Lovethesun
    Lovethesun Member Posts: 12
    #18
    akbear49 said:

    Maybe

    I had 2 anti nausea drugs that I was supposed to take individually.   After my first chemo treatment I decided to take them both at the same time - I also didn't wait for any symptoms I just went ahead and took them both.   I was very sleepy afterwards and took naps but i never vomited during the entire 8 week treatment radiation / chemo ordeal.    I also drank Ensure and my wife made me fortified smoothies to drink before I left for my radiation treatments.      

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Greg is finding that Ativan is working the best for the nausea...also Zofran, but too afraid of the constipation side effects.  Compazine is useless.  Finding that he really needs to not be afraid to medicate for the nausea.  Amazingly, he is 5 weeks into this and does not have any pain!  Has not taken any narcotics.  The nausea, thick mucous, restricted esophagus, no taste buds or appetite is what makes this oral intake a challenge.  I would really like to get more calories and protein into him.  As a nurse (OB/GYN, no oncology experience) I am feeling like I am not a very good caregiver because I can't manage all the symptoms.. Just add it to the rest of my guilt list.

     

    Pam

  • Lovethesun
    Lovethesun Member Posts: 12
    #19
    akbear49 said:

    Maybe

    I had 2 anti nausea drugs that I was supposed to take individually.   After my first chemo treatment I decided to take them both at the same time - I also didn't wait for any symptoms I just went ahead and took them both.   I was very sleepy afterwards and took naps but i never vomited during the entire 8 week treatment radiation / chemo ordeal.    I also drank Ensure and my wife made me fortified smoothies to drink before I left for my radiation treatments.      

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Greg is finding that Ativan is working the best for the nausea...also Zofran, but too afraid of the constipation side effects.  Compazine is useless.  Finding that he really needs to not be afraid to medicate for the nausea.  Amazingly, he is 5 weeks into this and does not have any pain!  Has not taken any narcotics.  The nausea, thick mucous, restricted esophagus, no taste buds or appetite is what makes this oral intake a challenge.  I would really like to get more calories and protein into him.  As a nurse (OB/GYN, no oncology experience) I am feeling like I am not a very good caregiver because I can't manage all the symptoms.. Just add it to the rest of my guilt list.

     

    Pam

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #20
    Lovethesun said:

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Greg is finding that Ativan is working the best for the nausea...also Zofran, but too afraid of the constipation side effects.  Compazine is useless.  Finding that he really needs to not be afraid to medicate for the nausea.  Amazingly, he is 5 weeks into this and does not have any pain!  Has not taken any narcotics.  The nausea, thick mucous, restricted esophagus, no taste buds or appetite is what makes this oral intake a challenge.  I would really like to get more calories and protein into him.  As a nurse (OB/GYN, no oncology experience) I am feeling like I am not a very good caregiver because I can't manage all the symptoms.. Just add it to the rest of my guilt list.

     

    Pam

    I wonder why I keep forgetting Ativan!!

    During radiation I had IV Amifostine everyday....that stuff is NASTY, but they'd have me take an Ativan 30 minutes before they pumped it into me....the only time I ever got sick on the Amifostine was the day I decided not to take an Ativan so I'd be more alert after rads.  Learned a valuable lesson on that one.

    Glad it's working for him!!!  Tell him appetite and taste are back burner things right now....it's all about getting nutrition in regardless if it's tasteless and he doesn't feel hungry.  Remind him he'll heal faster with more food in the tum.  Can he do loosely scrambled eggs?  Lots of protein there, and let's face it....plain scrambled eggs is pretty tasteless for everybody. Smile  That was what my husband would make for me when I was hungry in the belly, but too wiped out to do for myself....and he felt good being able to do it for me.

    Don't you dare add any of this to a guilt list!!!  Taking care of us HNC patients is not for the faint of heart.  You're doing all that you can to make this treatment more doable for him....but you can't eat for him...you can't drink for him.  We all have to take some responsibility for how we manage our treatments, and our recovery from them.  You throw that list in the garbage, young lady!!

    p

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #21
    osmotar said:

    Ginger

    The friday , sat , and sunday before my all day chemo treatments. cisplatin, taxotore, and 5fu I took ginger capsules, plus I wore those anti nausea wrist bands for sea sickness and chemotherapy...my daughter did some reading and found out about the ginger , I tried the tea(nasty) the raw ginger( even worse) ..not sure if it was all smoke and mirrors, mind-over matter, but it seemed to work for me as I didn't experience any nausea thru all the treatments I had,the chemo cocktails every 21 days for 3 months, then 7.5 weeks of rads + 1 cocktail of carboplatin for each week of rads, fort a total of 7. As for the calories , I didn't have a feeding tube either, I drank what your husband is ensure and boost. , plus  milk shakes and ate even though I couldn't taste a lot, I also added whey protein powder to my daily drinks.

    Linda

    Ginger?

    Hey,

    I wonder if there really is something to ginger. I love ginger and make ginger tea alot and use a lot in various dishes. My neignbor brought over two boxes of various ginger teas after she heard about my cancer. I wonder if that was just coincidence or she read something that ginger helps cancer patients undergoing treatment.  Maybe you are onto something. I start rads and chemo next week, same as you carbo weekly, so I will fill up on anything ginger this weekend -- ginger ice cream, ginger tea, ginger in foods, etc. lol

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